D1.0 ​A Journey of Learning & Empowerment

Image of a young woman in a vibrant, and tech-savvy inspired setting.

Story Time!
​A Journey of Learning and Empowerment
Nicole Bakula never thought her love for advertising would lead her to digital literacy, but life has a funny way of connecting the dots. “I remember browsing YouTube all the time when I was younger—just trying to figure out how to download music,” she reflects. “It’s funny how those early moments shaped my understanding of the digital world.”
By the time she moved to New York to pursue her master's in Strategic Design and Management, Nicole had made a complete career shift. She wasn’t just a public relations graduate anymore. She had become a full-fledged UX Researcher. She’s seen firsthand how digital tools bridge gaps for people, especially those from underprivileged communities. Her involvement with the Open Educational Resource (OER) project has one main goal: to make digital skills accessible to all, particularly marginalized groups.
“Digital literacy is more than just knowing how to use a computer. It’s about creating spaces for people to thrive. I want to teach others how to use technology, to leverage it to solve problems,” says Nicole, explaining her motivation. Through the OER, she is providing resources that will help others just like her—navigating a world filled with opportunities, thanks to digital tools.

Examples of Digital Literacies and Reflection & Writing Prompts: Review the examples of digital literacies. From the list below, select 5 to explore further throughout the lesson. Based on your selections, reflect on the corresponding prompts and write out your responses. You may use those selected or choose new ones later on in the lesson. You are welcome to skip any of the prompts that do not apply and jump to the "guiding questions for online search" to learn more about how others demonstrate the digital literacies.
1. Learn

• Reflect on the last time you learned a new digital tool or platform. How did you approach learning it?
• What are the biggest challenges you face when learning new technology, and how do you overcome them?
• How can you foster a continuous learning mindset in your career or studies?
• Guiding questions for online search: Search for educational resources or communities for women who are learning new digital skills. What advice do they offer for lifelong learning?

2. Identify

• When starting a new project or task, how do you identify the key objectives or goals? What factors influence how you define success?
• Reflect on a time when identifying a problem early on helped you avoid bigger challenges later. How did you spot the issue?
• What strategies or tools do you use to identify opportunities for growth in your personal or professional life?
• Guiding questions for online search: Look up stories of women who have successfully identified key opportunities or challenges in their careers. How did they approach this process?

3. Discover

• How do you go about discovering new tools, ideas, or resources in your field? What strategies help you find innovative solutions to problems?
• Think about a time when discovering something new (e.g., a software tool or a new approach to a task) helped you succeed. What was the outcome?
• How can you create a habit of discovery in your daily routine or career to continuously learn and adapt?
• Guiding questions for online search: Look for examples of women who have discovered breakthrough technologies or ideas. How did they approach their discoveries?

4. Search

• How do you conduct digital searches for information? What tools or platforms do you use (e.g., search engines like Google, digital libraries such as EBSCOhost, or government open data sources)? How do you decide where to look and what sources to trust online?
• Reflect on a time when conducting a digital search helped you solve a problem or make a decision. What methods, search engines, or databases did you use, and what information did you find most helpful?
• How can you improve your digital search skills to find more accurate or relevant information more efficiently? Are there specific databases, search operators, or tools you can leverage to refine your search results?
• Guiding questions for online search: Explore how women in business or academia excel at conducting effective digital research. What search strategies, databases (like JSTOR, Google Scholar, or government data sources like data.gov), or tools do they recommend? How do they use these platforms to enhance their research outcomes?

5. Evaluate

• How do you evaluate the effectiveness of something you are working on (e.g., a project, business idea, or process)? What criteria do you use to assess its success?
• Reflect on a time when evaluating something critically helped you make a better decision. What steps did you follow to evaluate the situation?
• How can you improve your evaluation process? Are there any tools or techniques that can help you become more thorough in your assessments?
• Guiding questions for online search: Search for evaluation methods used by women in leadership positions or project management. What tools or techniques do they recommend?

6. Uploading

• How do you approach uploading content (e.g., photos, documents, videos) to platforms or storage services? What steps do you follow to ensure a smooth upload process?
• Think about a time when uploading something online led to a positive result (e.g., sharing a presentation, collaborating with others). What did you learn from that experience?
• How can you improve your uploading process for more efficiency, especially when dealing with large files?
• Guiding questions for online search: Look for tips on uploading content effectively from women in business or tech. What best practices do they recommend?

7. Share

• How do you share knowledge, resources, or experiences with others in your life? What platforms do you use, and how do you decide what to share?
• Think about a time when sharing something valuable helped others or created an opportunity. How did you approach sharing in that situation?
• What strategies or tools do you use to ensure that your sharing is meaningful and impactful?
• Guiding questions for online search: Search for women in nonprofit organizations or social media who are known for sharing valuable insights. What strategies do they use to amplify their message?

8. Sharing Great Insights

• Reflect on a time when sharing an insight or idea helped others. How did you communicate it effectively, and what was the result?
• How can you improve your ability to identify great insights in your work or personal life? How can you use these insights to inspire or help others?
• What platforms or tools do you use to share these insights with a wider audience, and how can you improve this process?
• Guiding questions for online search: Look for female thought leaders who excel at sharing insights in their fields. What platforms do they use, and how do they communicate their ideas?

9. Try Something Different

• Think about a time when trying something different in your routine, career, or project helped you see things from a new perspective. What made this change so impactful?
• How do you decide when it’s time to try something different, especially when facing obstacles or stagnation?
• What areas in your life would benefit from trying something different? How can you begin to make that change?
• Guiding questions for online search: Find examples of women who have transformed their careers or projects by trying something different. How did they pivot, and what lessons can you apply?

10. Understand Software

• How do you currently use software in your daily life or work? How do you ensure that you understand its features and functions?
• Reflect on a time when understanding a particular software helped you streamline a task or project. How did it improve your efficiency?
• What software would you like to better understand? How will you approach learning it?
• Guiding questions for online search: Search for resources and tutorials by women in tech who provide helpful advice on understanding and using software tools effectively.

Image of women and girls collaboratively exploring their digital literacies in a colorful and playful setting.

Lesson: Exploring & Expanding Digital Literacies for Academic and Professional Growth
Objective: By the end of this lesson, you will:

1. Reflect on your current digital literacies.
2. Identify key digital literacies that can enhance your academic or professional journey.
3. Learn to explore new possibilities for using your digital skills creatively and effectively.
4. Find role models who exemplify excellence in your areas of interest, specifically among women in tech and other fields.
5. Use ChatGPT to generate ideas on how to apply your digital literacies in innovative ways.

Step 1: Reflect on Your Current Digital Literacies
Choose 5 digital literacies from the list above. For each, answer the reflection prompts provided. You can select the same digital literacy for more than one prompt if applicable.
Digital Literacies to Reflect On

• Data analysis
• Deliver products
• Deliver services
• Designing websites
• Designing my stuff
• Develop
• Discover
• Evaluate
• Identify
• Implement
• Design research, qualitative aspect
• Search
• Share
• Sharing great insights
• Try different things
• Understand software
• Uploading
• Use technology in a new way
• Writing

Reflection Prompts:

1. How do you currently demonstrate this digital literacy?
   Reflect on how you use this skill in your personal, academic, or professional life. Consider any tools, methods, or processes that help you execute this skill.
2. How do others demonstrate this digital literacy in a way that you admire?
   Think about people in your life, role models, or industry leaders. How do they use this skill? What aspects of their approach do you find inspiring?
3. In what ways do you not want to demonstrate this digital literacy for yourself?
   Reflect on situations or behaviors that would hinder your success with this skill. For example, perhaps you notice inefficiency in how someone else uses the skill, or you recognize poor practices that you want to avoid.
4. How would you like to expand or enhance your proficiency in this digital literacy?
   Identify areas for improvement. What steps could you take to become more proficient or more creative in your use of this digital literacy?
5. What are the possibilities if you are able to demonstrate this digital literacy at a high level?
   Reflect on the potential outcomes. How would excelling in this skill impact your academic journey, career, or personal growth?

Step 2: Identify 5 Digital Literacies to Pursue
Based on your reflections in Step 1, choose 5 digital literacies that are most relevant to your academic or professional journey. Consider how these skills will help you grow in your current or future career.
For each of the five digital literacies you select, answer the following questions:

1. How do these digital literacies align with your academic or career goals?
   Think about the specific skills required in your field. How do these literacies support your long-term objectives?
2. How can these digital literacies help you solve problems in your current work or school projects?
   Reflect on your immediate goals. Which digital literacies could streamline processes, increase productivity, or enhance creativity in your current projects?
3. What resources or steps will you take to enhance these digital literacies?
   Identify courses, workshops, books, or mentorship opportunities that could help you build on these skills.

Step 3: Generate Prompts for ChatGPT
Use your answers from Steps 1 and 2 to create prompts for ChatGPT that will help you explore how to apply your chosen digital literacies in new and innovative ways for your school or work.
Example Prompts:

• “How can I use [specific digital literacy] to improve my research for a school project on [topic]?”
• “How can I implement [specific digital literacy] in my work to create more efficient workflows in [specific task or industry]?”
• “What are some examples of how women in [industry] use [specific digital literacy] to innovate in their careers? Please provide inspiration.”
• “How can I [specific digital literacy] to enhance my team’s collaboration in a remote setting?”
• “What tools can I use to help [specific digital literacy] in my field, and how can I maximize their use for my career?”

Step 4: Explore Women Who Exemplify Excellence in Digital Literacies
Use LinkedIn, Instagram, or other platforms to find women in your field or those who inspire you by exemplifying excellence in the digital literacies you want to develop.
Search for women who:

• Are role models in tech, business, education, or other fields of interest.
• Use social media to share insights about their professional journey and digital skills.
• Have shared projects or examples of their expertise related to your chosen digital literacies.

Guiding Search Questions:

• “Search for women in [industry/field] who specialize in [chosen digital literacy].”
• “Who are the top women in tech/business/education using [chosen digital literacy] for innovative projects?”
• “Find women on Instagram or LinkedIn who regularly post about their work in [chosen digital literacy]. What lessons can I learn from them?”
• “Who are the thought leaders in [chosen digital literacy] in my field, and how do they use this skill to succeed?”

Step 5: Conclusion & Next Steps

1. Review the insights you’ve gained from this lesson. Reflect on how identifying, practicing, and improving these digital literacies will shape your future.
2. Create a learning plan for the next few weeks or months to focus on the five digital literacies you’ve chosen to enhance.
3. Start applying your skills to your school projects, work tasks, or personal projects. See how you can integrate your digital literacies to solve real-life challenges and create opportunities for growth.

By using these prompts, individuals will reflect deeply on their current digital skills, identify areas for growth, and explore how to apply their digital literacies in meaningful and innovative ways. This process not only encourages academic and professional development but also helps them find inspiration from role models who excel in similar fields.