Drew University professor publishes digital literacy book

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Drew University professor publishes digital literacy book

Kristen Turner collected input from researchers and teachers for the book

March 2021: Drew University professor and director of teacher education Kristen Turner has seen her edited book on digital literacy leave her footprint in the industry.

Published 2020, The Ethics of Digital Literacy: Developing Knowledge and Skills Across Grade Levels is an edited volume with chapters written by researchers and teachers on classroom practice. It recently reached number 30 on The Library Journal's best-selling list of academics in education, a list that includes some of the most notable names in the field.

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"The book is meant to invite reflection and spark conversation," said Turner.

"Being on this list means that people are reading the important contributions of professors and researchers who share their ideas and practices," said Turner.

"It was a collective effort and I am happy to know that our impact is spreading."

The book is another indication of the focus on technology tool development within Drew's MAT program, and has several chapters written by the program's teachers, including two by Turner herself.

Lauren King, an adjunct professor in the MAT program, wrote about her experience as a high school teacher in New York and advocated for access to digital tools for her students, while Lauren Zucker, an adjunct assistant professor in the MAT program, shared ideas on promoting digital health and well-being in the classroom.

Teachers associated with the Drew Writing Project and the DrewTEACH Digital Literacies Collaborative, programs run through Drew, allow teachers to network, participate in professional learning experiences, and receive nationally recognized credentials.

The subject of the book is particularly timely given the amount of learning, from K-12 to higher education, that has been done digitally amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Digital literacy is literacy in today's world," Turner said.

"With the pandemic making technology even more important, understanding how to read, write and communicate digitally ethically is a priority."