Teachers 4.0 Digital Curriculum – Available now to empower teachers in digital media literacy

by Martina Natalini, All Digital, Belgium. Digital literacy and tackling disinformation are among the top three digital skills needed for the 21st century. Teachers need to be equipped with the…

by Martina Natalini, All Digital, Belgium.

Digital literacy and tackling disinformation are among the top three digital skills needed for the 21st century. Teachers need to be equipped with the necessary knowledge and skills to empower their students to think critically, make informed choices online and stay safe whilst continuously building their resilience in the digital world.

Teachers 4.0 Digital offers a large-scale capacity-building activity for initial training and continuous professional development of teachers and educators across Europe with a focus on Bulgaria, Cyprus, Greece, Italy, Poland and Romania.

For the past one year of our project, 34 established academics from 9 European universities and institutions have been developing an exclusive and thorough University Course entitled ‘Tackling Disinformation and Promoting Digital Media Literacy through Education and Training’.

Our comprehensive program spans 60 hours of immersive learning, divided into two parts: 30 hours of hands-on instruction and 30 hours of self-guided exploration, offering a blend of theory and practical application.

Drawing inspiration from the latest educational frameworks and the digital needs of tomorrow, the curriculum is divided into 10 dynamic modules that will unlock new possibilities for teaching in the digital world.

Module 1 – Introduction
Gain an insightful overview of the course, its objectives, and the powerful methodologies behind it.

Module 2 – Disinformation: What Are We Talking About?
Learn to distinguish disinformation, explore key concepts like participatory culture, echo chambers, and the filter bubble, and see how disinformation threatens democracy, democratic institutions, and equal digital participation.

Module 3 – More Key Terms and Definitions
Dive into essential digital media literacy terms like troll, phishing, cheapfake, deepfake, and verification. With an interactive glossary and hands-on activities, learners will not only grasp these concepts but also develop the skills to spot and tackle misinformation in the digital world.

Module 4 – Setting the Scene for Teaching and Learning in the Digital School Environment
Learn how to create a safe space for discussing sensitive topics and understand your role in guiding these important conversations with your students.

Module 5 – Assessing and Evaluating Digital Media Literacy in Schools
Gain practical tools and strategies to evaluate and enhance your students’ digital skills.

Module 6 – Explore the Key Media Practices of Children and Students
Learn why connecting with your students’ digital lives matters, and how their online experiences shape their worldviews. Discover a framework for analysing their media habits and interactive activities to help them reflect on their own media behaviors in a fun way!

Module 7 – Teaching Digital Media Literacy and Disinformation
Equip Students with critical media skills!Find out how to help students understand media texts, spot bias, use fact-checking techniques, and create responsible media, empowering them to become digital citizens.

Module 8 – Building Digital Media Literacy Competences in the Classroom: Becoming Digital Citizens
Explore how to equip students with essential digital media literacy skills, focusing on responsible online behavior, critical thinking, and safe digital practices.

Module 9 – Students in All Their Diversity
Gain insights on how to address diversity in the classroom, understanding its importance and how misinformation impacts different social groups. Practical activities are included to help engage students and foster inclusive learning environments.

Module 10 – Practical Examples of Lesson Plans
Learn about an instructional model to help teachers create effective lesson plans and offers practical examples that can be used, adapted, or serve as inspiration to guide students toward becoming responsible digital citizens.

All the aforementioned modules are accompanied by suggested teaching methods and tools suitable for our target group and consistent with the course goals.

The Curriculum is available in 6 European languages: EN, BG, EL, IT, PL, RO.