In an increasingly digital world, digital literacy is becoming an essential skill for success in any citizen’s personal and professional life.

In this regard, schools, as centers for the education of citizens, play a crucial role in integrating digital literacy into the teaching and learning process.

But what is digital culture?

First of all, digital literacy goes beyond the use of technological tools. In fact, it refers to the ability to understand, analyze, and create in the digital environment. See below for everything it entails:

• Digital Awareness
  Understanding how technology impacts individual and social life, while recognizing its benefits and challenges.
   
• Digital Citizenship
  Acting ethically, responsibly, and safely in the online environment, respecting diversity, combating cyberbullying, and promoting the positive use of technology.
   
• Digital Creativity
  Use digital tools to produce original and innovative content, expressing ideas and exploring new forms of communication.
   
• 
  Digital Collaboration: Working as a team on online projects, effectively sharing knowledge, ideas, and solutions.
   
• Digital Critical Thinking
  Critically analyze online information, identifying the reliability, biases, and quality of the sources consulted.

Why incorporate digital culture into education?

Digital literacy in education is essential for several reasons:

• Preparing for the future: The job market and social life increasingly demand individuals with digital skills to work in different fields and roles.
   
• Promoting active learning: Technology can make learning more dynamic, interactive, and engaging by focusing on active student participation.
   
• Expanding access to information: The internet offers an unlimited variety of educational resources, democratizing knowledge and promoting digital inclusion.
   
• Developing essential life skills: Digital literacy contributes to the development of skills such as creativity, communication, problem-solving, teamwork, critical thinking, and adaptability.
   
• Personalizing learning: Digital tools make it possible to tailor instruction to each student’s pace, learning style, and individual needs.

What does the BNCC say about digital literacy?

See below what the National Common Core Curriculum says about digital literacy in education:

General Competency 5: "Use digital technologies, with guidance, to communicate, access, and disseminate information; generate knowledge; solve problems; and take an active role in personal, professional, and social life."

This competency is cross-curricular; in other words, it should be developed across all areas of knowledge and at different stages of a student’s academic life.

With regard to specific skills, the BNCC outlines several related to digital literacy, grouped into different areas of knowledge. For example, in the area of Portuguese Language, students should be able to:

• EF69LP01: "Use digital tools to research, select, organize, and communicate information critically and responsibly, drawing on a variety of reliable sources."
• EF69LP02: "Create, edit, and publish digital texts to communicate, express ideas and feelings, inform, and entertain, using multimedia resources and language appropriate to the text type and target audience."
• EF69LP03: "Critically analyze the language used in different types of digital texts, such as websites, blogs, social media, video games, advertisements, and others, identifying their objectives, values, and ideologies."

In addition, the BNCC goes beyond the technical use of digital tools and emphasizes the development of students' critical thinking skills.

The goal is to prepare them to critically analyze online information, identify fake news, and use technology in an ethical and responsible manner.

Finally, it is important to recognize that not all students have equal access to digital technologies.

Therefore, every school should promote digital inclusion, ensuring that all students have the opportunity to develop the skills necessary to participate in the digital society.

Resources for Implementing a Digital Culture in Schools

First, the BNCC recommends the use of digital platforms to develop skills related to digital literacy.

In addition, ongoing professional development for teachers is essential so that they can use digital technologies effectively and in a way that supports learning.

Similarly, schools should have a strategic plan for implementing digital literacy, with a focus on developing the skills outlined in the BNCC.

How can we implement digital culture in schools?

Implementing digital culture in schools requires strategic planning that involves the entire school community:

• Teacher training: to equip teachers to use technology effectively and pedagogically, integrating it into the teaching and learning process in creative and innovative ways.
   
• Adequate infrastructure: ensuring access to high-quality internet, technological equipment in good condition, and up-to-date software for use in classrooms and computer labs.
   
• Curricular integration: integrating digital culture into the curriculum of all subjects in a cross-curricular and interdisciplinary manner.
   
• Digital platforms: Use digital platforms to provide educational materials, interactive activities, and online assessments, and to facilitate communication among students, teachers, and parents.
   
• Interdisciplinary projects: Encourage projects that integrate different disciplines and use digital tools for problem-solving and the development of creative solutions.
   
• Maker culture: Implement maker culture in schools by encouraging creativity, experimentation, and prototyping using technology, and by promoting learning through hands-on experience and the solving of real-world problems.

Benefits of Digital Culture for Learning

Digital culture offers a number of benefits for learning:

• Greater engagement and participation
  Students become more active participants in class, showing greater interest and motivation to learn.
   
• Self-directed learning
  The ability to research, learn, and create content responsibly and with a critical mindset is an integral part of students’ development.
   
• Teamwork and Collaboration
  Online collaboration promotes teamwork, effective communication, knowledge sharing, and joint problem-solving.
   
• Critical Thinking and Analytical Skills
  Students learn to critically analyze online information, identifying the reliability, biases, and quality of the sources they consult, while also developing critical thinking skills and the ability to distinguish between true and false information.
   
• Problem-Solving and Creative Thinking
  Technology is used to solve problems in creative and innovative ways, developing computational thinking and the ability to think outside the box.
   
• Access to Information and Knowledge
  The Internet offers an unlimited variety of educational resources, allowing students to deepen their knowledge in various fields of study.

Digital Culture and Its Relationship to Edutainment

Edutainment, which combines education and entertainment, is a powerful tool for digital literacy. Through games, videos, simulations, and other playful activities, students learn in a fun and engaging way.

Digital literacy provides students with the skills and knowledge they need to navigate the digital world critically and responsibly. In this regard, edutainment uses digital tools to promote a more meaningful and effective learning experience.

One example is IS Max, the first global edutainment platform, launched in 2024 by the International School. It is a comprehensive streaming service designed to help users immerse themselves in the English language, offering educational and entertainment content for children, teenagers, schools, and families across the country.

Benefits of the Relationship Between Digital Culture and Edutainment

• Greater engagement and participation
  Students feel more motivated and engaged when learning is fun and interactive, and they actively participate in the activities.
   
• Self-Directed Learning
  Edutainment encourages students to learn independently, exploring the content and seeking solutions to the challenges presented.
   
• Skill Development
  Digital culture and edutainment contribute to the development of essential 21st-century skills, such as creativity, problem-solving, critical thinking, communication, and teamwork.
   
• Preparing for the Future
  Students who are immersed in digital culture and learn through edutainment are better prepared for the challenges of the digital world and the job market of the future.

Digital culture promotes adaptive learning

In general, digital culture and adaptive learning complement and reinforce each other. Within the context of digital culture, adaptive learning uses technology to personalize instruction based on each student’s individual characteristics.

Therefore, digital literacy and adaptive learning are essential tools for the future of education. In other words, implementing them in schools means preparing students for the challenges of the digital world, turning them into critical, creative, and competent citizens who are capable of independent, lifelong learning.

Examples of how digital culture can enhance adaptive learning

• Virtual Learning Environments (VLEs): These are online platforms that offer personalized content and activities tailored to each student’s level of knowledge and learning pace. In the International School’s online environment, for example, students can access educational resources, complete exercises, receive immediate feedback, and choose from different learning paths based on their performance.
   
• Smart tutoring: These are systems that use artificial intelligence to identify students’ difficulties and provide personalized support. As a result, smart tutoring can offer additional explanations, suggest alternative learning resources, and track students’ progress throughout the course.
   
• Adaptive educational games—games that adapt to the player’s skill level, becoming easier or harder based on their performance—are part of gamification in adaptive learning.
   
• Augmented reality and virtual reality: these technologies can be used to create immersive and personalized learning experiences. For example, augmented reality can be used to overlay virtual information onto the real world, helping students visualize complex concepts. Virtual reality, on the other hand, can transport students to different learning environments, providing realistic simulation experiences.

Digital literacy also plays an important role in preparing students to use adaptive learning tools effectively. Skills such as digital critical thinking, online collaboration, and problem-solving are essential for students to fully benefit from personalized learning.

Digital culture combined with bilingual education

It is fair to say that digital literacy is essential for 21st-century education and the challenges it faces. Similarly, bilingual education is also becoming increasingly indispensable for schools that want to offer the best to their students and continue to grow.

After all, in a competitive job market and a globalized society, mastering English language skills and knowledge is a significant advantage.

Just like digital literacy, bilingual education develops problem-solving skills, creativity, and logical reasoning, while also preparing students for positive interactions in an increasingly multicultural world.

The International School’s bilingual program —the most award-winning in Brazil—is fully aligned with digital culture through technological resources such as an online platform integrated with physical materials, exclusive games, and the IS Max streaming service.

IS is a pioneer in innovation and technology and operates nationwide. Learn more about what sets our bilingual program apart!

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