The document outlines the DEFT project, which aims to produce an open textbook on digital literacy for teachers, supported by Sheffield Hallam University and the University of Sheffield alongside industry partners. It explores the relationship between open educational resources and digital literacy in teacher professional development and emphasizes the complexity of digital literacies as evolving practices. The project involves collaboration among local educators, sharing best practices, and producing resources that focus on open academic practice.

1. Digital Futures in Teacher Education: Exploring Open Approaches towards Digital Literacy
Richard Pountney
Sheffield Hallam University

2. Digital Bloom: http://www.digitalbloom.org/index.html?meadow=BiggerBloom#

3. DeFT Project
Context
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third phase of the HEA/JISC-funded UK OER programme.
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aim to produce an open textbook ‘Digital Literacy (DL) for Open and Networked Learning’
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two partner Institutions, Sheffield Hallam University and The University of Sheffield, 10 Schools
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creative industry partners, Sheffield Children’s Festival, YHGfL Broadband Consortium, UK Literacy Association
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guidance on practice in teaching and learning in the school sector involving digital literacy.
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a Project Website was developed alongside a Project Blog and Project Wiki.

4. Research questions
Context The Open Education Resources (OER) movement (2008-) and the release of content for Higher Education (HE) Key questions
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What is the relationship between Open Educational Resources and digital literacy within professional development for teachers?
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What understandings of digital literacy and openness emerge through a reflexive approach in project methodology?

5. Frameworks for digital literacy
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Engagement with existing frameworks (JISC, 2011)
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Digital literacy as a continuum between the purely social and the purely technological
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Move from the singular ‘literacy’ to the plural ‘literacies’ to emphasise the sheer diversity of existing accounts (Lankshear and Knobel, 2008).
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Digital literacies as "the constantly changing practices through which people make traceable meanings using digital technologies" (Gillen and Barton, 2010).
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Critique of the concept of digital natives (Bennet et al. 2008)

6. DeFT Project
Local teachers and pupils, teacher educators and teacher educations students involved in:
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sharing and developing good practice in teaching
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understanding more about digital literacy
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developing guidance on Open Academic Practice and Open Educational Resources in the school and university context
Project outputs shared via an open textbook (pulling together case studies and supporting resources) and the "Digital Bloom" installation

7. Locating digital literacies

8. Transferring / transforming practice
Practice with Digital Literacy
Case Studies of Practice with Digital Literacy
Making Open
Transferring / transforming

9. DL investigations: new avenues
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Methodological approaches: exploring the ways in which understandings around DL are expressed and shared through reflection in action
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Re-examining DL in the context of the debate around ICT in the curriculum and the removal of the programmes of study
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Exploring the place of DL and OERs in professional development of teachers

10. Next Steps
For more information:
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Project blog www.deftoer3.wordpress.com
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Project website www.deft-project.org
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Twitter @deftoer3
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Digital Bloom www.digitalbloom.org
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Slideshare www.slideshare.net/deftoer3
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Open Textbook www.digitalfutures.org
Dissemination Project: Open Practice in International Teacher Education (OPITE)
Contact:
Anna Gruszczynska
a.gruszczynska@shu.ac.uk
Richard Pountney
r.p.pountney@shu.ac.uk