Please help me understand middle school "Digital Literacy" class

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, I attended the Frost parent meeting night. They said Digital Literacy was web-based reading strategies for kids who were at or 1-2 yrs below grade level in reading comp. Good luck deciding!

So interesting. At CJMS almost all the 6th graders take Digital Literacy. It was presented as a choice -- Digital Literacy or a Foreign Language. But, Digital Literacy was never presented as remedial.

So, does that mean that almost no sixth graders at the school take a world language?

My perception from my child is that "some" kids take a language in 6th grade, but most take Digital Literacy.

[Anonymous]

There was an earlier issue on the flip-side of this issue-- language offerings in 6th grade. The impression that both threads have left me with is that different middle schools take very different approaches. This is the first year this option was offered at our middle school... before that, everyone was in 'reading.' I think they're still working out the best approach, and different schools have made different choices...

[Anonymous]

DS will have 3 years of language (including Spanish 3 being HS Honors), Algebra, Honors Geometry and IED. So 6 HS credits. This is strange because our MS is not considered "high-achieving". But I love that our school offers this. Btw, my older DS also had these options but only took 1 year of language and Algebra. So I don't think it is best in all situations but for a kid that can handle and wants the challenge it is great that he has the option.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It is not a remedial class at North Bethesda MS either. Students generally either take a foreign language or the digital literacy class in 6th grade at North Bethesda. Keep in mind that every foreign language class in middle school shows up on their high school transcript. Not every 6th grader is ready for that.

+ 1

Rosa Parks

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It is not a remedial class at North Bethesda MS either. Students generally either take a foreign language or the digital literacy class in 6th grade at North Bethesda. Keep in mind that every foreign language class in middle school shows up on their high school transcript. Not every 6th grader is ready for that.

I'm 13:40 with a son at the same school. That's interesting, because one of their school counselors told me DL was "remedial" this summer. I guess remedial means different things to different people, and I'm not about to judge, since my son goes to Resource

[Anonymous]

Not remedial at Pyle.

[Anonymous]

They told us at Shady Grove that almost every 6th grader takes it unless substantially above grade level.

[Anonymous]

12:57 from yesterday.

Digital Literacy was required of all 6th graders at Frost MS 2 years ago. Last year, they began offering world languages in 6th grade and apparently like the results they were seeing, so for this incoming class, this fall, Digital Lit is not a 6th grade requirement and changed scope for the students who need support in reading comp. Frost is offering world lang (Spanish and French) to 6th graders for this fall, but only in the 1A full year format. Chinese 1A full year dependent on enrollment/staffing.

I do also know that other middle schools do handle differently. So take with a grain of salt if you attend different MS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They told us at Shady Grove that almost every 6th grader takes it unless substantially above grade level.

about 25 of the 200 6th graders take foreign language instead of Digital Literacy at SGMS (for current 6 graders, not incoming 6th graders so things might have changed). So I guess it depends on your definition of substantially. At SG at least, the class is great, definitely not a waste - excellent instruction and projects. So NOT remedial - that is READ180 class not Digital Literacy.

[Anonymous]

Last year, they began offering world languages in 6th grade and apparently like the results they were seeing, so for this incoming class, this fall, Digital Lit is not a 6th grade requirement and changed scope for the students who need support in reading comp. Frost is offering world lang (Spanish and French) to 6th graders for this fall, but only in the 1A full year format. Chinese 1A full year dependent on enrollment/staffing.

This is helpful - I had not realized that the same course title/number could have a different scope depending on the school. I knew the course offerings differed across school (e.g. some have great stem type electives and some have zero) but didn't realize MCPS allowed a given course to differ so much across schools.

Anecdotally, my 5th grader at Frost feeder school was able to identify only 2 classmates not intending to take world language class and has the impression pretty much everyone will be taking at least one world language class in 6th grade.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not remedial at Pyle.

Maybe not remedial at Pyle, but the accelerated students (of which there are many) are taking world language in sixth. We opted to enroll our sixth grader in dig lit at Pyle and it was a big mistake - e.g., the teacher will assign a book project with a due date 2 months out because that is the pace needed for most of the students in the class to finish the book (in addition to their other work, of course - obviously if all they did was read they would finish in less time). My kid is a big reader and is bored stiff. I thought the class would be a much more in depth research/writing type class (an area in which he could definitely use extra help, since his elementary school lacked in that area). It is not.