Algorithmic Literacies: K–12 Realities and Possibilities
Michelle Ciccone · The MIT Press eBooks · 2023
Uneven Digital Literacies Set the StageWhen we speak of "algorithmic rights and protections of children,"of course what happens within schools is of particular consequence.Conversations about children and technology have evolved from a hyperfocus on risks to a more balanced consideration of opportunity enabled by digital technologies (Gasser & Cortesi, 2017), with access-to devices, skills, and literacies-being central to this evolving conversation.K-12 schools continue to thread this needle, establishing policies and practices that allow students to access the opportunities afforded by digital technologies while ideally minimizing the risk of negative consequences.This means that, via educational experiences in the classroom, young people may exercise their right of access to and use of powerful algorithmic-driven technologies, but in so doing may become overly exposed to the sorting and tracking mechanisms enabled by these very same technologies.What's more, schools and districts may have protectionist policies in place that aim to reduce student data exposure to unknown and problematic algorithmic systems, but it is not uncommon for these policies to be inconsistently enforced or widely misunderstood 2