Digital Citizenship

Digital Citizenship.  Two words often linked to technology integration and usage, especially when it comes to children.  They are living, learning, and growing in an ever-changing world when it comes to technology around them.  Kids today know more about logging into devices, communicating with others via online gaming or YouTube, and sharing information across the web than most adults.  But do they know what it means to leave a digital footprint?  Do they fully understand that what you post or say online follows you and becomes a part of who you are?  Working in a middle school, I am surrounded by the chatter regarding Fortnite and the drama of "Who said what” on SnapChat or through group text.  While much of it is harmless chatter, I’m not blind to the fact that some of it is not.  Which is why teaching Digital Citizenship to children, starting at a young age, is crucial.

I will admit, this is an area I struggle with.  How do I incorporate lessons without them seeming arbitrary?  How do you connect it to students so they take the needed time to reflect and apply it to their own lives?  I’ve mentioned before that my district is in the process of preparing schools to move forward with the 1:Learner initiative.  I am part of a committee specifically working towards educating others (teachers and students) about their devices, what they can do with them to make learning more authentic, but more importantly, digital citizenship.  We are still very early in the training process, and I am eager to find the answers to my questions very soon!  For the time being, I have verbally discussed appropriate usage of devices while in my classroom, but will continue to work towards integrating other lessons and activities that have a longer-lasting impression.

            

The first step towards learning HOW to teach Digital Citizenship to children is knowing WHAT exactly falls into this particular category.  Mike Ribble provides Nine Themes of Digital Citizenship in an effort to help educators and parents understand the primary components of Digital Citizenship. The nine themes are: Digital Access, Digital Commerce, Digital Communication, Digital Literacy, Digital Etiquette, Digital Law, Digital Rights & Responsibilities, Digital Health & Wellness, and Digital Security (self-protection). (Ribble, 2017)  Knowing the themes helps me as an educator know the degree to which I need to learn how to help educate others on the topic.  It also leaves me with the uneasy feeling of, “Where do I begin?!”

            

I found the video, Building Your Digital Footprint to be insightful and a nice starting point when it comes to opening up the lines of communication with students and parents.  We are living in a time where our identity is no longer just our physical appearance and personality, but it also has a virtual layer to it. (Building Your Digital Footprint, 2013) This may be eye-opening for some, but it is imperative that children know and understand, they have the ability to shape their online presence and leave a positive digital footprint.  “If you manage it well, your digital footprint can be one of your greatest opportunities!” (Building Your Digital Footprint, 2013) I think showing this video to older students would be impactful and meaningful.  At the very least, it would hopefully cause them to think twice before sharing an embarrassing picture of a classmate, or posting a hurtful message.

            

As I continue to research beneficial tools and resources that help me open the lines of communication regarding Digital Citizenship, I am finding more and more the importance of educating parents in the process as well.  Common Sense Education has wonderful, easy to follow tips when it comes to spreading awareness on their website. According to the blog post Engage Your Community with Parent Digital Citizenship Academies, setting goals for parent education and finding the right approach, such as a Parent Academy, where parents can explore hands-on activities, review games, and leave with resource documents in their hands, is a great first step in the process. (Cogswell & Lopez, 2018)

            

Looking forward, it’s reassuring to me that I don’t have to be a pioneer in uncharted territory with this topic.  Digital Citizenship and technology go hand-in-hand, and I am encouraged by the readily available resources, as well as mentors, in assisting me with knowing how to help get the message across to others.

Resources:

Building Your Digital Footprint (2013). [Motion Picture].

Cogswell, B., & Lopez, G. (2018, July 11). Engage Your Community with Parent Digital

Citizenship Academies. Retrieved from Common Sense Education:

https://www.commonsense.org/education/blog/engage-your-community-with-parent-

digital-citizenship-academies

Ribble, M. (2017). Nine Elements. Retrieved from Digital Citizenship: Using Technology

Appropriately: http://www.digitalcitizenship.net/nine-elements.html