Module 4-Digital Citizenship

Digital Citizenship

To teach or not to teach. That is the question.

Schools are integrating technology in the classroom. There are standards for teachers , students and administrators  about technology.  If we are going to expect the students to use technology, we must teach them to be responsible while using it. There are 9  facets to digital citizenship. Children start using the Internet at a young age. My students who are in kindergarten go to websites to play games that reinforce basic reading, writing and math skills in my class. I set up the games for them to use. They don't surf the web, but even small children need to follow some basic rules, to make sure that they become responsible citizens when using technology. There are many sites and movies that young children can watch to give them tips about being safe on the Internet.

 

Movie

Cell Phones

As children grow so does their involvement with technology. I really only thought about Internet rules, but cell phones are being used by children as well. Cell phones are very sophisticated now and allow children to connect through texts and through social networking sites. They are basically handheld computers. We as educators should consider cell phone use when we address the topic of digital citizenship. The same rules apply.

I also found a great movie on YouTube for upper elementary students.

Movie

 Bullying

Older elementary students will begin to use the Internet to do research, assignments and to join social networks. This is when cyber bullying  can become a problem. If a child is being bullied at school face to face a teacher can become involved and help them. Online bullying can be faceless. Often a child will not know who started the bullying or how to stop it. Talking about cyber bullying at school and giving kids tips on how to deal with a cyber bully is a good way to help. I'm not sure that all parents know or understand the threat of cyber bullying. There are many tips for parents as well. An informational night on digital citizenship and cyber bullying may be a good way to get some parents involved. They can be also be directed to websites that will give them tips on dealing with cyber bullying.

Ownership

When we have students complete assignments that require the use of technology it is important to stress that they must give credit for photos, music and information that they use. A good digital citizen shouldn't steal someone's work or take credit for something they didn't do. They probably don't think that it hurts anyone because the original owner doesn't know that they are using it. Jammie Thomas Rasset used music without permission and was prosecuted for it. Share articles and information about the ramifications for stealing others work. Teachers should model this for their students when they use technology.

You Can't Take it Back

It is also important to teach students about sharing personal information, photos and videos.

Students who share images and give out information are jeopardizing their future. Once it is out there you can't take it back. Your Digital Dossier begins even before you are born. Parents, employers, teachers administrators and law enforcement can see what you post. Children should be educated about the hazards of posting unflattering images and information.

 

I will say that I feel more comfortable about the digital world now that I know more about the ways we can teach our students to be responsible.

 I am however, probably the only person on the planet that doesn't have a Facebook account. I just feel that my personal information shouldn't be shared with students, parents, administrators and potential employers. I am not a bad person and I don't have any scandalous secrets. I would just like to keep my personal life separate from my job. This article on modeling digital citizenship was good but I don't think the teacher should have had  an account to begin with. I understand the student created a fake account so it had nothing to do with his real account. I just feel that you are opening up a can of worms by interacting on social networks.

I thought a lot about how to help students become good digital citizens. Many of the topics I reviewed I hadn't given much thought to prior to this assignment. I believe now that the rules of social etiquette offline cross over to the digital world. Treat others the way you would like to be treated holds true for both offline and online interaction.

 This tutorial helps to break it down:

http://www.digitalcitizenship.nsw.edu.au/