Digital Citizenship Post

 

Digital Citizenship Post

1.      Digital Citizenship should be taught at the beginning of each school year.  Before students are even allowed to have their devices, they should have to complete a digital citizenship class or classes that are appropriate for their grade level. 

     In my classroom, either myself, our school guidance counselor, or our school technology integrator always taught my fifth grade class digital citizenship/etiquette, and rules for using technology in the classroom. We use the free lessons found on Common Sense media.  After the lessons are taught, each of the classrooms in our school puts up posters reminding the class of what the Digital Citizen Rules are for our school.  Having the poster up is very helpful for reinforcing the rules, I simply have to point it out to any students forgetting the rule(s). They also sign a digital citizenship contract saying they will obey the digital citizenship rules before they are able to use their device. It is very important to teach our students and it is very important to do it right in the beginning so that they form good technology habits right from the start.

 2.    In my elementary school digital citizenship is not embedded in the curriculum, but it is something that was taught by our guidance counselor or our technology integrator for many years.  I have taught it some years when the guidance counselor or technology integrator were not available. I have followed this path because I have been in the room while it was taught to my class and I have seen what a difference it makes in the way my students use technology in the classroom.  I also think technology is such a huge part of their lives they need to have safety and information training on how to use technology.  If they don't get that training in school they won't get it at all and there are so many ways they can be taken advantage of on the internet etc. if they haven't had any education on it.

3.  I do believe digital citizenship should be part of the school curriculum because our students use technology so much in the classroom now.  They need to know how to do research on the internet.  They need to know how to find a good website for research and how to know when things on the web are fake. They need to know what is OK to do in school, what is not OK to do in school, but is OK to do at home and what is just not OK for them to be doing at all. The web is so huge.  They need to have guidance in how to negotiate it and they are not getting it from their parents at home. 

If your school has technology integrator that is the best person to teach digital citizenship because they tend to be the teachers in our school who are most up to date with what the latest things going on are and can best teach the class about it.  If they are not available, the classroom teacher should do it at the beginning of the year, before passing out the technology devices. The common sense media sight has free lesson plans that I have used and that are available to anyone. There are other lessons available for free if you just search them out.

4.  Technology has become such a huge part of our lives.  Why would something that we use so often not be something we need instruction in?  It is also something that is constantly changing, therefore, we need constant training and education in it. It is our responsibility as teachers to help our students become productive responsible citizens and that means being responsible, productive digital citizens also.