Although the concept seems so clean-cut and simple, I continue to ask myself: What exactly is digital citizenship? It has been explained to me time and time again, but for some reason I’ve never been able to pinpoint what it really means. Just by looking at the name one can assume that it follows the same or similar values to being a respectable citizen in general, however, I needed to take a deeper look so that I could not only solidify my understanding of it, but also, eventually, my students’ understandings of it too. According to Silvia Rosenthal Tolisano, digital citizenship is “the quality of habits, actions, and consumption patterns that impact the ecology of digital content and communities” (Digital Citizenship and Documenting Learning). Simply put, it is the bare bones of being respectful and responsible when it comes to using technology. Just as much as we should be teaching our students to respect one another, we should be teaching them how how to use technology appropriately. Digital Citizenship is both a teaching tool as much as it prepares our students for an unavoidably technological society. To break it down simply, there are nine elements of digital citizenship: Each one of these elements makes for a responsible and respectful digital citizen. While a topic like this may be perceived as dry and possibly even boring by your students, websites like CommonSenseEducation have fantastic resources such as cross-curricular lesson plans and interactive games to help young students become aware of issues such as cyberbullying, privacy, safety, etiquette, etc. in fun and engaging ways. As most young children use technology daily without understanding the consequences of operating such tools, it is important to bring digital citizenship into the primary classroom. Smart phones and tablets have become ubiquitous: “schools are shifting to a BYOD (bring your own device) as a main move for tech integration in the classroom” (EdTechReview), so students it’s only natural that questions regarding digital etiquette are on educators minds. In the 21st century, everyone has access to technology, but not everyone uses it properly. And, since technology is an intimate part of our lives, teaching digital citizenship should be the first step when integrating technology into the classroom. Sometimes we seem to be at a crossroad because as dangerous and immeasurable as digital technologies can be, it also provides us and our students with previously unimaginable ways to collaborate, communicate, connect, and learn together. Digital dilemmas are challenging for schools, teachers, and parents, and they are almost impossible to avert. So, while it might be tempting to just avoid using technology in general, we are stronger with - than without - incorporating digital tools into our practices. If we can embed awareness of digital citizenship in our youngest of students, then we have a better chance of preventing issues that will inevitably arise in the future. As teachers, young and old, veterans and rookies, we need to make sure that our students have all of the resources they need in order to function as responsible and respectful digital citizens. It is important for teachers like you and me to teach to and with the “vice” itself. If we have been taught to use it properly, we can teach it to our students, too. If you, like me, did not understand what digital citizenship was, I hope that this post has helped. As a learner myself, I will continue to find ways to make learning about digital citizenship interactive and engaging in my classroom. I am already on the hunt for minds-on videos (both for my own learning and for my students) and websites that I can use to further my learning and teach my students in a way that they will be impacted positively.
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A life-long learner. Archives
February 2017
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