Digital Citizenship is Key

What is Digital Citizenship?
For me, digital citizenship as the understanding of how to use technology appropriately and responsibly.  It can also be defined as a set of rules or norms for technology users.  Often, we think about digital citizenship for students and young children, but adults need to know how to be responsible citizens online as well.

Why is it important?
Digital citizenship is important because we want kids to be safe online and know how to communicate responsibly. We teach children about stranger danger or how to look both ways before crossing the street. Today, we need to teach them about how to function in a online world. As teachers, if we expect students to use technology in our classroom, then we have a responsibility to teach them how to be responsible digital citizens.


What Resources are available?

• This year, I used Common Sense Media's resources. Their units are easy to prep and very accessible. If you have access to Nearpod, then you're lucky!  And CSM's curriculum can be downloaded in that format. They also provide PDFs and iBook textbooks for kids. I enjoyed using their lessons because they were interactive and engaging for my students. 

Here's an example of video from their site:

• Common Sense's Classroom Posters - They have colorful and informative posters for everything!  Check them out and download them here!

• 9 Themes for Digital Citizenship - Did you know digital citizenship can be categorized into 9 different themes?  This 2 page cheat sheet can is really helpful in making sure you cover all 9 elements. 

• FROM ISTE's website - Check out 9 Rules For Digital Citizenship

These rules may sound familiar!  They are just like the rules you would have in your classroom before the use of technology, but they apply to all 21st century classrooms.

1. A good citizen advocates for equal human rights for all.
2. A good citizen treats others courteously and never bullies.
3. A good citizen does not damage or others’ property or person.
4. A good citizen communicates clearly, respectfully, and with empathy.
5. A good citizen actively pursues an education and develops habits for lifelong learning.
6. A good citizen spends and manages money responsibly.
7. A good citizen upholds basic human rights of privacy, freedom of speech, etc.
8. A good citizen protects self and others from harm.
9. A good citizen proactively promotes their own physical and mental health.

What are some challenges with integrating digital citizenship into your curriculum?
It's difficult to find time in your busy schedule to teach digital citizenship, just like anything else we do in our classrooms.  There's so much to teach and so little time!  I found that the best way is to build it into your daily lessons. Turn it into a "teachable moment" rather than a separate lesson. For example, when teaching students about informational essays and showing students how to research online, mention copyright and intellectual rights. Talk about plagiarism and ways to cite research. Then, go back and revisit this topic once students are editing and revising they essays. Teaching it once is not enough.

Thanks for reading and learning about digital citizenship with me. What resources do you use to promote online citizenship in your classroom?