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"Digital Citizenship is a timely and much-needed response to California and federal mandates. The California School Library Association (CSLA) sponsors this online course for educators and their K-12 students. Lead developer is Dr. Lesley Farmer."

"Despite the fact that I know many teachers who would rank Twitter as the most valuable and powerful networking tool they have access to, there are still many more who simply don't "get" the value of Twitter. I've been to lots of conferences over the last few years where the enormous value of belonging to a Personal Learning Network was being touted, and Twitter is nearly always being suggested as the ideal tool for building that network. At one recent conference I asked for a show of hands for who was not yet on Twitter, and many hands went up... my response was "Why not? What are you waiting for? How many times do you need to hear people say that Twitter is the most valuable tool they have, before you actually try it for yourself?""

The digital world is a vast expanse of learning and entertainment. But it is in this digital world that kids are also exposed to many risks, such as cyberbullying, technology addiction, obscene and violent content, radicalization, scams and data theft. The problem lies in the fast and ever evolving nature of the digital world, where proper internet governance and policies for child protection are slow to catch up, rendering them ineffective. Moreover, there is the digital age gap. The way children use technology is very different from adults. This gap makes it difficult for parents and educators to fully understand the risks and threats that children could face online. As a result, adults may feel unable to advise children on the safe and responsible use of digital technologies. Likewise, this gap gives rise to different perspectives of what is considered acceptable behaviour. So how can we, as parents, educators and leaders, prepare our children for the digital age? Without a doubt, it is critical for us to equip them with digital intelligence.

The Conversation is a news resource that teams researchers with journalists for an approachable and engaging read of important research/ideas. This one is battling racism online. Even letting kids know about anti-hate communities is a good start.

Schools have significantly different needs and ideas regarding on-line safety, much of it dependent upon their experience and comfort on the spectrum of users of digital media to promote student success. It is necessary for schools and communities to work together to demystify the potential uses and abuses of digital media within and outside the school setting. Understanding the potential for cyberbullying, sexting, or other inappropriate consumption and planning for responsible reactions to such is a priority for the community that wishes to harness the potential of the tools while also keeping children safe.

"If you've scratched your head over suggestions to manage your "digital footprint," you aren't the only one. A surprisingly large percentage of people have never even heard the phrase, let alone thought about how to manage theirs responsibly. Among students, the percentage is probably higher. We'll talk about ways you can help students understand and manage their digital footprints before they get themselves in trouble."

After reading this article, I asked my 10 year old if he knows what his 'digital footprint' is...I was surprised that he did. It is vital to teach people about their footprint at a younger age, so they have time to be thoughtful about their digital lives.

Full DC curriculum

There is much discussion about the ability we now have to share our ideas and our work with colleagues over the internet. An issue that arises though is that some people are reluctant to share. Rajesh Setty comments on this in the accompanying blog post.

This site was reviewed in the May edition, where you can also read an excellent article by Judy O'Connell on digital learning and digital literacy. Our Space is a scholarly examination of digital citizenship but also contains some resources for learning including a downloadable pdf.

" Tyler Joseph for Trend Micro's What's Your Story Contest." What's Your Story is a yearly video contest for young people to highlight creative, impactful, safe and responsible ways to use the Internet. This one is fantastic and would work quite well at my school ... this type of spoken 'poetry' !

"In this digital world, opportunities for education are available like never before. Though teachers using online tools are empowering students take part in their education, they may also expose them to inappropriate material, sexual predators, and bullying and harassment by peers. Teachers who are not careful with their use of the sites can fall into inappropriate relationships with students or publicize photos and information they believed were kept private. For these reasons, critics are calling for regulation and for removing social networking from classrooms -- despite the positive affects they have on students and the essential tools they provide for education in today's digital climate. "

Hence more reasons why teachers must be well read and prepared and willing to work with a team/committee to help solve the issues of safety, legality and ethical behaviours before working on their school DLE.

The ongoing changes in technology and the way it is used means all staff, students, and the wider community need to know how to model responsible behaviours as successful digital citizens in real-world contexts. What is digital citizenship? l Discussion l Practical steps l School stories l Resources l Research and readings What is digital citizenship?

"Well, to help, the Consortium for School Networking (CoSN) has released an AUP guide ( Acceptable Use Policy Guide) to help school district leaders rethink their internet use policies and how educational technology can best be used to help students get the most out of their time in school."

This site has excellent posters for teaching students in primary and high school about using technology responsibly.

Downloadable posters from Common Sense Media.

"This site provides k12 curriculum on digital citizenship and professional development for adults working with K12 students on digital citizenship."

Here 'Digital Citizenship' is defined as 'Using technology- Safely,Responsibly,Critically,Pro-actively to contribute to the digital society'. It provides lessons for each grade in one KLA. On the link for librarians. It has link to the 'California Model School Library Standards for Technology' which links info. literacy and digital literacy together to create a policy document for all years. This framework could be developed to demonstrate its application across the KLAs.