Digital Citizenship in Schools

Social media is fast becoming as ubiquitous as the air we breathe. In recent months, many schools and districts around the country have taken steps to create social media policies and guidelines for their students and staff. In my work with several districts to draft these documents, I have seen many approaches that work well, and some that don't. That said, there is no silver bullet for administrators; every school, district, and state has a different set of circumstances. With that in mind, here are some steps that will help you determine the best approach for your own community.

How to Create Social Media Guidelines for Your School http://t.co/11t78TNg8g

A practical approach to introducing digital citizenship in the classroom

Some advice from Duck, Duck Go on how to restrict tracking that can occur when browsing the web.

"Typing your own name into Google may be an eye-opening experience. Even if your personal information isn't easily accessible, your computer may be sharing information about habits, preferences and activities that you'd prefer to keep private. Here's how to keep a lid on what your computer shares about you with strangers."

Some interesting thoughts about a continuum of access to technologies. A simple way to think about where schools are at in order to consider issues such as digital divide, access and digital citizenship.

digital citizenship

Steps in implementing a 1-1 laptop program

Whether you like it or not, your internet activities are being monitored every time you log online. In this infographic you can learn more about who's tracking who....

"Let's face it: Technology and etiquette have been colliding for some time now, and things have finally boiled over if the recent spate of media criticisms is anything to go by. There's the voicemail, not to be left unless you're "dying." There's the e-mail signoff that we need to "kill." And then there's the observation that what was once normal - like asking someone for directions - is now considered "uncivilized." Cyber-savvy folks are arguing for such new etiquette rules because in an information-overloaded world, time-wasting communication is not just outdated - it's rude. But while living according to the gospel of technological efficiency and frictionless sharing is fine as a Silicon Valley innovation ethos, it makes for a downright depressing social ethic."

Great Blog by US Principal discussing the pros and cons of 1:1 and BYOD.

An excellent collection of sites and sources but bias is American.

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?

As with all social media, Twitter has the potential to be useful and a distraction. This article from edutopia outlines the useful and also contains links to other resources that can be used even if, like me, you're not yet ready to take the plunge into Twitter.

Interesting article about some of the pros and cons of BYOT being introduced in some schools in the US.