Digital Citizenship in Schools

"There are many resources available to help support schools to teach pupils to be responsible users of the Internet and to educate pupils to be as safe as possible when using online tools. Here are some resources to support teaching digital literacy:"

"You may wonder how the Facebook for Educators guide came about … A few months ago, Facebook recognized that a guide like this was needed. They asked me to write it. I accepted the offer on the condition that I could write without filtering or restrictions from Facebook. Facebook saw the value of a candid third-party opinion and agreed."

Social networking communities are here to stay. Facebook has over 500 million users, while Twitter has over 200 million. That's not even counting blogs or YouTube video blogs. There's no doubt that students are actively engaged in online communities, but what kind of effects are these sites having and how can parents counteract the bad and bolster the positive?

During our Forum discussions In ETL 523 the questions of resources for teaching digital citizenship was raised. This American curriculum looks like a useful resource.

"Companies have long used criminal background checks, credit reports and even searches on Google and LinkedIn to probe the previous lives of prospective employees. Now, some companies are requiring job candidates to also pass a social media background check."

"Now is the time to start thinking about what *you* are going to do to educate your students about cyberbullying, digital citizenship, online responsibility, and overall safety. A key to any educational effort is consistent reinforcement of the messages you want students to incorporate into their daily lives. Convening an all-school assembly on these topics once each schoolyear is not sufficient. But bringing up online issues even for just a few minutes regularly (daily!) can be very effective. No matter what your area of teaching expertise is, you can talk about digital citizenship. When it comes to educating your students about online issues, there is no need to reinvent the wheel. There are tons of great resources freely available on the web. You already know about our site, but in case you haven't explored it fully, below are just a couple of examples of activities you can incorporate into your classes. "

"Inspired by an article about cyberbullying I asked my fifth-graders to write podcast scripts. They wrote about teasing, cyberbullying, gossip, intention vs. consequence, advertising, digital footprints and the lack of facial cues in electronic communication. Working mostly in collaborative groups, my students recorded complete "'casts" on our informal laptop studio."

In her new book "Now You See It" to be released August 18, Duke University Professor Cathy N. Davidson explores how the advent of the Internet is changing what we see. Learn more at http://www.nowyouseeit.net.

A kiwicommons meeting place for the discussion of online safety.

"Twitter, without a doubt, has become the social network for educators to take their professional development into their own hands. Twitter allows teachers to connect with other educators from around the world, join discussions related to their interests and have a steady stream of resources (to help them teach and learn) available to them whenever, whereever and however. Creating a network on Twitter has catapulted educators to be part of a connected world where learning happens anytime, help is only a tweet away, collaboration partners meet and communicate, conversations that directly or indirectly impact their physical lives take place 24/7. Twitter is helping educators gain many 21st century skills and literacies which could easily transfer to their classrooms."

"The notion that Facebook, Twitter and other social media can be used to save lives, rather than just kill time, will surprise many people. But Self says social media is more robust than traditional forms of mass communication during a disaster."

Many professional societies, including the American Association of School Librarians (AASL), the Consortium for School Networking (CoSN), and the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE), provide standards and goals for the implementation of technology in learning. These standards include information literacy, collaboration, communication, and digital citizenship, among others. This article also focuses on digital citizenship. In additional to providing standards and behaviors, it provides a structure for addressing behaviors when they affect students and the school community.

"Check out Edutopia's collection of articles, videos, and resources on cyberbullying, netiquette, and internet safety."

Twenty years ago, good citizenship took place in the microcosm of the classroom and was simply rewarded with a certificate of merit. Today, with its millennial twist, global digital citizenship reaches far beyond the playground fence. And its stewards are enriched with a much deeper understanding of how their actions affect their own lives as well as those of their peers - at home and around the world. That's why students must take an active role in identifying and establishing ethical digital use. They need to be involved in the critical thinking and policy creation that affects ultimate change. It's called "buy-in" … and these days, our savvy students require it if they'll be expected to have a healthy relationship with technology.

"At what age is it appropriate for young people to start using social media? Few can say for sure at this point. There is the argument for the fun and freedom Facebook represents. And for the social skills that it could arguably help develop in young people. Perhaps it can even be a bridge for the socially awkward student yearning to reach out to his or her peers?"

Some interesting research going on in the EU on how social media can be used to inform policy: Social networking technology provides major new opportunities for policy makers (eGovernment) to engage with the community (eSociety). We will develop a toolset that allows full advantage to be taken of a wide range of existing and well established social networking sites (Facebook, Twitter, Bebo, WordPress etc.) to engage citizens in two-way dialogs as part of governance and policymaking processes. The tools will make it possible to detect, track and mine opinions and discussions on policy oriented topics. The tools will allow discussions to be seeded and stimulated through injection of policy discussion points into relevant communities in a secure and managed way. The tools will allow the origins, bias and evolution of opinions to be tracked to provide auditable records of provenance, guard against misuse, and ensure trust and privacy for all involved. A key feature of our approach is to allow policy makers to move away from the limitations inherent in the current practice of using bespoke and dedicated platforms (e.g. specific opinion soliciting websites hosted by government) and instead make full use of the high levels of participation and rich discussions that already take place in existing social networking communities. In this way, WeGov will develop the tools and techniques for closing the loop between policy makers and the citizens.

"Hello, my name is Kara Lee and I am an Instructional Technology Facilitator. I received my Master's of Science in Instructional Technology from the University of North Carolina-Wilmington. I currently work in the NC Public Education School System. When talking to staff, parents, other employees and friends, their biggest concern is keeping up with technology and the language the new generation speaks! As adults, it is our job to educate ourselves on emerging technology so that we are always aware of things our children have access to and how they are using them. I hope this site will be helpful to you in becoming more aware of things parents of Digital Natives need to know to help keep their children safe in a Digital World! "