Digital Citizenship in Schools

"Social network sites must ensure that children's profiles are visible only to the child's friends and cannot be found on a search engine, the European Commission has said. The Commission adopted its stance after a survey (13-page / 198KB PDF) found that an increasing number of children were flouting social network age limits to set up their accounts. The survey was funded by the Commission and published by the EUKidsOnline network. EUKidsOnline quizzed 25,000 young people across Europe and found that 38% of children aged between 9 and 12 have a social network profile. The figure was 77% for children aged between 13 and 16. Most social networks ban children under the age of 13 from having profiles. "Growing numbers of children are on social networking sites but many are not taking all necessary steps to protect themselves online. These children are placing themselves in harm's way, vulnerable to stalkers and groomers," Neelie Kroes, Vice President of the European Commission for the Digital Agenda said."

I came across this through a comment posting on another site. Catherine Cronin runs parent awareness workshops on interent safety and digital citizenship. This is page of links from her wiki. The rest of the site is worth exploring as well.

"Children are inherently social creatures. Take one look at a playground and you'll see young kids interacting with one another, practicing their social skills, and learning the lay of the land. So, it's only natural that children would want to follow the popular trend of joining an online social network…right? After all, their friends are doing it. In this article, we will explore social networking websites and how children below the required age to join are able to open accounts. We will also discuss the social networking dangers and positive effects of social networks on young children and offer helpful tips for parents who wish to guide their kids towards a safe direction."

"Facebook takes safety very seriously and strives to create an environment where everyone can connect and share comfortably. Find answers to a variety of safety questions here."

Gives you current statistic on internet usage which could be handy for 'selling' your case to your school to promote policy development on digital citizenship. Also useful for assignments 1 & 2 if you need figures to support SNS usage etc.

This is a disturbing story. While the comments of PhD researcher, Ninia Funnell, make sense on one level, her comments about age and the law don't match the child protection law in NSW. As Michael Flood points out childhood curiosity can lead to unplanned consequences, which is one reason legislation seeks to protect children.

"I've been following the unfortunate story of Alexandra Wallace. If you haven't heard about it, here is a quick summary: Miss Wallace, a student at UCLA, posted a video rant on the internet complaining about Asian students talking on their cell phones in the library. In the video, Miss Wallace mocks the Asian students' speech and makes other racially insensitive remarks. The video went viral - people were outraged - Miss Wallace received all sorts of scorn in various forms from parody videos (the one below with over 3 million views) to death threats. She then apologized and withdrew from UCLA. In her apology, Miss Wallace said, "I could write apology letters all day and night, but I know they wouldn't erase the video from your memory, nor would they act to reverse my inappropriate action." She is correct, and that is precisely the lesson we should be reminding and reinforcing with our students - it is difficult, if not impossible , to take something back that you post on the internet."

"YouTube recently posted a video and short quiz designed to help young people better understand use of intellectual property relating to reposting and remixing."

"At Clarence Sansom we believe that students should have access to computers, other technology and the internet to assist them in their learning. As of fall 2011, students may bring their own digital devices to school (with school permission) and may use these devices in the classroom (with teacher permission). Non-instructional and unsupervised areas such as hallways, washrooms and change rooms are designated as digital "no-zones". The library is a digital "go zone". Students will be allowed to use digital devices in this area during non-instructional time under direct supervision and with teacher permission. "

"East Noble expects digital citizenship to be taught specifically during academic lab in the high school and middle school. In the elementary schools teachers will take teachable moments and short instructional times when it fits best in their day to present information. Also elementary schools may take some time in the beginning of the year to target some specific areas of digital citizenship to lay some ground rules. Digital citizenship will not be in place of social studies or any other content area. The core curriculum will continue to include math, science, reading, writing, social studies. None of that will change. All staff members will reinforce the proper use of digital media, and the citizenship to use information responsibly. Students will need to learn online ethics. They will need to learn when to communicate, how to communicate, and when not to respond or initiate communication on a public platform such as Facebook or other social network."

"By being proactive about internet safety, the Svanascinis are in the forefront of modern families. Too many, experts say, worry about what their kids are up to and what might happen to them but feel they lack the expertise to do much about it. With recent headlines about the potentially destructive effects of cyberbullying - and before that about online predators - those fears can take on an almost desperate edge. Forty-two per cent of kids have been bullied online, and 30 per cent have been threatened, according to i-SAFE, an internet safety non-profit organisation. "

This is truly a campaign BY kids FOR kids, addressing the audience not from an adult authoritative perspective, but a peer-to-peer behaviour awareness perspective.

"Our students need adults to stop being afraid, and stop hiding, so education can get out of the shadows and into the light of the world in which our children live."

"More and more, people are using Facebook to gather online, spark conversations, share information and ideas, and ultimately meet offline. Sometimes it's for a protest, sometimes it's for a party; sometimes it's in a country where discussions of public life are discouraged or even punished and sometimes it's in a country where freedom of speech is a part of life. Facebook is a potent tool, but to use it most effectively you should make sure that you're taking steps to minimize the chances of people seeing your communications who you do not want to see them. This guide offers steps for doing so. Follow it to organize more safely, but know that even if you do everything we point out here, you should still be cautious and skeptical when you're organizing online and take your online interactions offline as soon as it is possible (and safe) to do so!"

"The 20-year-old from Sydney's western suburbs is at the centre of Australia's first ''sexting'' case, after a schoolgirl sent a nude photo of herself to his mobile phone. The maximum penalty he faces is a two-year jail term."

"So, it is time to get your school into social media in a way that is safe, makes sense, and will help your image in the community. We've discussed in Social Media Syndication Part 1: Where is your Audience?why social media is important to schools. In Facebook Friending 101 for Schools (170 tweets on that one) we discussed the impact of Facebook Friends on your teachers, students, and staff. You've resoundingly flooded my inbox with requests for more on social media and how to get your school in safely - so, let's keep going"