Digital Citizenship in Schools

"With Myfakewall.com you can easily create fake profile pages just for fun. This fake facebook wall generator allows you to create a funny profile to entertain your friends. Create it, and share it on Facebook ! "

"An estimated25% of the Australian population or just over 5 million consumers engage in illegally downloading content spanning music, films, TV shows and other content online in 2010, a recent research study has revealed."

"Munroe and Collins have joined a list of teachers and professors nationwide who have found themselves in hot water for expressing their views through blogs and social media. Both were critical of students, though neither used students' names. Some educators who blog or use social media as part of their teaching argue that when done right it can provide tremendous benefit. They say students will need to be proficient and should learn to use such tools responsibly."

"Robyn Treyvaud is the founder and director of CyberSafeWorld, a website that addresses the whole spectrum of online safety issues, including cyberbullying, risks, security, ethics and addiction.Her trail-blazing efforts have provided an essential resource for schools and parents to protect and educate the world's first generation of kids to 'grow up digital' in an environment where computers, the Internet, video games and mobile phones are ubiquitous. In addition to her work as director of CyberSafeWorld, Robyn is a senior ICT consultant at Australia's Center for Strategic Education."

"Cyber Safe Kids is a resource for online safety and digital citizenship resources and is managed by its founder Robyn Treyvaud an educational leader and online safety educator working with schools and communities across Australia and the Asia Pacific region"

"There are many ways that our kids can communicate now as the Internet continues to expand its collaborative/social applications. Many of us are encouraging the use of wikis, blogs, emails, discussion boards, and chats (text and video) for educational uses and are integrating them into our curriculum. But we know that the kids are also extensively using the Internet as a social meeting place. It's imperative that we are advocating acceptable manners for all communications. Commonly called "netiquette", there are a number of guidelines that we should be promoting in order to emphasize good online citizenship. "

"It's a problem and the schools are ready to address it, yet they aren't doing so in a robust way. Why? Maybe because, and this is just conjecture, at some level the schools and teachers understand that cyberbullying does not belong in the classroom. That is, it is not solely the schools' problem. Maybe schools and teachers are hesitant to take on cyberbullying full force because they don't like the idea of pigeonholing it as an educational system problem. Maybe they recognize it as a social system problem. Maybe they understand that cyberbullying prevention and response belong in the culture-the student culture, the family culture and the social culture-not just the classroom. "

""Research demonstrates that many youth are disengaged from traditional forms of civic and political life but are very engaged with new media," said Mills College Professor of Education Joseph Kahne, the author of the study. "Our study findings strongly suggest that there are ways to build on their engagement with digital media to foster engagement in civic life." The study debunks the notion that young people, because they are growing up with technology, are so-called "digital natives", who naturally learn to use the Internet for information and discourse. Most young people, in fact, have a lot to learn about using online information and social media resources to better understand their role in society and politics. The research indicates that Literacy 2.0 education can directly influence young people toward civic involvement and political participation. Teaching new literacies, such as credibility assessment, is essential for supporting a healthy democracy, the report concludes. The findings make a strong case for increased digital literacy programs for both students and parents."

"digital citizenship and its relevance in society, culture and news."

"Here are some questions for you to think about: * What is digital citizenship? * What are the rights and responsibilities of a digital citizen in today's world? By exploring new online tools and using them to publish online in this tutorial, you will get to experience many new ways to be creative. You will also have the freedom to interact with friends in new ways and possibly even with people from around the country or the world. With that freedom, comes the responsibility to practice good etiquette as a digital citizen."

"When you rip YouTube videos and share the how-to, you are doing more harm than good in perpetuating bad habits, a disregard for good digital citizenship and a scarcity mindset that needs to be discarded."

"Words are powerful. We should use words with care. We need to help people of all ages understand the power of words, and the responsibilities we have as citizens in our face-to-face communities as well as online communities. These are conversations about citizenship, digital citizenship, ethics and respect. These are conversations we need to have in our homes, in our schools, in our churches, and in other contexts where we have opportunities to dialog and reflect about behavior."

"Digital citizenship isn't just about recognizing and dealing with online hazards. It's also about building safe spaces and communities. Digital citizenship is a comprehensive approach to the use of digital technologies. It helps not only students but all technology users understand how to manage personal information and be an internet savvy."

"This network is the portal for all activity in the Digiteen Project for students, teachers, advisers and other global supporters. The menus above will lead to Digiteen Project information, collaboration tools and uploaded multimedia as well as to further information about Flat Classroom™ Projects and Events."

"Facebook is unveiling a new set of tools launched to squash bullies from having free reign across the social space. In 2008, the Anti-Bullying Research and Resource Centre discovered nearly 30.2 percent of students reported they had been bullied within previous months. Moreover, 24.9 percent of students stated they had taken part in bullying others at school (Anti-Bullying Centre, 2008). With the vast amount of data pushed through Facebook.com each day, monitoring harassment and demeaning behavior rests squarely on our shoulders. Facebook's new features allow users to report such behavior through several new options; Facebook says the intention is to create a "culture of respect" and a stronger sense of community."

This is more about school information than social media policy but may prove a useful template.

"The 21st Century Fluencies are not about technical prowess, they are critical thinking skills, and they are essential to living in this multimedia world. We call them fluencies for a reason. To be literate means to have knowledge or competence. To be fluent is something a little more, it is to demonstrate mastery and to do so unconsciously and smoothly. A young learner who is literate in the use of a tool, say a pencil for example, can use it to write, but does so haltingly because a great deal of focus is on the use of the tool. As time goes on, this learner will develop fluency with the use of the pen or pencil, or keyboard. No longer will it be an impediment, instead their thoughts and ideas flow directly to the paper. The use of the tool is transparent. This is the level of proficiency we will need to thrive in this digital landscape and is what we strive to develop in today's learners."

Calgary Girl's School, 2011. Dr Alec Couros