ISTE 4
In a
world where technology is integrated into nearly every element of society, it
is imperative that educators equip students with effective and safe digital
practices. After all, the students of today will likely be living in a
completely digital world and will need to establish themselves as responsible
digital citizens.
As I
conducted my research on digital citizenship education this week, I was
encouraged by the abundance of resources available to parents and teachers. One
of the largest organizations I found was Common Sense Media. This non-profit
organization provides instructional materials, curriculum, webinars, websites,
books, videos, and other resources that help educators and parents address
teach digital citizenship to their students. These resources focus on
eight key elements of digital citizenship, shown in Figure 1.
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| Figure 1: Scope & Sequence |
One of the most interesting ideas I discovered
this week was the idea of implementing an advisory class for all first year
students. For example, all incoming freshman would take one semester
class where they would learn how to responsibly navigate and use technology.
This could be extremely beneficial to their education and success later on in
life. According to Ribble (2015), students should be equipped with digital
access and develop an understanding of digital commerce, communication,
literacy, etiquette, law, rights, health, and security. Having a digital
citizenship class at the beginning of one's schooling experience, like Common
Sense Media's Digital Compass curriculum, would cover all of these aspects
through simulation games, discussion, practical application, and reflective
writing.
Perhaps the most imperative component of educating
students on the importance of digital citizenship is the effective modeling of
best practices by the teacher. This takes work, as technology is an
ever-changing field. But with a commitment to innovation and integrity as well
as a constant desire to continue developing their own skills, educators can
effectively model and teach digital citizenship.
References
Digital Compass in Action. (n.d.). Retrieved February 28, 2017, from https://www.commonsensemedia.org/videos/digital-compass-in-action
Ribble, M. (2015). Digital citizenship in schools: Nine elements all students should know. Eugene, OR: International Society for Technology in Education.
Scope & Sequence: Common Sense K-12 Digital Citizenship Curriculum. (n.d.). Retrieved February 28, 2017, from https://www.commonsensemedia.org/educators/scope-and-sequence
Lynnea, I think your post is very interesting. What kind of teachers do you think should be teaching a digital citizenship class (math, ELA, journalism, etc.)?
ReplyDeleteOr do you think digital citizenship could/should be incorporated in any classroom, regardless of content? Should all teachers be responsible for this? Our standard four would appear to suggest this.
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