Assignment #2: Digital Citizenship

Read and watch the following resources on digital citizenship:

Nine Elements of Digital Citizenship:

http://digitalcitizenship.net/Nine_Elements.html

Connecting via Social Media:

http://www.coolcatteacher.com/ice-bucket-challenge-bellringer/

Video: Cyber Bullying:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVSAFhTjAdc

Post: Why is it important to educate young adolescents about digital citizenship.  Connect these ideas to what you know about young adolescents.  How might you engage your class in activities to promote digital citizenship?

It is important to educate young adolescents about digital citizenship because there are many consequences when it comes to using technology.  Although there are many positive uses of technology it is the negative uses like cyberbullying and trolling that often complicate and/or ruin the lives of young adolescents.  In the Digital Citizenship article teaching students about the nine themes of digital citizenship from as young as kindergarten is the recommendation.  Constantly reviewing the REP’s (Respect, Educate and Protect) concept is one way that students will learn the responsibilities and/or consequences of their actions over the internet and/or social media, especially during the confusing years of adolescence.

Adolescents are at a point in their lives when they are facing cognitive, physical and emotional changes.  Add into that mix a cup of social media “drama”, due to lack of education on digital citizenship, and you have a teenager whose whole world, as they see it, come crashing down on them.  If more educators took the time to teach students about digital citizenship, from as early as kindergarten, we could probably see a future of responsible digital citizens.

In my blended-learning classroom I used technology on a daily basis.  At the start of each quarter, we reviewed and revisited examples of ethical and unethical uses of technology.  This always kept the ethical and unethical examples in the forefront of their scopes.  The use of technology was a requirement therefore I also had students sign a contract stating that they will be ethical users of technology or they would not be allowed to use their device, or the device provided by the school.  The contract also included confiscation of the device if necessary.  The nine themes of digital citizenship would be a great addition to my contract and or quarterly reviews of ethical and unethical uses of technology.