EDTC Module 4 – Promote & Model Digital Citizenship and Responsibility
Trigger Question: How can I as a 7th grade ELA/SS teacher help to advocate, model, and teach safe, legal, and ethical use of digital information and technology, including respect for copyright, intellectual property, and the appropriate documentation of sources?
As a 7th grade ELA/SS teacher it is a great spot to help introduce great Digital Citizenship strategies. As the National Association of Independent Schools states “Our children know more than we think they know, and less than they think they know. They are swimming in oceans of data, communications, and media. While we call members of this generation “digital natives” — those with the ability to consume, create, absorb, and navigate everything in the digital spectrum — in truth, our children are in danger of being overwhelmed by this 24/7 unfiltered digital world without our guidance. While we carefully oversee other areas of their lives, many of us are unintentionally negligent when it comes to their digital experiences. Though we may be uncomfortable with the full scope of our responsibility in the digital world, ignoring it won’t make it go away.” The NAIS helps independent schools create a system for digital citizenship, and I think that my school should do that same. As we align our ELA/SS curriculum with the CCSS, they emphasize that the students have the ability to find sources through research and cite them correctly. Both of these skills allow for opportunities to teach digital citizenship. There are so many things that parents, students, and teachers need to look out for when it comes to research online. If we do not inform the students of what to look out for then, we are setting them up for an uncertain future in their career or college life.
It is important to ask the students continual questions about things like screen time and their device usage. Are they allowed to use the device for games? What are the time limits that they are authorized to use the device? What are the time they are not allowed to use the device, such as dinner time, bed time. How are these time limits enforced? Do you need to set up a program on the device to enforce the time limit? As we are talking about digital citizenship, it is important to bring up reputation and responsibility. There are other questions that come with citizenship that the students should be asked and be able to answer. This is the time to talk about an online bully and what is appropriate online behavior to be a respectful digital citizen. One thing that is covered at the school I work at is the responsibility to the device. Who is going to pay for the repair and replacement if the device is damaged or lost?
With questions like these that need answering and the parents not always knowing how to deal with the plethora of new media, apps, and devices coming out each school needs a program or guidelines to follow together. As the NAIS states their core beliefs are to use Common Sense Media, an independent nonprofit working with parents and schools to improve kids’ lives in a world of media and technology, encourages schools to develop a set of core beliefs related to technology use. In particular, they suggest the following:
- We believe in media sanity, not censorship.
- We believe that the collective media has truly become “the other parent” in our kids’ lives, powerfully affecting their mental, physical, and social development.
- We believe in teaching our kids to be savvy, respectful, and responsible media interpreters, creators, and communicators. We can’t cover their eyes, but we can teach them to see.
- We believe parents should have a choice and a voice about the media our kids consume and create. Every family is different, but all need information.
- We believe that the price for free and open media is a bit of extra homework for families. Parents need to know about the media their kids use and need to teach responsible, ethical behavior as well as manage overall media use.
- We believe that through informed decision making, we can improve the media landscape one decision at a time.
- We believe appropriate regulations about the right time, right place, and right manner exist. They need to be upheld by our elected and appointed leaders.
- We believe in age-appropriate media and that the media industry needs to act responsibly as it creates and markets content for each audience.
- We believe rating systems should be independent and transparent for all media.
- We believe in diversity of programming and media ownership.
As so as parents and teachers alike carefully oversee other areas of students lives, many of us are unintentionally negligent when it comes to their digital experiences. Though some parents and educators may be uncomfortable with the full scope of our responsibility in the digital world, ignoring it won’t make it go away.
Orth, Don, and Edward Chen. “Independent School Magazine.” The Strategy for Digital Citizenship. National Association of Independent Schools, June-July 2013. Web. 21 Feb. 2016.http://www.nais.org/Magazines-Newsletters/ISMagazine/Pages/The-Strategy-for-Digital-Citizenship.aspx
