According to some, there is danger lurking behind every URL, IM, and hashtag. Parents and teachers are all atwitter (pun completely intended) about e-predators, cyberbullies, and identity theft. The fact of the matter is, people are more courageous when they can hide behind usernames and avatars. As you may imagine, this false sense of anonymity often leads to speaking out of turn or blatant lawbreaking.
As teachers who need (and want!) to use the good stuff out there on the web, our jobs must include lessons about digital citizenship so that we can show our little surfers how to protect themselves, and possibly change the way we treat each other online. So how can we do that?
For young students, the highest level of security must be employed. The tools used in the classroom should be password- and firewall-protected, and students' names or likenesses should not appear in any location that is visible to the public. (To generate avatars for your students, you can use one of these sites.) In addition to the behind-the-scenes security, we can teach students to use make the best decisions to keep themselves and their property (intellectual and physical alike!) safe.
For some great ideas on digital citizenship unit and lesson planning, check out Common Sense Media. I've also taken a peek at NetSmartzKids, which is an amazingly informative site maintained by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Among the ideas presented are benefits of the Internet (research, blogging, and virtual pets), and eBooks whose main characters get into pickles when they do things like forget to set a password.
At the elementary level, we have the unique opportunity to teach children who may not yet have experience on the Internet. In this first digital citizenship lesson, the classroom rules can come in handy. If worded carefully, you can probably reference them in any situation. Rules like "Treat others the way you want to be treated" can be applied in many ways, including circumstances surrounding online correspondence. When given the right combination of rules and responsibility, I can see a classroom where the Internet is used successfully and respectful online learning takes place.
Before they embark on their first e-voyage, we first need to teach our students an important, all-encompassing rule of thumb:
If you wouldn't do it in person, DON'T DO IT ONLINE.
Hi Cait, I found your blog very interesting and informative. I agree with your statement that people are all in a twitter about using technology, especially with students, because of the hidden dangers that may accompany technology. The 21st century of teaching, especially when you include technology in the classroom, is a huge undertaking.We as educators must support, inform and educate parents and teachers as to the huge benefits of learning and teaching through technology, but not forget to acknowledge the risks involved. We, as educators need to work collaboratively, with all school personnel, parents, and community members on knowing what the risks are, protecting the student, and what it means to be a good digital citizen. I agree with you that we have a unique opportunity with the elementary school level to teach students on being a good digital citizen , but also raise the question of shouldn't parents be part of or begin to teach about citizenship at home. In my observations and experiences most students by the time they enter school have had a multitude of experiences using some sort of technology, especially computers. But how do we inform and educate parents with this knowledge of being a good digital citizen,before as they become students in a technology bases classroom. As educators, and your statement of the right combination of rules and responsibilities, I do see classrooms using technology as a very successful teaching practice and tool. We must continue to educate and reinforce the rule of being a good digital citizen, through their voyage at school, not just when they begin, but continually through all grades.
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