Blogs For a long time, any interaction on the internet (especially where children were involved) was viewed through a lens of horror and uncertainty, bringing to mind images like these:
Note: Same sign used for live power lines
Poltergeist? On the internet?
To be sure: protecting kids from bad stuff on the internet is paramount and much needed in this largely unregulated online world. But soon, we learned that the harder we worked to prevent kids from “the bad stuff,” the more motivated kids became to check out “the bad stuff” on their own (see just about any Back to School Special). Students figured out the internet was an amazing tool to learn, create, grow, and connect.
Students found TikTok, too.
So organizations like the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) and Common Sense Media (among others) re-focused the energy around digital engagement towards a proactive approach. They created a framework called the New Digital Citizenship, which encourages a list of online “do’s” rather than a list of “don’ts.” This keeps the framework focused on the type of internet our kids found: an amazing tool to learn, create, grow, and connect. The New Digital Citizenship covers:
Educators have been teaching students about digital citizenship elements for years now, and more so as they have moved into distance learning instruction. Empowering students to use these guidelines allows them more room to explore, create, connect…you know the drill. Schools and districts can work to infuse digital citizenship in everything educators and students do, shifting to greater possibilities, and frankly, safer behavior from kids. Isn’t that what we wanted in the first place?
Allow us to introduce you to Course 5120: Cultivating Digital Citizenship in Today’s Classrooms
Ready to join the ranks of super digital citizens? This course will immerse you in ideas and resources covering all nine characteristics of digital citizenship skills to empower students to embody skills to act responsibly, ethically and safely online. You’ll participate in a collaborative effort to examine digital equity, create an innovative approach to identify reliable sources, and shift the response to cyberbullying from reactive to proactive. If that’s not enough, you’ll become a forward thinking superhero in your school or building by engaging with creative lessons, activities, and resources to support the infusion of strong digital citizenship skills into instruction. Join us as we strive for a better digital world!
We can’t wait to see you in class!
Still deciding if this course is right for you? Download a free sneak peek of the application “Finding Balance with Media Choices”.
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