Digital Citizenship
THINK BEFORE YOU TYPE
Be kind and respectful at all times
SET PERSONAL BOUNDARIES
Keep it focused on school work
KEEP PERSONAL INFORMATION PRIVATE
Communicate only with known and
trusted individuals
CONSIDER YOUR AUDIENCE
Keep it positive
Digital Citizenship & Cyber Security
In the same way you are a real-life citizen of your town/city, country, and this planet, you are also a digital citizen when you engage with the world online.
OCV elementary is a community - an educational community of school staff, students, and their families. Communities have standards, expectations, and best practices that keep you and everyone else safe and promote a positive online experience. When we strive to meet these expectations, we are exhibiting what is called good citizenship.
You can learn about the expectations of OCV Elementary in the Student/Family Handbook that is available on the OCV Elementary Website. Here you will find some virtual classroom etiquette and guidelines that will be helpful both in virtual school and elsewhere online.
"As with in-person interactions, students in virtual classrooms are expected to be good digital citizens both in and outside of school. OCDSB students are inclusive, respectful, safe and caring learners who approach online interactions and activities according to the OCDSB’s Community of Character traits, school rules, and the law." OCV Handbook.
Cyber Security
GetCyberSafe.ca (Resource from the Government of Canada)
Online Safety Basics for Kids (Telus.com)
Using Strong Passwords (GetCyberSafe.ca)
Software Updates (GetCyberSafe.ca)
Privacy Settings (Office of the privacy commissioner of Canada)
AI InfoSheet PDF
Links for more information on Digital Citizenship
Virtual Classroom Etiquette and Guidelines
THINK BEFORE YOU TYPE
Be kind and respectful at all times
The OCV handbook says:
"Students are expected to show respect for all members of the community, including themselves, by extending care and kindness to their fellow students, using appropriate language, cooperating with others, sharing resources, and by contributing responsibly to the digital learning environment."
and:
"Students are expected to conduct themselves as if they were attending in-person school."
Behind every avatar, display picture, or icon that you see online, there is a person. We can see this when we meet in Google Classrooms and see each other behind our webcams. These people are just like you - we all have stories, feelings, thoughts, ideas, interests, talents, strengths, and weaknesses. We may have different backgrounds, ages, and genders, but we are all human. One of the beautiful things about being human is learning and growing together. Please be kind and respectful with others you interact with online.
SET PERSONAL BOUNDARIES
Keep it focused on school work
If you struggle with focus, you can still be kind by helping your online learning community - classmates and teachers. Here is how:
Mute yourself while others speak. Muting helps make it easier to hear the person who is speaking. It also protects the privacy of those around you from unwanted eavesdropping.
If you want to say something, raise your hand and wait to be called on.
Type relevent questions in the chat box. Do not spam the chatbox.
If someone wants to talk about something unrelated to school work or the current class discussion, you can let them know by saying, "now is not the time to talk about that." If you want to have the conversation, you can ask them if they want to discuss it at break. That way, neither of you are missing class time.
If someone is unkind to you or bothering you, remember WITS - Walk away, Ignore, Talk it Out, Seek Help.
KEEP PERSONAL INFORMATION PRIVATE
Communicate only with known and
trusted individuals
The OCV Handbook says:
"Students are expected to respect the privacy and security of all students, families and staff by not capturing, sharing or posting images, video, audio, meeting spaces or any identifying personal information."
As we said in the section about personal boundaries, you do not have to answer questions or engage in conversations unrelated to school or the topic at hand if you do not want to. Do not give out personal information such as your passwords, home address, or other private details. You can tell someone "no" with or without an explanation. Communicate only with known and trusted individuals online. If you want to meet with a friend you made in class at OCV elementary, contact your teacher about getting permission from parents/guardians.
CONSIDER YOUR AUDIENCE
Keep it positive
Think before you type.
Be kind to yourself and others!
Being kind means thinking about other people's feelings as well as your own.
We can be kind by being polite, using kind words and actions, and respecting the rules of our classrooms. When you are communicating with your staff and classmates, here are some questions you may want to ask yourself:
What do you want to ask or share with the class, and is it related to the topic? (If not, perhaps you can wait until the teacher asks for questions or a discussion).
Is my question/comment helpful for my peers or myself? (If not, consider if it needs to be said).
A Reminder About Stealing Other Peoples Work Online
The OCV Handbook says:
"Students must respect academic integrity while learning remotely. Teachers design assignments so that students can have an optimal learning experience. It is important for students to complete their own work in an honest and authentic way."
Remember that it is disrespectful and against the rules to steal other peoples work, even online. This is called plagiarism, and it can get you in trouble.
"Plagiarism is when you use someone else's words or ideas and pass them off as your own. It's not allowed in school, college, or beyond, so it's a good idea to learn the proper way to use resources, such as websites, books, and magazines." (Kidshealth)
Do you see how we just shared a quote? We found that quote online and used it to explain what plagiarism is. Luckily, we added a link to where we found that quote. Sharing the source of something you found online is one way to avoid stealing or plagiarism because you are not claiming that quote as your own. This gives credit to the original source. It is ok to do research. Most teachers will encourage you to do a research assignment that involves conducting research and then sharing what you learned. If you find something helpful online, let people know where you found it.
Remember this for future online interactions as well - never steal someone's art, photos, quotes, etc., and share them online, passing them off as if they are your own. Always credit the original source. Otherwise, you can get in trouble.
You can learn more about Online Safety at KidsHealth.Org.