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All students need digital citizenship to be able to critically think about and act safely with what they consume and what they create online. There are many aspects to digital citizenship that often need to be explicitly addressed and taught. When adults are making critical errors with digital citizenship, we can't assume students will just know better. When student safety, responsibility and equity are on the line, digital citizenship cannot be overlooked.
Students need to think about questions like:
What does this say about me if I post this online? Who will be affected by this and how will it affect them?
Is this safe to share online? Who will have access to this information?
What is this information or media trying to say? Do I know where this is coming from? How do I know if this is credible and accurate?
While digital citizenship week falls in October to help bring attention to it, digital citizenship should really be addressed all year long. Thankfully there are a multitude of resources available for teachers to help address digital citizenship with your students. It doesn't need to be taught separately as well, digital citizenship can be easily integrated into projects or assignments in a variety of subject areas. In fact it can be a lot more meaningful and impactful when digital citizenship is learned in the context of an activity. In order for someone to get better at something, they need to practice. So in order for a student to get better at being a digital citizen, they have to practice.
Here are some resources available to you not just for Digital Citizenship Week, but for all year long.
Lessons
Lessons
If Nearpod is a platform you and your students are already familiar with, then not only can you access Common Sense Media's digital citizenship lessons in Nearpod form, but there are other Nearpods on Social Media and Evaluating Media on there for you to use as well. (Grades K-8)
One of the organizations with Digital Citizenship as its mission, Common Sense Media has grade appropriate lessons that include activities and videos for your students. (Grades K-8)
2020-digitalcitizenshipcurriculum-overview-final-release.pdfDigital Citizenship Curriculum Overview PDF
Use digital citizenship toolkits to explore specific topics and help students develop the skills they need to become curious learners, critical thinkers, and engaged citizens. Each toolkit is a one-stop shop for the best classroom-ready resources, teaching strategies, research, and guidance from Common Sense Education and beyond. (Grades K-8)
Gamified Learning
Gamified Learning
The award-winning suite of six interactive games addresses key issues kids face in today's digital world. Each engaging game teaches critical digital citizenship skills that help students learn to use technology responsibly to learn, create, and participate. Games are available in Spanish and can be shared to Google Classroom. (Grades 3-5)
The award-winning game is an innovative way to give students the freedom to explore how decisions made in their digital lives can affect their relationships and futures. Through the suite of popular choose-your-own-path games, students play through the perspective of one of eight main characters, each of whom is facing a different digital citizenship dilemma. The varied story paths and multiple decision points encourage students to play repeatedly in order to explore alternative courses of action. Games are also available in Spanish and can be shared to Google Classroom. (Grades 6-8)
Cornell Social Media Lab and Common Sense Education collaborated to create Social Media TestDrive, a simulated social media environment where young people can practice and prepare for real-life experiences in the digital world. Through modules that focus on realistic dilemmas and scenarios, students practice how to respond to situations they will encounter when they become social media users. Each module has a guided activity, a free play section, and reflection questions that help solidify digital citizenship skills and habits. Social Media TestDrive aligns with middle school lessons in the Common Sense Digital Citizenship Curriculum. (TestDrive is designed for upper elementary school and middle school students age 9 to 12, who are likely to join or participate in social media sites and apps in the near future.)
Interland is an adventure-packed online game that makes learning about digital safety and citizenship interactive and fun—just like the Internet itself. Here, kids will help their fellow Internauts combat badly behaved hackers, phishers, oversharers, and bullies by practicing the skills they need to be good digital citizens. (Ages 7-12)
Other Resources
Other Resources
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