Digital Citizenship
As we embark on our journey of integrating technology into the classrooms, we need ensure that our students understand what being a good Digital Citizen is. We need to immediately establish norms for use of the computers/iPads, and norms for what they and where they are going on the web. These norms need to be enforced consistently and while we are trying to create responsible Digital Citizens that are able to make wise decisions, we are also realistic. If you find that students are continuously visiting certain sites rather than focusing on their work, do not hesitate to contact us.
Common Sense education is a K-12 resources with lesson plans, activities, and game to teach your students about what it means to be a good Digital Citizen. In my classroom I always stressed our Digital Footprint, because as we know it's there forever, but many of them don't understand that! It's easy to create an account, and it's free!
Ignition is an awesome site available through EVERFI. This is geared more towards middle school students, but has a great Digital Literacy and Responsibility lesson. After you set your class up, you can log in and measure progress. I have used this several times with my classes, don't hesitate to ask for help if you're interested in using it. This is a self-paced lesson, perfect for introducing your Flipped Classroom or Blended Learning!
Digital Literacy is a website based in the U.K. It has created simple lessons for students as young as 5, through graduation. It downloads as a Word Document or PDF and has a series of online links that lead your students to online books, games, and articles. They use a lot of information from Common Sense Media.
Google Interland and Be Internet Awesome My Middle School students LOVED this interactive game about Internet safety. It also includes a pledge signed by students and a curriculum guide for teachers. Best of all, it's free! Share it to Classroom with one click!
Control With Cable Designed for families, this website offers a variety of tools to monitor what their children are watching, education, and a variety of information to ensure that children make good choices.
Digital Citizenship and Safety Course with Google Designed for teachers, this takes you through the most important aspects of teaching our students about digital literacy.
Media Smarts Check here for lesson plans for all grade levels.