building digital citizens: strategies for the modern classroom

Facilitator: Dr. Bruce Ellis - https://ly.tcea.org/24digcit

Digital Citizenship Week is celebrated annually in the third week of October. In 2024, Digital Citizenship Week will be from Monday, October 14 to Friday, October 18.

1. Interactive Digital Citizenship Fair

Organize a campus-wide fair with interactive booths for each aspect of digital citizenship.
Set up stations where students can engage in hands-on activities related to online safety, digital ethics, media literacy, etc.
Include a "Digital Footprint" booth where students can search for their online presence and learn about managing their digital identity.
Create a "Fact-Check Challenge" station where participants verify online information using credible sources.
Have a "Cybersecurity Escape Room" where students solve puzzles related to password safety, phishing awareness, and data protection.

2. Social Media Takeover Campaign

Leverage the school's official social media accounts to spread awareness.
Create a series of daily posts, each focusing on a different aspect of digital citizenship.
Use eye-catching infographics, short videos, or student-created content to convey key messages.
Encourage students to share and engage with the posts, perhaps offering prizes for the most creative responses or widest reach.
Use relevant hashtags like #DigCitWeek or create a school-specific one to track engagement.

3. Digital Citizenship Ambassador Program

Launch a program that empowers students to become leaders in digital citizenship.
Select and train a diverse group of students to be Digital Citizenship Ambassadors.
Have these ambassadors lead peer-to-peer workshops or presentations throughout the week.
Equip them with resources and talking points to engage with fellow students during lunch breaks or advisory periods.
Create special badges or certificates for ambassadors to recognize their role and encourage participation.

4. Cross-Curricular Digital Citizenship Challenge

Collaborate with teachers across different subjects to integrate digital citizenship into their lessons for the week.
In English classes, students could analyze the language and persuasion techniques used in fake news articles.
Math classes could explore data privacy by analyzing statistics on data breaches and online behavior.
History classes could discuss how social media has influenced modern social movements.
Art classes could create digital citizenship posters or infographics.

5. Virtual Guest Speaker Series

Organize a series of virtual talks or webinars with experts in various fields related to digital citizenship.
Invite cybersecurity professionals, social media experts, digital rights advocates, or even former students working in tech fields.
Host daily lunchtime sessions where students can attend virtually or in a designated area on campus.
Make recordings available for those who can't attend live, and encourage teachers to incorporate these talks into their lessons.
Create a reflection activity where students can share their key takeaways from each talk.

Internet Safety

Strategies:

- Teaching students to recognize phishing attempts and scams
- Discussing the importance of strong passwords
- Explaining the risks of sharing personal information online

K-2 - Activity: "Safe or Not Safe" picture sorting game - Students sort pictures of online activities into "safe" and "not safe" categories.

3-5 - Activity: "Password Power” - Students create strong passwords using a combination of letters, numbers, and symbols.

6-8 - Activity: "Phishing Expedition” - Students analyze sample emails to identify potential phishing attempts.

9-12 - Activity: "Security Audit” - Students conduct a security audit of their own online accounts and devices.

Digital Privacy

Strategies:

Explaining privacy settings on social media platforms
Discussing the long-term implications of digital footprints
Teaching about data collection practices by websites and apps

K-2 - Activity: "My Private Information" - Students draw pictures of information that should be kept private.

3-5 - Activity: "Digital Footprint Collage" - Students create a collage representing their digital footprint.

6-8 - Activity: "Privacy Settings Scavenger Hunt" - Students explore privacy settings on various social media platforms.

9-12 - Activity: "Data Broker Investigation" - Students research data brokers and what information they collect.

Digital Ethics

Strategies:

- Discussing plagiarism and proper citation in the digital age
- Exploring issues of cyberbullying and online harassment
- Teaching about intellectual property rights and fair use

K-2 - Activity: "Kindness Counts Online” - Students role-play scenarios of being kind online.

3-5 - Activity: "Citation Creation Station” - Students practice citing online sources for a research project.

6-8 - Activity: "Cyberbullying Bystander Challenge” - Students discuss and role-play positive bystander interventions in cyberbullying scenarios.

9-12 - Activity: "Digital Ethics Debate” - Students debate ethical dilemmas related to technology and privacy.

Media Literacy

Strategies:

Teaching how to evaluate online sources for credibility
Discussing the impact of filter bubbles and echo chambers
Explaining how to fact-check information found online

K-2 - Activity: "Real or Pretend Online” - Students sort online content into "real” and "pretend” categories.

3-5 - Activity: "Ad Detective” - Students identify advertising in various online content.

6-8 - Activity: "Fact-Check Challenge” - Students fact-check claims from social media posts using reliable sources.

9-12 - Activity: "Filter Bubble Experiment” - Students compare search results across different devices and accounts to understand personalization.

Digital Balance and Well-being

Strategies:

Discussing the importance of balancing screen time with other activities
Teaching about the potential impacts of social media on mental health
Exploring strategies for mindful technology use

K-2 - Activity: "Balancing Act" - Students create a picture schedule balancing screen time with other activities.

3-5 - Activity: "Emotion Emoji Log" - Students track their emotions before and after using technology.

6-8 - Activity: "App Usage Analysis" - Students analyze their app usage data and set goals for balanced use.

9-12 - Activity: "Digital Wellness Plan" - Students create a personal plan for maintaining digital well-being.

Cybersecurity Basics

Strategies:

- Teaching about the importance of software updates and antivirus programs
- Discussing secure Wi-Fi practices
- Explaining two-factor authentication

K-2 - Activity: "Password Puppet Show" - Students create a puppet show about keeping passwords secret.

3-5 - Activity: "Update Heroes" - Students create comic strips about the importance of software updates.

6-8 - Activity: "Two-Factor Authentication Theater" - Students act out how two-factor authentication works.

9-12 - Activity: "Personal Cybersecurity Plan" - Students develop a comprehensive cybersecurity plan for their personal digital life.

Digital Collaboration and Creation

Strategies:

Teaching about responsible use of collaborative online tools
Discussing how to give and receive constructive feedback online
Exploring creative commons licenses and proper attribution

K-2 - Activity: "Digital Story Circle" - Students contribute to a collaborative story using a simple online tool.

3-5 - Activity: "Wiki Wonderland" - Students contribute to a class wiki on a chosen topic.

6-8 - Activity: "Collaborative Digital Art Gallery" - Students create and curate a digital art gallery, providing constructive feedback to peers.

9-12 - Activity: "Open Source Contribution Simulation" - Students simulate contributing to an open source project, focusing on collaboration and proper attribution.

Online Communication and Netiquette

Strategies:

Teaching about appropriate online communication in different contexts
Discussing the impact of tone and context in digital messages
Explaining the importance of empathy in online interactions

K-2 - Activity: "Balancing Act" - Students create a picture schedule balancing screen time with other activities.

3-5 - Activity: "Emotion Emoji Log". - Students track their emotions before and after using technology.

6-8 - Activity: "App Usage Analysis" - Students analyze their app usage data and set goals for balanced use.

9-12 - Activity: "Digital Wellness Plan" - Students create a personal plan for maintaining digital well-being.

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