Increasing Digital Literacy and Citizenship through Global Education

Have you ever heard the analogy of trying to fly the plane while still building it? Our students are doing just that: they are avid digital consumers and producers, but many of them have gaping holes in their understanding of how much richer (and safer) their online experiences and communications could be with better knowledge of digital tools and citizenship.

Many states are implementing required digital citizenship programs that focus on digital trails and cyberbullying, but the Internet also offers teachers and adults so many opportunities to connect with people from other nations and backgrounds, opportunities that are often ignored in our classrooms.

The first two videos above are short introductions to the SAMR model and Digital Literacy, but I encourage you to watch Alan November's talk about his book Who Owns the Learning?. If you do any kind of research in your classroom that involves the Internet, listen to his experience with showing students how to find and communicate multiple perspectives when examining international topics. Honestly, it's valuable for just about any lesson where students are using search engines.