"Digital badges are an assessment and credentialing mechanism that is housed and managed online. Badges are designed to make visible and validate learning in both formal and informal settings, and hold the potential to help transform where and how learning is valued." ~ MacArthur Foundation
As our youth develop their digital citizenship skills with their teachers’ guidance, we’d like to recognize and honor their growth through the awarding of Digital ID Project badges.
Who: all students, ages 9 – 18 years and their teachers
What: 4 badges (unique Digital ID electronic icons) verifying a level of demonstrated achievement in each of the 4 foci:
Badges (4) available to be earned
Examples of evidence of achievement
*Note: The above icons are not the actual badges. Please do not download them. We will be sending you customized badges for your students to display.
When: Ongoing throughout the school year
Where: Students can upload their electronic badges to their own electronic “backpacks” or ePortfolios (their website, blog, wiki, etc.).
How: By following these 4 basic steps:
Why: Because we are proud of our students who are learning to be global citizens and who behave responsibly and respectfully in all the communities of which they are members. They will help make the digital future a kinder, more civil place. We want to honor their growth as digital citizens.
Additional Why: The Boy Scouts and Girls Scouts of America - as well as all video game creators - have long understood the power of visible recognition of skill mastery in the form of badges. Since the mid- 2000s, there has been a coordinated effort to create electronic badges that serve as confirmation of skill mastery at all levels of learning in a wide variety of areas. The US Dept of Education (Connected Educators Month), Mozilla, and other leaders have laid the groundwork for a publicly recognized badging system for learning achievement. Organizations such as Google, Linked In, the City of Chicago, and numerous universities and training entities are utilizing badges for both hard and soft skills. For students to be able to begin earning official badges of achievement is an important step in developing their personal and professional identities as lifelong learners, which will become increasingly important in the digital future.