Digital Citizenship
Standards
- Ability to model safe, responsible, legal and ethical use of technology and implement school and district acceptable use policies including fair-use and copyright guidelines and Internet user protection policies.
- Ability to develop and implement a classroom management plan to ensure equitable and effective student access to available technology resources.
- Ability to promote, model, and communicate the safe, legal and ethical principles of digital citizenship, equitable access, digital etiquette, and responsible online social interactions in a global culture including respect for copyright, intellectual property, the appropriate documentation of sources, and Internet user protection policies.
Digital Citizenship Project
What is Digital Citizenship?
Digital Citizenship is the ability to use technology resources in safe, responsible, and legal ways. As educators, we need to know the importance of netiquette, fair use, safety for our students, equitable digital access, and technological use policies.
Netiquette is the acceptable way of communicating on the Internet. It is very important for students to think before they post. They need to ask themselves: is this information true, will it hurt someone, and am I respecting others in the post? Educators need to pay close attention to copyright laws when gathering materials for lessons. Students should do the same when working on a project or research paper. In addition, both groups must not plagiarize. Copyrights and plagiarism are laws and one can face punishment or pay a fine if a law is broken. Teaching students to be safe on the internet is vital. By one click, they could easily be on a page that contains inappropriate material. Teachers must monitor internet use at all times. Teachers must provide every student the same access to technology as the others. All students need this access to be successful in the real world. Lastly, every school system needs a Technology Use Policy. This protects the school, teacher, and the student. This type of policy will ensure that both parents and students are aware of the rules governing any use of the district provided network. This holds both the parent and child responsible for any inappropriate behavior that may occur while on the school systems network.
Reflection
Students need to know the importance of internet safety. Teaching students to be safe when using the internet is vital in today's world. There are many tips and tricks you can teach your students so that they will be safe from others when using the internet. It is also important that we as educators teach them the importance of netiquette. Students can be mean and threaten other students at school and, they can also do this over the internet. Cyberbullying is a big issue all over the world. I think all schools should address this issue and have consequences for violators. Another factor of Digital Citizenship in our schools is students only viewing appropriate sites and resources. By one click, students can have access to things they do not need to be seeing at school. That is why it is important to have a Technology Use Policy in place for students and their parents to not just sign but, abide by these rules.
By using my computer and other forms of technology in my classroom only on school related topics, shows my ability to model safe, responsible, legal and ethical use of technology and implement school and district acceptable use policies including fair-use and copyright guidelines and Internet user protection policies. Almost every day, I let students use the internet to research topics or watch instructional videos relating mathematics to the real world or simply how to work a problem with more in depth explanations. This really seems to help students achieve a deeper understanding of the content.
By implementing the technology use policy in my classroom and the school systems' technology policy demonstrates my ability to develop and implement a classroom management plan to ensure equitable and effective student access to available technology resources. In my classroom, all students and their parent or guardian must sign the technology use policy before a student accesses any type of electronic device. After this has been signed, it is up to the student to abide by the policy.
By monitoring student technology usage in my classroom and teaching my students the importance of internet safety shows my ability to promote, model, and communicate the safe, legal and ethical principles of digital citizenship, equitable access, digital etiquette, and responsible online social interactions in a global culture including respect for copyright, intellectual property, the appropriate documentation of sources, and Internet user protection policies. Anytime my students are on a electronic device, I always walk around the room and monitor their activity. This helps keep the students on task and focused on their work. It is better not to give them the opportunity to behave inappropriately on the internet.