I define digital citizenship as displaying good character online as producers of information and seekers of the truth. What we produce represents our character, who we are, and what we want the world to remember/know about us. What we produce should be respectful and if we gain knowledge from others that should be noted in our productions. Students need to be given multiple opportunities to producer content as well as research fact from fiction. Digital citizenship should be taught throughout the year and embedded into everyday lessons.

This is an example of how students my not be able to tell fact from fiction, my son plays FORTNITE online with others around the world. People have asked him for his passwords and personal information. I know this because he complains that others have tried to steal some of his earned/purchased cyber gear. It’s a good thing that he knows and understands how to protect himself because he is older. What about our younger kids? When my son was younger he thought these kids (or so-called kids) were friends. But he soon realized they would lie, steal, and take online cyber gear from him because he made the mistake of trusting them. Later, he learned how to protect his information and not trust others due to lessons learned and our many talks about the dangers of online activity. What about kids who don’t have someone there to protect them and teach them about the dangers of online predators? It’s important for school personnel to train and give students the tools to shield themselves online. I believe that element #9 (Digital Security) is such an important element to teach to our students. I teach my students right away about the dangers of online predators and how to protect personal data. We talk about how we shouldn’t give private information to friends (in person) so why would it be ok to share with strangers online? I want my students to be equipped and ready to fend off information seekers, and that’s why I believe teaching them element #9 will give them the tools they need to do that!

In conclusion, I believe that learning is a two-way street and it’s important for teachers to model learning along side of their students. If we (teachers) expect our students to learn what we preach then we must model it by engaging in online,collaborative, communities, that involve our students. I have found that many teachers don’t see the urgency in teaching digital citizenship to students. Most view it as just one more thing they are forced to teach. What they don't realize is how this one more thing is valuable to their students' future. We can't wait for someone else to teach these 21st century skills to our students. We are responsible for it! The nine elements of digital citizenship are the keys to establishing a safe online future for our students. Now is the time develop these characteristics in our student's online habits. If we never give our students the opportunity to practice now...then we can't punish them for not understanding the dangers that lurk online, and proper online etiquette.

I remember in high school how pagers where the way to be connected but I was never able to get my hands on one. If I had, I would still have to stop at a pay phone to call the number that appeared on the screen. Then came the mobile phone, wow was that an upgrade. The problem was I was only able to use it in case of emergencies because the cost of using it was very expensive. Now, this brings me to the holy grail of phones, the iPhone. The invention of the iPhone has most definitely been a game charger in connectivity. Everything we do and how we do it has changed. We learn, create, and have a voice everywhere we go because this little piece of technology can fit in our pockets. We are always connected. Is that a good thing? Sometimes it can be a good thing but at times not so much.

A ding, a swish, or honk and I immediately stop and grab to see what type of notification I have. It seems at times that work and leisure time are not separate pieces of my life anymore. If its an email I immediately want to respond. Gone are the days of office hours and leaving on Friday with work in my rear view mirror. I am connected to my job anytime and everywhere. Is this a good thing? I'd have to say yes because of that's just me, but I would have to say sometimes it does distract me from focusing on the people around me. Why is that? Why do we feel that we are missing out on something online and don't think about what we are missing out right in front of us? I know that I am not alone in this. Internet addiction is real, and many of us live with it every day. According to the Pscycom website, internet addiction triggers the pleasure center in our brain. Our brain releases a chemical called dopamine, and that's what causes the addiction (Gregory). We receive pleasure from checking our Facebook feed, responding to email, snapping a post, or tweeting a tweet. Let's face it the reality is that being connected has made it easier to do things in life. It's just so easy to purchase stuff online, manage accounts, learn something new, create unique artifacts, and spend hours engrossed in online gaming but at what cost?

Is it healthy be distracted by our mobile devices and ignore the pieces around us? Society has learned to accept the use of mobile devices, and it has become the new normal. For example, the next time you are at a restaurant look around. Notice how many people are interacting more with their phones, then they are with the people around them. We seem to make more connections online then we are with the people around us. So is being too connected a good thing? I'll let you be the judge of that.

When I saw the title “The Long Arm of the Law” in my digital citizenship class I immediately thought of the song “Beer for my Horses” by Toby Keith. Toby sings about finding justice for the wrongdoings in the western world. I hadn’t heard that song in years but the lyrics came back quickly, and I started to associate the song with copyright laws. Copyright laws are put in place to protect and govern, while justice enforces those laws. Without copyright laws, intellectual property is open for someone to take and use at their own leisure. Some of the ways you can avoid copyright infringements are by following the four factors in fair-use. The four factors include the purpose of the work, the nature in which it is being used, the amount of work that is used, and how will its use will affect the market.

The first factor in fair use is thinking about the purpose of your application. For example, is the piece being transformed into a new idea? Think about this. A teacher copies a poem for her students to analyze. She cuts the verse into sections for students to comment on. This example is covered under the fair-use act because it is being transformed for educational purposes and commentary (Stim, 2018). The second factor is the nature of use. One will have a first way when published works are used instead of taking a piece that has not. For example, sharing a story that an ancestor has written from the civil war versus a published version. The third factor is the amount of work you take. It’s important to use small pieces of the work and not the main parts. For example, using the lyrics from a song is fair-use unless you use the main chorus. The last factor in fair use is how will your use effect the author or publisher? Will the use take away any monetary gains from the original owner? One needs to consider the market effect on the application as well (Stim, 2018).

There are no excuses for not following these four factors of fair use. Legal fines and penalties are consequences of someone who chooses not to follow the four elements of fair use (Purdue University,2018). Results from illegally using someone work can range from court experiences, fines, and jail time. The Clark Country School District was the involved in a lawsuit in 2009. They purchased an educational manual and posted it online for everyone to use. The author was the one who found his works posted online and filed the lawsuit. The school district had to pay out fines and hire a lawyer at the rate of $276.00 per hour to settle their case (Millard, 2013). It was a hefty price to pay for violating the use of the published work without the author's permission. It’s wise to study these factors and abide by the act to avoid these consequences. It is our responsibility to examine the materials we use and decide if what we use follows the fair-use act.

See Common Sense Media to learn more about copyright

The year was 1989, and I was an eighth-grader at Crain Junior High. I will never forget this year nor the incidents that took place within the school walls. I was tortured by a girl who I will call, Marie. Marie was my best friend but decided one day that I wasn't living up to her standards, or so I guess? She formed a posse that would torment me in the restroom, the hallway, and the locker wing of the school. I was so scared to be alone anywhere on campus for fears that Marie and her posse would harm me. Lucky my cousin, Ana, would always come to my aide. She was not afraid to stand up to Marie and her crew. Ana kept me out of harm's way, but Ana wasn’t always there to block Marie's harassment and threats. Marie's aggression turned from threats to actual attacks, so I finally decided to confide in, Mr. Gonzales, my Spanish Teacher. Mr. Gonzales allowed me to stay in his class each afternoon until my bus was called because the bus stop was another terrifying place for me. He realized the seriousness of what I was telling him and put it to a halt. I was lucky, and soon the harassment ceased to be. Imagine if Marie would have had access to digital tools, would my story be different? Digital tools give bullies the instrument they need to cause significantly more harm to their victims because news can spread like wildfire online.

Have you ever shared a story on Facebook? Most of us probably have. The share button is so easy to use. As I am writing this reflection, I noticed an image about BJ and the Bear and that is has been shared 2.3K times. Now think about that number associated with an image, video, or negative statement about you. It’s hard to fathom, but people are experiencing it through cyberbullying. Cyberbullying is online harassment and threats used to cause harm towards a single person or group of people (Hinduja, S., & Patchin, J. W., 2015). Cyberbullies can be anyone anywhere and use a computer to hide behind. It has been reported that 1 in 3 people experience some form of cyber-bullying (Bullying Statistics).

If you see something, say something. If you see cyberbullying taking place, step in an assist. These incidents should be taken seriously (Hinduja, S., & Patchin, J. W., 2015). If you are a parent, start by ensuring your child that it’s not their fault and quickly report threats to law enforcement. Parents can also help their child by blocking attackers from all online accounts, instructing their child not to respond to negative comments, and keep documentation of the incidents for law enforcement. If you witness someone cyber-bullying, document what you see, and don’t encourage the behavior. You can also choose not to participate in the harassment by selecting not to forward the negative comments. It's critical that you report cyberbullying because it is a crime that is punishable by fines/jail time.

Resources