On this blog, I have already written posts talking about our online presence as teachers and the role we have as educators who are trying to develop healthy digital habits and skills in our students. More specifically I have posts dedicated to Digital Literacy and our Digital Footprint. Digital citizenship encompasses both of these concepts and much more.

This video is from ITSE, a great teaching resource listed at the bottom of this page.

Digital citizenship is the ability to navigate our digital environments in a way that’s safe and responsible and to actively and respectfully engage in these spaces.

Media smarts

There are many aspects of digital citizenship that you can consider. Digital literacy, security, respect and ethics, digital laws, rights, responsibilities, health and wellness are all important to consider when looking at digital citizenship. People often neglect their behaviour, knowledge and skills online so it is important to bring them into the classroom.

Digital literacy is the ability to navigate, evaluate, acquire and produce information in a digital format. It includes the use of digital tools and skills needed in education and daily life. I have more in my blog post dedicated to Digital Literacy, including why it is important and how we can develop it in our students.

Having the ability to use the internet and digital resources is great, but respectfully using these abilities and being able to apply skills appropriately is also very important for digital citizenship. We all play a role in the climate of our online communities and things like cyberbullying, harassment, stalking, and trolling are real and common problems. As educators, we must be responsible for our online behaviour and also encourage respectful behaviour in our students. The same principles that we work towards in the physical world, apply to the digital one.

Part of digital literacy that I did not address in my prior blog post is online security. When I arrive at school in the mornings, I always double-check to make sure my car is locked. When I am travelling alone my family has access to my location and I make sure not to stop in potentially unsafe situations. At home, I have deadbolts, secure windows and cameras outside. All these things are examples of behaviours and tools that increase my security in the physical world. The digital world poses its own threats and online security is extremely important for ourselves and our students. In all situations, we want to protect our information with strong passwords, up-to-date security settings, and caution when sharing information. This is yet another significant aspect of digital citizenship that can have dramatic and lasting impacts on our lives.

I also have a post on our Digital Footprint, which is the lasting effects of our digital activity. Part of digital citizenship is understanding that things have permanence online and being able to act while thinking about the consequences.

Digital laws, rights and responsibilities are also part of digital citizenship. We were fortunate to have a guest speaker come into the class to teach us about FIPPA and our role as holders of sensitive and private information. We must be aware of our responsibilities and expectations to ensure that we are protecting our students and upholding the law. We also should be aware of our own rights and freedoms when we are creating content online. Finally, adhering to copyright law is important for respecting and giving proper credit to original content creators. For more information, you can read my blog post about FIPPA and the things I learned in class about some different rights and responsibilities in the teaching world.

Health and wellness is a huge topic when we are considering digital citizenship and the impact that the digital world is having on our students. Cell phone addiction is increasing and the negative impacts of social media on our younger generation are becoming more and more evident. Part of our role as teachers is to encourage healthy habits and behaviours online. We can also provide resources and support for students who may be struggling due to digital activity.

RESOURCES

There are a lot of great resources out there for learning about and teaching others about digital citizenship. Here is a list that I have included for my own reference in the future:

Common Sense is a website with two awesome resources in one:

Common Sense Media is a portion of the site that provides ratings for a variety of media including movies, games, books, podcasts and apps. Although it is designed for parent use, it is also a great way for us teachers to check the media we are exposing our students to.

Common Sense Education is the portion of the site dedicated to teachers and teaching digital citizenship skills in the classroom. It provides lesson plans, student games, tips and resources, professional development and so much more.

ITSE (International Society for Technology in Education) has a website with guidelines, courses and standards for digital education. The video at the beginning of this blog is from this source.

Edutopia is a wonderful resource that was shared with me by a fantastic teacher I met in my first practicum. This website has articles, videos and teaching strategies, including strategies for teaching digital citizenship to students of all grades.

National Cybersecurity Alliance is another great resource with articles, tips, tools and additional resources for online safety and security. It is great for teachers looking to increase their own security or for educators trying to inspire greater safety in their students.

Be Internet Awesome is a website by Google that has tools and information, but also games that kids can play to increase awareness and skills related to digital citizenship.

MediaSmarts is a Canadian website with literacy programs and resources. It conveniently has sections for parents, educators and the research portion of their work.