Digital Citizenship

What will I do to implement or change my current AUP?

The AUP for my school includes information on access, communication, etiquette, rights and responsibilities, and literacy. These are the areas most people think of when it comes to use of technology. However, there are some areas that can use a little work. Communication needs more information and needs to be more clear. Etiquette needs to have more information of what is appropriate. Literacy needs more specifics on how students and employees are to be trained.

The plan doesn’t include the other four sections. I would add information on these areas: health and wellness, commerce, law, and security. These are all important areas to include, especially as students are not familiar with laws, online shopping, online security, and how to protect their health when it comes to technology.

What will you do to educate your faculty/staff/co-workers about Digital Citizenship?

I am not in a positive to do this right now. However, I have learned quite a bit about the nine elements of digital citizenship and believe that everyone needs to know the elements and how they work. Teachers and staff must understand the elements in order to teach students. I think that I would, if given the opportunity, create ongoing opportunities to learn about the elements – perhaps using Blackboard to post resources, creating videos, holding informal and formal trainings, etc.

Digital Security

How do students protect their technology in a digital society?

I think this is a relevant question for students AND adults. So many people just don’t protect their technology or private information. First, students should never click on links from sources they don’t know or links that even remotely appear to be suspicious. Students should also have some kind of virus protection and keep it up to date (automatic updates are great for this). Finally, students need to know what to do if they suspect that their technology has been compromised and who they need to go to to get it fixed.

How can students be taught to protect themselves and their equipment from harm?

Students just don’t know how important it is to keep private information protected. Students at my school have no problems giving other students their login information for their laptops. The problem is, this login includes their school ID number, so they are not just giving up their login, they are giving away identifying information. Students need to be taught how to keep their information private, but, I think that adults need to be educated on this as well, and before students can be taught. We need to find ways to meet students where they are. We need to find ways to teach them, without them realizing they are being taught. How can we make it fun to learn about security and make it relevant to them as well? I don’t know how, but I know it is necessary.

Digital Etiquette

Are students aware of others when they use technology? Do students realize how their use of technology affects others?

I think it depends on the student and what we mean by “aware”. I think in terms of being aware of others online, I think many are. Cyberbullying is a big issue in today’s world, but the reports of online harassment and cyberbullying are lower than expected. Per the Pew report, about one-third of students report experiencing online harassment. This number is not low, but most students are not reporting it, which implies that most users are aware of others and their feelings. Looking at being aware of others physically around them when they are using technology, I believe that many students are not aware of what is going on around them while they are absorbed by what they are doing online. There is a lot of negative talk about students and technology, but the numbers show that students are much more aware of their technology use and its effects than we are giving them credit for. I also believe that students can be much more aware than they currently are and we should strive to increase awareness.

In my article, a situation is discussed where a Northwest ISD student wrote an online book that details violence and potential murders of several students who go to the same school. Parents are upset that the student who wrote the book could stay at the school. I think that this could have been prevented with education of students about digital etiquette and having a strong policy in place for dealing with issues of cyberbullying like this. The school district should allow the students affected to transfer if they are not going to remove the student who wrote the book from school.

References:

http://www.pewinternet.org/2010/05/06/cyberbullying-2010-what-the-research-tells-us/

http://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/Northwest-ISD-Parents-Speak-Out-Against-Cyberbullying-299643721.html

Digital Law

Are students using technology the way it was intended and are they infringing on the rights of others?

I would say it depends on the student and how they are educated about appropriate and inappropriate uses of technology. In my experience, many students will use technology the way it is intended while in class, if they are working on an assignment and being monitored in their use. If they are given free time, more freedom, or if they are on their own time, they tend to use the technology in other ways. For example, students on my campus are given laptops for use in class and home. The purpose of having the laptops is that they will be able to use them to do school assignments and homework and so that teachers can incorporate more technology into lessons. Although this is the purpose, many students spend a lot of time playing games instead of using these computers for work.

Should students using digital technologies be accountable for how they use digital technologies?

Absolutely! There are laws government technology and its use. Copyright laws protect intellectual property and should be obeyed. It is up to teachers to help students know what these laws are, but students are ultimately responsible. When it comes to other uses, such as software, music, downloading, file/photo sharing, there are also laws and students will be held responsible for their actions if they are caught doing something illegal. I really liked how the cheating and how to avoid it spelled out what is ok and what is not. I also liked that there were good examples of what to do and what not to do. The online b4ucopy quiz is also good for helping students see what is ok and what is not.

References:

B4ucopy quiz: http://wwwb4ucopy.org

Cheating and How to Avoid It: http://www.doug-johnson.com/storage/handouts/ethics.pdf

Digital Literacy

Digital literacy is the learning about technology and how it is to be used. There is a lot of debate about whether or not technology should be used to access information and learn concepts. Students today have never known a world without technology and we need to understand that they are very comfortable using it. We, as educators, need to help them understand how to use it appropriately.

Teachers need to find ways to embrace technology and use it to help students better learn. In my math class, I use a website that graphs equations that are entered to allow my students to explore what happens when parts of that equation are changed. Students experience what happens and make their own conclusions before I tell them what will happen.

While using technology in school is important, it is also important for students to understand how to use technology and social media appropriately outside of school. Modeling the correct behavior is one step to achieving this. Using mistakes and inappropriate use as teaching opportunities rather than opportunities to punish is also a step that can be taken. Educate rather than punish.

Students need to understand that technology is a tool, not a toy. We, as educators, need to help them understand that and show them how to approach it that way. We also need to work on educating parents and other adults so that they can model the appropriate usage.

One statement in the reading really stuck out to me. Lindsay and Davis (2010) stated, “how can we teach digital citizenship when the digital landscape is changing so rapidly?” This is the hardest question as it involves teaching skills that are basic and adaptable to all uses of technology.

Digital Communication

This week the topic is digital communication. This is one of the most important of the nine elements of digital citizenship. So many people rely so heavily on text messaging and shorthand that the art of writing is declining. Students have a hard time writing complete sentences and using correct spelling, punctuation, and grammar.

One of the things I used to say when I taught college classes was, “I am your teacher, not your friend.” This was always said on the first day of classes when discussing with them how to send an email. I always requested that they put a descriptive subject and that they include their full name and what class (day, time, course number) they were in. Otherwise, I would not answer their question. I also used to tell them that if they wrote in short hand, I would not be able to reply without asking for clarification.

The reading this week talked a lot about that in the article about whether students are communicating appropriately. It is important that students understand how to write emails now to their teachers because, in the real world, they are going to be writing emails to bosses and co-workers and inappropriate language, shorthand, and email is a cause for termination. In some instances, it can cause you to not even be considered for the job.

I really like the video for this week, as well. I loved that it showed both the negative side and the positive side of how to use social media. I also think this is a very timely message, both for students and for anyone using social media. Students are not the only ones who are missing opportunities due to inappropriate posts on social media. Employers look at that now, as well.

Resources:

Clark, Thomas, PhD. “Hello? Are Your Students Communicating Appropriately?” Learning and Leading with Technology (Nov 2009); 34.

Privacy and Reputation Online: Video from iSafe

Digital Commerce

Activity 15 in the Ribble text is all about Digital Commerce. I thought it was odd, at first, that the focus on the activity is on teachers, not students, as it has teachers looking at their buying behavior and looking at online purchasing and safety. The extension of the activity then has teachers taking this back to students and talking to them about it.

While the original response was that this was a weird approach, upon further thought, I realized that this approach is actually very good. By having teachers thinking about their own online purchasing behavior and having them look at the tips and suggestions for online safety, it gives them an idea of how the activity works. It also gives them insight into how they may not even realize exactly how much risk they are putting themselves into with their online behavior.

The tips and suggestions from the various websites are mostly common sense, yet are still very important to look at. They range from securing the computer, to using credit cards, to making sure to protect sensitive information and passwords, to not falling victim to phishing, to reading privacy policies. There was much overlap between the various sites suggested as resources.

If I were to use this in my school, my first step would be to combine these three resources into one list of tips and suggestions. In my experience, the less paper and more condensed information is the best approach for teachers who already have enough to keep up with. I would also be ready to answer questions and to address the biggest question – why do we need to teach kids about online purchasing? Most teachers probably do not know how much students do have access to online purchasing.

Resources:

CNET News – Tips for Safe Online Shopping: www.cnet.com/news/tips-for-safe-online-shopping/

Microsoft Safety and Security Center – Six Rules for Safer Financial Transactions Online: www.microsoft.com/security/online-privacy/online-shopping.aspx

Privacy Rights Clearinghouse – Online Shopping Tips: E-Commerce and You: www.privacyrights.org/online-shopping-tips-e-commerce-and-you

Ribble, M. (2015). Digital Citizenship in Schools. 3^rd Edition. Eugene, OR: International Society for Technology in Education.

Digital Access

Digital citizenship is the understanding of what it means to access and use technology in an appropriate and acceptable manner. It involves nine elements, as listed here:

• Digital Access: the ability of every person to access technology
• Digital Commerce: participation in electronic marketplaces
• Digital Communication: the use of email, internet, etc for communicating with others
• Digital Literacy: knowing about technology, how it works, and how it is used
• Digital Etiquette: norms and/or standards for how to conduct oneself online
• Digital Law: knowing the laws associated with technology and its use
• Digital Rights and Responsibilities: the freedoms, rights, and responsibilities that come along with online participation
• Digital Health and Wellness: well-being of technology users
• Digital Security: taking appropriate precautions to protect equipment and information being shared

All of these elements need to be addressed and taught to digital users. School is one place where a large number of digital users can be taught and shown what is required of them to use technology appropriately. Many schools focus on what should not be done and imposing rules on what students and users cannot do. However, attention should also be paid to what is acceptable and what users can and should do. Among the common beliefs of the American Association of School Libraries are several that tie into using the school to help teach these nine elements. For example, the AASL believes that:

• Ethical behavior must be taught
• Technology skills are crucial to future employment needs
• Equitable access is a key component for education

These beliefs fall right in line with the nine elements of digital citizenship and play a role in what should be taught in schools with respect to being responsible digital citizens.