Week 7- assign 1- DIGITAL CITIZENSHIP

Digital Citizenship

Weeks 7 blog assignment is about Digital Citizenship.  Digital citizenship is defined as the norms of appropriate (safe & respectful), responsible behaviors with regard to using technology (Ribble, M. (n.d.).  No matter what we call it, digital citizenship, digital wellness or digital ethics, we need to have rules, regulations in place to teach our students the proper way to behave.  Digital citizenship covers a whole range of important issue such as netiquette, bullying on the internet, how to access technology, safety and privacy online, plagiarism, copy write, laws and procedure and many more.

The way we communicate today has change since years ago.  We know can communicate and keep track of things 24/7 with the use of smartphones, tablets, laptops, etc. We can send emails, as well as message.  Using these devices to communicate has created a whole new way of interacting with people the who, how and when.  Communication being the key word.  When using technology to communicate one should know the proper forms of digital etiquette. Digital communication and digital etiquette to me go hand in hand.  Learning how to communicate appropriately for each vehicle of communication is as important as selecting the best option for communicating in each situation. Digital communication is electronic exchange of information and digital etiquette are the electronic standards of conduct or procedure (Ribble, M. (n.d.).    All electronic communication should be treated in the same way we would handle face-to-face communications with students, parents and colleagues.  Netiquette is the term being used for internet etiquette, they are rules for internet behavior.  .  For examples when writing an email it is important to include all of the following: (1) identify who we are, (2) include a subject line, (3) avoid sarcasm, (4) acknowledge and return message promptly, (5) copy with caution, (6) no spam (a.k.a. junk mail), (7) be concise, (8) use appropriate language, (9) use appropriate emptions and (10) use appropriate intensifiers to help convey meaning (Roblyer, & Doering, 2010).

In my research this week I came across the following resources and technology one can use to teach digital citizenship. 

            BrainPop - https://www.brainpop.com/technology/freemovies/digitaletiquette/

BrainPop has over 1000 short videos that can be used for educational purpose to help students understand certain complex topics.   25% of the schools in the US are currently using BrainPOP.  Any of the videos on BrainPOP could be used as icebreakers to start off a new content.   

The above URL will lead us to great short video on Digital Etiquette that discusses the best way to communicate on the internet.  It is very easy to understand, it also includes a quiz and activity to review with your class.  This video is free for everyone and it is part of a larger series of subscribers on Digital Citizenship.  When teaching digital citizenship (any of the 9 elements) we as educators need to make it a point to tell our students that we must treat others, how they would like to be treated, so it is important for us to keep our messages and post honest and positive, we always need to double check our message before sending and never disclose information you do not want the world to see. 

             Ikeepsafe.org - http://ikeepsafe.org/about-us/

This is a nonprofit international group with over 100 people from all parts of the world, with different careers.  Some people are political leaders, business leaders, educators, police enforcement, experts of technology, doctors, nurses, etc. IkeepSafe keep tracks of all the new trends that are available globally pertaining to digital products, and how they may affect people who use them. IkeepSafe can help guide on how to use certain devices and platforms in a healthy and safe way. It has created many products and tools that can be used within a a learning community of digital citizens.

Some other resources teachers can use, I thought they were good and interesting for me to share. 

Web 2011 - http://web2011.discoveryeducation.com/ - Web 2.0 for 2011. Access great content on
Internet Safety, Media Literacy and links to Web 2.0 Tool. The site is rich
with little flash videos detailing the explanation and use of Web 2.0 Tools in
the classroom. This is a great resource for new teachers and veterans to learn
about Web 2.0 tools.

New Teacher Survival Central - http://discoveryeducation.com/survival/ - Includes Tech Tools for teachers and students, new
teacher blogs, classroom tools, and curriculum resources, Tips/tricks on:
Classroom Environment, Classroom Management, Parent Communication, Cool tips on
Green Screens and more!

            Incorporating digital citizenship into our curriculum means (1) always model appropriate behavior (lead by example) - students watch what we do, even if we don’t realize that they are looking and starring at us.  They watch how we act, how we treat others and how we engage with the world around us.  A great example is if we do not want our students to check their cell phones during class, then we should not check ours as well; (2) we should openly discuss online etiquette – students are engaging online every day, without having supervision.  They may be reading, looking at things they should not be.  One could incorporate a discussion on celebrities and their high profile and how they have gotten into trouble using say social media; (3) incorporate social media into our lessons - a great way to model behavior, discuss online actions, and provide a safe environment for students to learn and explore. Establishing a blog, for students to post work, comment and engage in online discussion (Carey, 2015). 

            No matter what we do, the most important factor I believe is leading and setting the example for our students. 

                                                          
                                                           References

Carey, J. (2015). 3 Quick Tips for Building Digital Citizenship.  Retrieved from http://edtechteacher.org/3-quick-tips-for-building-digital-citizenship-from-jen-carey-on-edudemic/

Ribble, M. (n.d.). Nine elements: Nine themes of digital citizenship. Retrieved May 30, 2012, from http://www.digitalcitizenship.net/Nine_Elements.html

Roblyer, M. D., & Doering, A. H. (2010). Netiquette: Rules of behavior on the Internet. Retrieved from http://www.education.com/reference/article/netiquette-rules-behavior-internet/