Wow, after reading a few of these resources, I've become aware of how much this topic encompasses. At first, I wanted to simply post that what my students need to know about digital citizenship regards etiquette, safety and a learning purpose (adapted off Cool Cat Teacher's chart). While I think these are key, they act as umbrella categories with many more subtopics educators need to teach and share with students to prepare them for the digital world.
Etiquette: teaching the concept of digital citizenship to elementary students might be a bit abstract. I would start with something concrete, something they know, and connect the new learning to it. For instance, starting in first grade (if not earlier) students learn about what makes a good citizen. Among other things, good citizens show respect to people and property; they act responsibly and practice empathy. In other words, they treat others as they would like to be treated. I would connect this with digital citizenship. In order to be a good digital citizen, anyone who uses the technology to interact with others must exercise the same principles - show respect, act responsibly and practice empathy. I would use examples of how a person might be a good digital citizen or a bad one, and have students come up with their own examples.
Safety: another key element in being part of the digital world, and of the physical world, is safety. As much as we need to learn to look both ways before crossing the street, and develop good judgement and problem solving to not walk through a certain part of town at night, digital safety must be addressed. As our students have powerful technology tools in their hands, our teaching of safety must be proactive, precautionary and current (we must be up-to-date on what can be harmful to students).
Purpose: "teachnology's" purpose is to engage students in order to enhance learning. I want my students to understand this purpose - that the digital world is accessible to them as a means through which they can wonder and discover new things about the world. With the teaching/learning purpose at hand, teachers need to foster creativity, collaboration, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills so students have the tools they need when venturing the digital world independently.
As the National Educational Technology Standards (NETS•T) and Performance Indicators for Teachers encourages educators to promote and model digital citizenship and responsibility, let us remember that this is a lifelong learning process for students to be involved in year after year.
I cover a lot of these skills through lessons in the library during the first nine weeks of school for all the grade levels. You're right, it is critical for our students to understand the importance of digital citizenship as they venture out into the WWW.
ReplyDeleteMillie