3B. Activity
Digital citizenship encompasses several areas. It's not just about how we treat others online, but about how we communicate, collaborate, evaluate, and create. In this section, you will learn about the major topics that fall under digital citizenship, and understand what areas students should be taught in their digital citizenship education. The section includes reading, watching videos, and an overall exploration of these topics. At the end of this section, your activity assignment will help you pull together and synthesize what you've learned into a presentation.
Internet Safety
Internet safety refers to staying safe from online risk, such as avoiding risky online talk with others; protecting against online scams and schemes like phishing; avoiding encounters with inappropriate content online; using powerful passwords and secure websites; protecting from viruses and spyware, and learning how to protect personal information online. Although Internet safety can also include other risks such as cyberbullying, here it's more narrowly focused on behavior that puts a child's safety at risk, and falls under the larger category of digital citizenship.
Read/watch the following resources:
Read/watch the following resources:
- Watch a few videos that introduce Internet safety topics (OnGuardOnline.gov)
- Read 10 Ways Schools are Teaching Internet Safety (eSchool News, 2011)
Cyberbullying, Communication, and Relationships
In the early days of the Internet, there were utopian visions of how this wonderful technology would bring people together as part of thriving, empowering communities. And although that indeed is the case, we also have seen the opposite--the Internet (and other digital media like cell phones) as a place to spread hate and cruelty. Just like bullying occurs on the playground or in school hallways, it now happens online. So what is cyberbullying?
"Cyberbullying is when a child, preteen or teen is tormented, threatened, harassed, humiliated, embarrassed or otherwise targeted by another child, preteen or teen using the Internet, interactive and digital technologies or mobile phones." (Stop Cyberbullying.org). One important distinction is that cyberbullying has to do with minors. When adults are involved it falls into the realm of harassment or stalking.
Examples of cyberbullying include mean posts (via text, email, social media site); spreading rumors, sharing embarrassing or private pictures, videos, or information; impersonation; forwarding something that was private; and creating a "slam" page to demean someone.
You probably have heard of terrible stories about cyberbullying on the news or maybe even in your school community. One of the reasons cyberbullying can be so devastating is that it is different from face-to-face bullying. Take a moment to consider the ways that cyberbullying is different. (Check out some of the key differences here.)
Increasingly states are passing laws, and schools are having policies regarding bullying and cyberbullying. See The Cyberbullying Research Center's Bullying and Cyberbullying Laws Fact Sheet to see where your state stands.
When teaching kids about cyberbullying, it's important to focus on how cyberbullying is broader than the target and the bully--there are also bystanders and upstanders. Here are the roles define (vocabulary taken from Common Sense Media's high school lesson, Taking Perspectives on Cyberbullying) :
"Cyberbullying is when a child, preteen or teen is tormented, threatened, harassed, humiliated, embarrassed or otherwise targeted by another child, preteen or teen using the Internet, interactive and digital technologies or mobile phones." (Stop Cyberbullying.org). One important distinction is that cyberbullying has to do with minors. When adults are involved it falls into the realm of harassment or stalking.
Examples of cyberbullying include mean posts (via text, email, social media site); spreading rumors, sharing embarrassing or private pictures, videos, or information; impersonation; forwarding something that was private; and creating a "slam" page to demean someone.
You probably have heard of terrible stories about cyberbullying on the news or maybe even in your school community. One of the reasons cyberbullying can be so devastating is that it is different from face-to-face bullying. Take a moment to consider the ways that cyberbullying is different. (Check out some of the key differences here.)
Increasingly states are passing laws, and schools are having policies regarding bullying and cyberbullying. See The Cyberbullying Research Center's Bullying and Cyberbullying Laws Fact Sheet to see where your state stands.
When teaching kids about cyberbullying, it's important to focus on how cyberbullying is broader than the target and the bully--there are also bystanders and upstanders. Here are the roles define (vocabulary taken from Common Sense Media's high school lesson, Taking Perspectives on Cyberbullying) :
- target: a person who is the object of an intentional action
- offender: a person who intentionally commits acts to hurt or damage someone
- bystander: a person who passively stands by and observes without getting involved
- upstander: a person who supports and stands up for someone else
Privacy, Digital Footprints, and Identity
Each time a young person fills out a profile, comments on something, posts a video, or texts a picture of themselves to friends, they reveal themselves to the world. Understanding how to protect online privacy goes beyond knowing how to customize privacy settings. Privacy settings aren't a cure-all in a world where anything posted can be copied, pasted, taken out of context, and sent to millions of people in a heartbeat. And, privacy not only has to do with the information we share about ourselves and how this might affect our reputation, but also understanding:
Check out this infographic and consider the range of issues that fall under privacy: Understanding your online privacy: a (really long) infographic
But most parents - and teachers - are concerned with what kids post about themselves and how this affects them not only now, but in the future. From the moment they start sharing information online, kids are building digital footprints that will stay with them for life. Those decisions to post something not-so-smart can haunt a kid years later. And, increasingly college admissions officers, scholarship committees, and employers are "googling" people as part of their applications process. Read this article: Beware: Potential Employers are Watching You (Wall Street Journal, 2012).
Finally, being responsible for online privacy means not only protecting our own privacy, but protecting the privacy of others. Students may share information, such as a photo of their friend at the mall (when they were supposed to be doing homework!), without thinking about how it affects their online privacy.
- opt-in or opt-out rights to privacy (i.e. those long boring privacy policies we click "agree" to but never read)
- how companies gather, track, and use data about consumers, and how this affects our online experience (i.e. targeted advertising)
- understanding laws that protect privacy, such as the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act. This law i. Read more about COPPA and the Federal Trade Commission's 2012 updates to the law.
Check out this infographic and consider the range of issues that fall under privacy: Understanding your online privacy: a (really long) infographic
But most parents - and teachers - are concerned with what kids post about themselves and how this affects them not only now, but in the future. From the moment they start sharing information online, kids are building digital footprints that will stay with them for life. Those decisions to post something not-so-smart can haunt a kid years later. And, increasingly college admissions officers, scholarship committees, and employers are "googling" people as part of their applications process. Read this article: Beware: Potential Employers are Watching You (Wall Street Journal, 2012).
Finally, being responsible for online privacy means not only protecting our own privacy, but protecting the privacy of others. Students may share information, such as a photo of their friend at the mall (when they were supposed to be doing homework!), without thinking about how it affects their online privacy.
Copyright and Fair Use
Kids live in a "copy/paste culture" where they often think, if it's online, it's mine! Most teachers have experienced some kind of problem with student plagiarism and/or improper citation (or lack thereof). Palfrey et al. (2009) found, in research with 12-22 year-olds, young people are fairly ignorant of their rights and restrictions with copyright law, but yet show an interest in the rights and livelihoods of creators. In a digital age, it's more important than ever that students learn about copyright, fair use, and attribution. And, in a digital age we no longer cite just the quotes we use from a book or article, but the images, videos, and websites we use too.
Read and/or watch the following resources to get familiar with fair use and copyright:
Another aspect that falls under copyright is learning about the legal and ethical issues regarding piracy (illegal downloading of music, movies, software, etc.). Read this article to get a background on how piracy affects everyone, and why education is an important part of the solution (Forbes, 2012).
Teaching about copyright does not have to be one-sided in having students learn their responsibilities as creators in a digital world. They also should learn about their rights as creators--particularly their rights to fair use. One question that most students get invested in is: How would you allow others to use your work (can others share it, alter it, make money from it, etc.)? Students can also learn about Creative Commons, an alternative to copyright that gives people the right to share, use, and even alter and build upon a work. Watch this short video about Creative Commons and explore the different types of licenses.
Additional resources
Easy Bib: Free automatic bibliography and citation maker
Copyright and Fair use lessons for high school (Media Education Lab)
Read and/or watch the following resources to get familiar with fair use and copyright:
- Get some background about intellectual property and public domain (Stanford)
- What is Fair Use? (Stanford University Libraries)
- Watch the clever A Fair(y) Use Tale, a social commentary on copyright and fair use
Another aspect that falls under copyright is learning about the legal and ethical issues regarding piracy (illegal downloading of music, movies, software, etc.). Read this article to get a background on how piracy affects everyone, and why education is an important part of the solution (Forbes, 2012).
Teaching about copyright does not have to be one-sided in having students learn their responsibilities as creators in a digital world. They also should learn about their rights as creators--particularly their rights to fair use. One question that most students get invested in is: How would you allow others to use your work (can others share it, alter it, make money from it, etc.)? Students can also learn about Creative Commons, an alternative to copyright that gives people the right to share, use, and even alter and build upon a work. Watch this short video about Creative Commons and explore the different types of licenses.
Additional resources
Easy Bib: Free automatic bibliography and citation maker
Copyright and Fair use lessons for high school (Media Education Lab)
Effective Searching on the Web
Image created with tagxedo.com
Students have all had the experience where they've searched for information online and the search brought back over 2 million results in 0.9 seconds. Now comes the daunting task of narrowing down these results to find the exact information they were looking for.
With information on the visible web growing each day, learning how to search more effectively is more important. There are several techniques that will help to narrow the results of a search.
Tips to Effective Internet Searching (Southern Oregon University)
Building Good Search Skills: What Students need to Know (KQED Mind/Shift)
Watch this short video on Web Search Strategies in Plain English to get more information on how to search the Internet more effectively.
With information on the visible web growing each day, learning how to search more effectively is more important. There are several techniques that will help to narrow the results of a search.
- use more descriptive wording such as porcelain china doll, instead of doll or ceramic doll
- use boolean operators such as labrador not dog if you want to eliminate information about dogs while searching for information on the island or mountain.
- Many websites will accept quotes around a word string such as "barrier reef" which will force the search engine to look for pages with those two specific words together
Tips to Effective Internet Searching (Southern Oregon University)
Building Good Search Skills: What Students need to Know (KQED Mind/Shift)
Watch this short video on Web Search Strategies in Plain English to get more information on how to search the Internet more effectively.
Evaluating Credibility and Trustworthiness
Microsoft ClipArt
Ever heard the one commercial that touts: "They can't put anything on the Internet if it isn't true!"? Just reading that statement has to make one wonder about the reliability of information found online. Remember, almost anyone can post information online. It is important that educators continue to help their students understand how to evaluate online information to determine if the information is accurate.
Below are some key things to look for when evaluating a website or webpage:
Below are some key things to look for when evaluating a website or webpage:
- Author or contact person: are they credible? (usually found on the home page)
- Institution supporting the site/author: who are they? (usually linked with the author)
- Domain – the last segment of the URL (for example, .edu, com., org., .mil, .net, .gov)
- Date of creation or revision (is the site current?)
- Intended audience (for whom did the author create this site?)
- Purpose of the information (does the author present their information with a bias?)
The Importance of Modeling
As a Digital Educator, it is important you consider your own digital citizenship skills and online practices, and how you model these to students. How do you conduct yourself online - both professionally and personally? If your students were to "Google" you, what would they find? How are you building a positive digital footprint? Read the following articles and consider what your "best practices" will be in digital citizenship...and how you can model these to students.
Your Professional Reputation (UK Safer Internet Centre)
Fired over Facebook (Huffington Post)
Your Professional Reputation (UK Safer Internet Centre)
Fired over Facebook (Huffington Post)
Parent Involvement
With digital media, the line between home and school are blurred: students' online behavior that happens at school affects home, and behavior outside of school can affect the learning environment. So when something like bullying happens, it's not just carried out on school grounds, but online and outside of school. When a negative incident happens, such as a student being cyberbullied, parents often seek help from the school to deal with the issue. Parent education is an important piece of digital citizenship. Parents need information to help them understand what their kids are doing online, how to manage their kids' digital media, and how to harness the good stuff and avoid the risks. Consider ways you can get parents involved and start the conversation. Some ideas include:
Watch this video to see how one elementary school used a whole-community approach to digital citizenship by involving parents.
- Providing parents a Family Media Agreement so parents can start set expectations with their kids around safe and responsible use
- Handing out or tip sheets to accompany what kids are learning in school
- Sending or posting videos to educate parents about cyberbullying, digital footprints, plagiarism, etc.
- Posting information for parents on your classroom page, your school's page, or sending in the school newsletter
- Hosting a parent night (you can work with your school's parent coordinator or PTA)
Watch this video to see how one elementary school used a whole-community approach to digital citizenship by involving parents.
Activity
Based on the digital citizenship topics you explored above, choose one topic. The topic could be one you are interested in teaching, or one you think your school should address. Use one of the following tools to create a 5 minute presentation that you could present at a staff meeting or parent event, or share with colleagues online. Keep the presentation short and focused (e.g., "5 Tips for Students who Are Cyberbullied", "5 Ways to Engage Parents in Digital Citizenship" or "5 Ways to Help Students Build their Digital Footprints"). Remember, part of the activity includes getting familiar with a new presentation tool to add to your toolbox!
- Animoto
- Google Slides
- Powtoon
- Prezi
- Other online presentation tool of your choice (not Powerpoint or Keynote)