2. Building Digital Citizenship Skills
Educators can teach students about digital citizenship by discussing online ethics, privacy, and respectful communication. Incorporating lessons on how to navigate social media responsibly helps students develop critical thinking skills and become informed digital citizens.
Developing Students’ Digital Citizenship Skills
Teaching students to develop an awareness of data security, online etiquette, and cyberbullying helps them make better decisions online.
November 16, 2023
shironosov / iStockDigital Citizenship Week is celebrated in October each year. The focus is on building digital citizenship skills with events planned for schools to join in and learn more. These are concepts that teachers and schools should focus on throughout the year as well. With the increased use of digital tools in our classrooms and the amount of technology used in everyday life and work, we must provide learning opportunities for students to develop “digcit” skills all year long.
Being a responsible digital citizen means that all individuals are able to use technology ethically, responsibly, and effectively. It is important to develop an understanding of the impact that one’s digital actions can have on other individuals and on society as a whole. Students and teachers must be able to keep themselves safe, know how to protect their privacy, learn how to critically analyze information, and engage in respectful interactions online.
Teaching students to develop an awareness of data security, online etiquette, and cyberbullying helps them make better decisions online.
Digital Citizenship Week is celebrated in October each year. The focus is on building digital citizenship skills with events planned for schools to join in and learn more. These are concepts that teachers and schools should focus on throughout the year as well. With the increased use of digital tools in our classrooms and the amount of technology used in everyday life and work, we must provide learning opportunities for students to develop “digcit” skills all year long.
Being a responsible digital citizen means that all individuals are able to use technology ethically, responsibly, and effectively. It is important to develop an understanding of the impact that one’s digital actions can have on other individuals and on society as a whole. Students and teachers must be able to keep themselves safe, know how to protect their privacy, learn how to critically analyze information, and engage in respectful interactions online.
Vital digital citizenship skills
Privacy and security: With increased data collection and online tracking of websites we use and how our information is shared, understanding how to safeguard our privacy is key. With more students using digital tools and at a younger age, it is essential to build in activities that will help students to better understand how to protect themselves and to respect the privacy of others as well. For instance, teaching students how to create unique passwords is key for securing personal information. With the increase in cybersecurity attacks over the past few years, updating passwords and even using two-factor authentication (TFA) will help to keep everyone safer.
Communication: With the variety of social media platforms available and how quickly we can post and respond, providing opportunities for students to practice responsible posting is an area that we need to focus on regularly. Even with young students, simulating an X (formerly Twitter) chat or other online discussion can be done using sticky notes, for example. Depending on grade level, another option is to use a tool like Padlet to help students learn how to properly post and interact with one another.
Cyberbullying: Because of the instant access to posting online, cyberbullying is a serious topic that needs to be discussed in every classroom. All educators can place a greater emphasis on recognizing and preventing cyberbullying by teaching students to be empathetic online. It is always a good idea to remind students to think before posting and offer tips for how to respond to or speak up against cyberbullying. Schools should have guidelines in place for students to understand their rights and responsibilities when it comes to technology use.
Privacy and security: With increased data collection and online tracking of websites we use and how our information is shared, understanding how to safeguard our privacy is key. With more students using digital tools and at a younger age, it is essential to build in activities that will help students to better understand how to protect themselves and to respect the privacy of others as well. For instance, teaching students how to create unique passwords is key for securing personal information. With the increase in cybersecurity attacks over the past few years, updating passwords and even using two-factor authentication (TFA) will help to keep everyone safer.
Communication: With the variety of social media platforms available and how quickly we can post and respond, providing opportunities for students to practice responsible posting is an area that we need to focus on regularly. Even with young students, simulating an X (formerly Twitter) chat or other online discussion can be done using sticky notes, for example. Depending on grade level, another option is to use a tool like Padlet to help students learn how to properly post and interact with one another.
Cyberbullying: Because of the instant access to posting online, cyberbullying is a serious topic that needs to be discussed in every classroom. All educators can place a greater emphasis on recognizing and preventing cyberbullying by teaching students to be empathetic online. It is always a good idea to remind students to think before posting and offer tips for how to respond to or speak up against cyberbullying. Schools should have guidelines in place for students to understand their rights and responsibilities when it comes to technology use.
Comments
Post a Comment