Digital Citizenship

Chapter 6 focused on digital citizenship and appropriate actions on the internet. This encompasses how to talk, who to talk to, and what to be aware of while surfing the web. In schools, this is becoming a new topic to discuss with students. More students are becoming digital citizens at younger ages. Students have access to computers in school, at home, and on their phones which provides for 24/7 access to the internet and everything on it.  In this video from chapter 6, there is a discussion about teaching students what to not use their devices for, how they could get in trouble using their devices, and how to avoid it.  Students need to be taught about cyberbullies, netiquette, and predators and what to do in those situations. Stressing the fact to not provide personal information, talking to people you don't know, and protecting your device from viruses and inappropriate material are skills that are very important to have.

There are many resources online for teachers that help make these discussions and lessons easy and meaningful. Edutopia created a "resource roundup" of videos and articles that discuss digital citizenship. Commonsensemedia.org also has lessons, videos and other resources for teachers.

These lessons are growing increasingly important given the amount of time students spend on the internet. Safety is paramount for these young minds and they needs to be taught these skills by a trusted adult rather than find out the hard way.