I would approach teaching digital citizenship in much the same way that I teach Science. There are rules and procedures to follow, appropriate tools and knowing the vocabulary is important and being technologically literate is important to success. The three things I want my students to understand about digital citizenship are:
1. Rules and Procedures: Just like the classroom and the Science Lab, it is critical that the students understand the importance of following established rules and procedures. The majority of these should be taught in the very beginning, but continued reinforcement is also important. As in the classroom, science lab and our world in general, rules and procedures are necessary for the safety and comfort of everyone. Students should also understand that what they do on computers and other forms of technology can often be traced.
2. Tools: Knowing what tools are out there is a good beginning. Learning the tools, as well as the vocabulary (#3 below), is essential to being successful with all this technology. Being able to blog and msg. (ie: network) with so many other people helps us all to learn more. Communication is going to be a big key to success.
3. Literacy: As I stated in an earlier post, many of these tools has kind of run together in my mind, and sometimes I think that is due to me being somewhat illiterate in the technology world. Teaching my students the vocabulary will be important as it will only enhance their understanding.
I cover all these topics through library lessons with all grade levels during the first nine weeks of school, so we can work together on this to make sure your kids understand their responsibilities as digital citizens.
ReplyDeleteMillie