Digital Citizenship

Teaching students about digital safety is new to me. In the past I have been more of an old school teacher who focused on what not to do and severely limited student access. However, as I am learning more about using technology in my classroom, I am learning that I will have to loosen the reigns and allow my students to explore more. That will require teaching them what to do instead of telling them what not to do or limiting their access. 

As I begin to transform my classroom into more of a digital classroom, my students and I will discuss how their are many amazing resources online, at our fingertips, but we must be careful how we use the powerful tools of technology. 

• We cannot allow technology to distract us from learning. When we are in using computers in class, you must remain on topic. If we are working together, then you need to remain on the site that we are all working on. For example, if we are playing a game, you need to be on the game. If we are on EdPuzzle, you need to remain on EdPuzzle.
  
  
• When researching a topic, use only reputable resources. If you are not sure if it is a reputable source, ask. YouTube has many great tutorial videos, but it can also be a great distraction. While in class, you must make sure that you are using it as a learning tool, not for entertainment.
  
  
• If you post something online, do not post any personal information. Everything you post can be traced back to you and is always there, even if you think you've deleted it. Keep yourself safe by keeping your personal information safe and private.
  
  
• You may be asked to comment on your classmates work. When you comment on someone else's work use the acronym THINK to decide if your comment is something you should post. Is it all of the following? If not, don't post it. (Found here: https://www.powerschool.com/blog/digital-citizenship-elements-lessons-and-importance/)
  
  
• True
• Helpful
• Inspiring
• Necessary
• Kind

As with any procedure, I believe that it is good to have a conversation at the beginning of implementing it, but then it is best learned through practice. Therefore, after having the above conversation, I would have my students to research an eighth grade math topic that they think will be interesting to learn about. They will post the topic to a Google Classroom assignment. Their post must include the topic and either an article explaining it or a tutorial video. Lastly, I would have students to join my FlipGrid classroom, watch a video of me introducing myself, and then introduce themselves via video. In the past I have done that introduction on paper, but if I am considering a flipped classroom this year, then I think introductions would be a great way to practice what we learned in our conversation on digital citizenship.