Digital citizenship is the ability to participate safely, intelligently, productively and responsibly in the digital world.
Digital citizenship should also include positive, creative, deliberate use of technological tools and skills to create, connect, communicate, and collaborate in ways that make a positive contribution to family, school, and community life.
— Digital Citizenship Utah (http://digcitutah.com/)
In the post below we curate resources on digital citizenship, useful for students, parents, teachers, administrators, community councils, and any other interested community members. This collection of resources will also be permanently available on our Digital Citizenship page (https://www.graniteschools.org/edtech/digcit/).
Digital Citizenship Resources
Granite Educational Technology Dept.
- Creating a Positive Digital Footprint: Digital Citizenship Helps for Parents | by Cherie Anderson, Granite District Educational Technology Specialist
- Digital Citizenship Tips for Parents | by Jenny Peirce, Library Media Educational Technology Specialist at Kearns High School, and Stephanie Seely, Library Media Educational Technology Specialist at Granite Connections High School
- The 4 Cs of 21st Century Learning | by Kristen Johnson, Granite District Educational Technology Specialist
- All Digital Citizenship Posts on the Granite Ed. Tech. Blog
- Our Digital Citizenship Pinterest Board | EdTechGSD Pinterest
Follow Granite EdTech’s board Digital Citizenship on Pinterest.
Common Sense Media
Common Sense (https://www.commonsensemedia.org/) is a nonprofit organization “dedicated to empowering kids to thrive in a world of media and technology.”
- Common Sense Education’s K-12 Digital Citizenship Curriculum
- Connecting Families Program
- Parent Concerns
Cyberwise
Cyberwise (http://www.cyberwise.org/) provides online safety education and resources geared specifically towards parents and educators.
DigCit Utah
Digital Citizenship Utah (http://digcitutah.com/) is a recently launched nonprofit website created specifically to aid school community councils as they seek to follow the new laws in HB213. It includes an extensive resources library which curates lessons and resources for teachers and parents on many topics related to Digital Citizenship.
ISTE
The International Society for Technology in Education provides 21st century standards for students, teachers, administrators on the integration of technology into all areas of education.
- Citizenship in the Digital Age [Infographic]
- Essential Elements of Digital Citizenship
- ISTE Standards for Students
NetSafe Utah
NetSafe Utah (http://www.netsafeutah.org/) provides online videos and resources for kids, teens, parents and educators, including Internet Safety information that Utah schools need to meet the Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA) requirements.
NetSmartz and Utah NetSmartz
NetSmartz Workshop (http://www.netsmartz.org/Parents) is an interactive, educational program of the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children® (NCMEC) that provides age-appropriate resources to help teach children how to be safer on- and offline. The program is designed for children ages 5-17, parents and guardians, educators, and law enforcement. With resources such as videos, games, activity cards, and presentations, NetSmartz entertains while it educates.
Additionally, Utah NetSmartz, sponsored by Boys and Girls Clubs of Utah and the Utah Office of the Attorney General, provides in-person safety trainings for Utah schools, free of charge.
Utah PTA
The Utah PTA provides an Internet Safety page (http://www.utahpta.org/netsafety) which provides resources for internet safety at home, including home filtering software options.
White Ribbon Week
White Ribbon Week (http://whiteribbonweek.org/) is a positive, empowering week-long school program that teaches kids to make smart choices online and to reject harmful media messages.
Articles and Additional Resources
- #digcit | Follow the #digcit hashtag on Twitter to view and contribute to an ongoing conversation on topics and issues surrounding Digital Citizenship, and also to find great resources shared in real time.
- Digital Citizenship: Resource Roundup | Edutopia
- How to Check Your Web Footprint – A Complete Guide to Web, Facebook, Twitter, and Google+ Privacy and Security | The Edublogger
- Internet Safety Cheat Sheet
- A Parents’ Guide to Facebook | ConnectSafely.org
- Raising Digital Citizens | StaySafeOnline.org / National Cyber Security Alliance
- Teacher’s Guide to Digital Citizenship | Edudemic
- Webonauts Internet Academy | PBS Kids
Image by Mia MacMeekin. Source: https://anethicalisland.wordpress.com/2013/04/22/digital-citizenship/
This is a great collection of resources to use in classrooms and homes. At the beginning of the year in my classroom we always send home a list of movies that we want to show through out the year and ask for parent permission. Common sense media would provide parents with a lot of insight on these educational movies and how they rank for their child’s age. It would also give them a resource to use for additional movies age appropriate to use in their household.
Another interesting article I looked at in this collection is A Parents Guide to Facebook. With Facebook and other social media websites overpowering the internet, students and parents often misuse them. This can lead to things like cyberbullying that can harm a students/parents well-being. The handbook provided offers insight on ways to eliminate this from happening. I think that if you can address digital citizenship at the beginning of the year and provide parents with resources such as these, we can create a safe “tech-friendly” environment for your kiddos at home and in the class.