Get Ready for Digital Citizenship Week: October 16-20

from JDJ from OpenClipArt.org

Technology is a part of all of our lives. Our students use digital tools at home and at school for a variety of purposes--to connect with friends, have fun, organize, and learn, to name a few. It up to us, as educators, to help them navigate the digital world and work to keep them safe. Any educator who uses technology as part of their instructional practices (therefore, all educators) must also teach digital citizenship. What does digital citizenship mean?

"Being a good digital citizen is more than learning your way around the web. It's about empowering your students with skills to think critically, behave safely, and participate responsibly online, allowing them to connect and collaborate in meaningful ways." ~https://www.commonsense.org

Take a look at standard 2 of ISTE's Standards for Students: 

from http://www.iste.org/standards/for-students

 Common Sense Media has some outstanding ideas and resources that can be used to teach digital citizenship. Take a look at Four Ways to Teach Digital Citizenship, broken down by grade levels: K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12. There are short videos, discussion guides, and posters for the classroom. 

There is also a downloadable digital citizenship pledge that could be printed out and signed by students, and then posted in the classroom; get it on the Common Sense Media Website. 

All of theses resources are free and easy to implement.  Let's all do our part!