Teaching Digital Citizenship in the Elementary Classroom

As elementary level teachers, we are charged not just with teaching academics, but teaching social skills as well. "Ignore bullies and tell an adult if you feel threatened," "Don't talk to strangers," "Treat people the way you want to be treated." You're probably familiar with phrases similar to these if you teach the younger grades. Young children are still learning the norms of social behavior and how to handle strangers. However, when was the last time you talked to your students about how to use good manners when leaving a comment on a blog post? These are the new social skills for our students. While we shouldn't stop teaching children how to say "please" and "thank you," and bullies still exist in the face-to-face world, it is vital that we treat online safety and digital citizenship with the same amount of seriousness and attention. Each year I spend at least a month reviewing digital citizenship and internet safety with all my classes. Lesson Resources Online Learning Tools

A Treasure Trove of Digital Citizenship Resources for Teachers Via Educational Technology and Mobile Learning There is a special section here in Educational Technology and Mobile Learning where I have aggregated a plethora of resources that teachers can use with their students to teach them about digital citizenship. And today I come across these wonderful resources compiled by Taryn Degnan from Common Sense Media. I thought about tweeting the link without having to share it here but I know thousands of email and RSS Feed subscribers would miss it. Below is a round-up of all the links Taryn featured in her post. Enjoy! You can also check this great page from Tech Learning that features of 20 essential resources on digital citizenship. This article originally appeared on Educational Technology and Mobile Learning, a website operated by a group of dedicated Canadian teachers.

Nine Elements Nine Themes of Digital Citizenship Digital citizenship can be defined as the norms of appropriate, responsible behavior with regard to technology use. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. Respect, Educate and Protect (REPs) These elements have also been organized under the principles of respect, educate and protect. Respect Your Self/Respect Others - Etiquette - Access - Law Educate Your Self/Connect with Others - Literacy - Communication - Commerce Protect Your Self/Protect Others -Rights and Responsibility - Safety (Security) - Health and Welfare If this was to be taught beginning at the kindergarten level it would follow this pattern: Repetition 1 (kindergarten to second grade) Respect Your Self/Respect Others Digital Etiquette Educate Your Self/Connect with OthersDigital Literacy Protect Your Self/Protect Others Digital Rights and Responsibility Repetition 2 (third to fifth grade) Respect Your Self/Respect Others Digital Access Educate Your Self/Connect with OthersDigital Communication

Digital citizenship / Teaching Netsafe – Learn Guide Protect The myLGP website supports the Learn Guide Protect Framework . The site promotes a student-centred approach to teaching and learning about cybersafety and digital citizenship across the curriculum. Developed by NetSafe, in collaboration with New Zealand teachers. NetSafe kit for schools A comprehensive programme of cybersafety for schools based upon infrastructure of policies, procedures and use agreements, an effective electronic security system, and a comprehensive cybersafety education programme. Netsafe – Staying safe online A quick guide with advice, tips and how-to guides for social media, online shopping, safe search and more. NetSafe – Learn Guide ProtectSean Lyons, Chief Technology Officer from NetSafe, explains the Learn Guide Protect (LGP) website. Digital citizenship and cybersafetySean discusses NetSafe's definition of digital citizenship and how it fits into the National Curriculum.

Faux Paw the Techno Cat As a caring educator, you can equip your students to be ahead of the curve and understand early on the intricacies of new media and cybersafety. Students spend half of their waking hours connected to digital devices—impacting their reputations, learning opportunities, and futures. Faux Paw the Websurfing Techno Cat series has been created by a team of leading child psychologists, educators, and law enforcement. This engaging curriculum—complete with books, animated DVDs, and lesson plans—will captivate the attention of your students and teach them how to appropriately conduct themselves online and in the digital space. Faux Paw’s Dangerous Download Music piracy causes severe economic losses every year around the world. Downloads Faux Paw Goes to the Games: Balancing Real Life with Screen Time Spending excessive time with media robs students of real world experiences and may result in lower grades. Faux Paw Meets the First Lady: How to Handle Cyberbullying Faux Paw Adventures in the Internet

Hectors World Watch Hector and his friends learning how to use their computers safely! Teacher's resources banner This cartoon and all the cool stuff with it comes to you with permission of the very nice people at Hector's World in New Zealand. Follow this link to find out more...