What is Digital Citizenship?
Digital Citizenship is a concept which helps teachers, technology leaders and parents to understand what students/children/technology users should know to use technology appropriately. Digital Citizenship is more than just a teaching tool; it is a way to prepare students/technology users for a society full of technology. Digital citizenship is the norms of appropriate, responsible technology use. Too often we are seeing students as well as adults misusing and abusing technology but not sure what to do. The issue is more than what the users do not know but what is considered appropriate technology usage (Ribble Digital Citizenship).
This is crucial to fourth grade because they need to learn and understand the dangers of technology. Here are some tips I would use in my future classroom to help keep my students safe from the dangers of technology:
Strategies for a responsible -- and safer -- online life
Visit only age-appropriate sites. Check out the site before your kids visit it. Know what features and what content exist and make sure they’re good for your kids.
Search safely. Use safe search settings for young kids or think about applying filtering software to limit inappropriate exposure.
Avoid strangers. Tell your kids that people aren’t always who they say they are in cyberspace. Explain that if someone they don’t know talks to them, they shouldn’t respond but should let you know.
Be a good cyber citizen! Remind kids that an Internet playground is still a playground and they need to play nicely. A good rule of thumb: If they wouldn’t do something in real life, they shouldn’t do it online. Find out how your children can report mean behavior or unkind content on their favorite sites and teach them how to do it.
Online cheating? It’s still cheating and it’s a no-no – pure and simple.
Keep the computer in a central place. So you can see what’s going on.
Establish expectations and limits about the amount of time your children spend online and what they do. Check out our family media agreement for a helpful place to start.
View your own habits carefully. You are their role models.
But, mostly, be involved and have fun with them! Keeping kids safe and teaching them how to use digital technology responsibly is all about staying involved. Start by showing interest in the sites they visit and the games they play and your job will be a lot easier when they start exploring these technologies more independently (Common Sense Media).
It is important to promote digital citizenship because of the many dangers in technology. The strategies listed above are ways to help the many dangers from the internet. Students in the fourth grade will face, dangerous websites, strangers, and cyber bullying. There is a website called common sense media with lessons, games, and videos that talk about tips on internet safety. I could use this as a source for my future classroom. Keeping Kids Safe Online Video Click Here!In my Prezi below you will see the problems with digital citizenship.
