Day 7: May 28 : Assigned Blogpost
(posted on June 25, 2025)
I was shocked to find out in class that 92% of American toddlers have a digital footprint!!!. That statistic blew my mind. It makes me wonder the percentage of toddlers with a digital footprint back in 2005, when I was a toddler. Social media and the internet in general are changing so rapidly and it impacts how we live, learn and communicate with each other.
That’s why as a future teacher, I know I cannot ignore our changing world. In my class, I am going to embrace digital citizenship and make it a theme in my classroom, to help prepare my students. You can’t just learn digital citizenship in one lesson. If we don’t teach our students how to use the internet wisely, where/how will they learn it??
How I will teach digital citizenship in my classroom, based on this article
- Digital Etiquette and Communication: I plan on making it very clear to my students that what you do/say on the internet lasts forever. Stories like that of Amanda Todd are traumatic, but important. Her story among others where taught to me in elementary school to help us understand the significance of this lesson. Students need to see that such consequences are possible. I will make sure to help my future students explicitly learn the do’s and dont’s of online behaviour. Remember, future school and employers will easily be able to google you!
- Digital Fluency: I wont take the approach of banning technology. Instead, I will teach my students how to use it responsibly.
- Digital Access and Equity: I’ll be aware that not every studnet will have access to the same tools, such as iphones, computers, wi-fi, etc at home. I will aim to mitigate this inequality and be flexible for my students. I will never rely on students to have their own devices for class activities.
My favourite memory from my three-week block last semester was my social studies, using Google Earth to “travel the world” and see places that my students have never seen before. It ignited such curiosity. It was amazing. The internet is a very powerful tool that can be used for good, if the correct online behaviour is taught alongside with it.
I wonder…
- Do you think its ethical that most toddlers have a digital footprint?