Approaches to Digital Citizenship

When thinking about my future classroom, I believe that teaching lessons on digital citizenship will be a crucial component of the learning process. Students nowadays, have many interactions with online learning and technology each day. Teaching students the definition of digital citizenship will not be enough and there will need to be daily practice of learning appropriate and responsible online behaviour. After reading Ribble’s Nine Elements of Digital Citizenship, I feel inspired to incorperate these nine elements into my classroom lessons as they capture all angles of what it is to be a good digital citizen.

Listed below are the nine themes of digital citizenship as mentioned in the Ribble article and how I plan to use and incorperate them.

1. Digital Access- This element is crucial as our world increasingly revolves around digital connectivity. As a future educator, I must take into account potential digital divides when designing lesson plans. Ensuring digital access for every learner in the classroom is crucial for closing the access gap. Achieving this involves granting equitable access by linking students with the necessary resources required for their success. One way to assist students with access is by utilizing government programs that offer funding for technology in schools. Additionally, implementing a lending program where students can borrow devices from the school could be beneficial. However, the benefit of having a device at home is limited without internet access. It would be necessary to compile a list of locations where students can access free Wi-Fi, or advocate for the school to expand its broadband so that some students can access the school’s internet from home. My involvement in assisting students with digital access will also serve to bridge the digital divide.
2. Digital Commerce- This incolves teaching student about online banking, selling, and purchases. It is important to deliver lessons to students that will teach them how to recognize a scam, how to protect their personal financial information, and how to make online purchases in a safe manner. When it comes to online shopping, teaching students to research products and compare prices online empowers them to understand that better deals are often available for the same item. Demonstrating that they have access to this resource for price comparison is an invaluable tool for future buying decisions and offers potential savings.
3. Digital Communication and Collaboration-  Teaching digital communication requires a focus on proper writing skills, such as in an email or other online communication platforms. Its important to educate students about appropriate written etiquette. However, communication should be focused on both written, and verbal communication, as in online video conferences. So, teaching students effective communication over a video platform is equally important.
4. Digital Etiquette-Educating students on respectful online behavior is crucial for maintaining and protecting their digital reputation. This education can be facilitated through online classroom discussion forums, where students are provided with opportunities to engage in appropriate online discussions, posting and responding effectively to their peers. Having discussions on what is appropriate and innapropriate, as well as, the consequences of cyberbullying and how we can stand up for what is right are all key components to teaching digital etiquette. Establishing rules and norms regarding online behaviour is crucial to maintaining an appropriate digital footprint.
5. Digital Fluency- Digital fluency is also linked with digital literacy. With digital literacy comes lessons on how to tell the difference between real and fake in regards to what we read or are exposed to. Teaching students what to look for and how to evaluate online sources is an important part to digital literacy. Digital literacy also incorperates a students ability to work with tech tools. So, providing opportunities to practice and learn how to navigate different digital platforms builds on a students technological skills and abilities.
6. Digital Health and Welfare- Having discussion with students about balancing your time with technology and creating healthy relationships with our devices is a good conversation to have. Much of our time is spent on devices and many unhealthy hours are wasted on them. Teaching about healthy and unhealthy habits/ relationships we can have with technology is an important aspect to cover when considering ones health. Students need to understand the profound impacts technology can have on our mental and physical well being. Stressing the importance of finding ways to enjoy life both on and off the screen and balancing healthy screen time limits is an important skill for students to have and be able to recognize within their daily routines.Highlighting the significance of taking breaks from screens to engage in real-life activities can enhance a student’s health and well-being, provided they implement this balanced approach.
7. Digital Law- Teaching students about digital law is an important part to digital citizenship. Students are often required to write papers or do online research and gather facts. Teaching students about plagiraism and copyright and then having students learn how properly cite where they got their ideas or work plays a large part in following digital laws.  Educators can provide students with templates on how to cite a resource and do in text citations. There are also many online citation generators as well that can be used by students. These resources make it easier for students to cite their work and take out the factor of having to memorize several citation formulas.
8. Digital Rights and Responsibility-Knowing ones online rights and responsibilty will help students understand how to conduct themselves digitally. Some rights students should know of is their freedom to expression, and privacy. Some important responsibiltites to teach the students would be respecting others, being a good digital citizens, and citing any resources used. Within rights and responsibilties, it is important to teach students about how their actions online do have consequences in the real world. Furthermore, as an educator I will stress the importance of telling an adult of any innapropriate online activity that makes you or others feel uncomfortable.
9. Digital Security and Privacy- Providing students with lessons on how to create secure passwords, avoiding scam email and ‘phishing’, as well as learning about privacy settings are all components of understanding our cyber security. Teaching cybersecurity empowers students to safeguard themselves during online activities.