When going into the classroom as teachers, we need to remember that most of our students are likely online in one way or another. This means that we need to recognize the 9 elements of digital citizenship. Teachers often forget that not every student has access to technology at home. I had a friend in High School who lived in a home that did not have a computer or internet, and she struggled with getting her homework assignments done when they had to do with the internet. Assuming all students have access to the internet at home and lead some students are disadvantaged in a whole new way within the classroom.
Another way digital citizenship plays into the classroom is when students look for future career paths. They can find so many different possibilities of jobs they might want to pressure in the future just by looking online. If students want an excellent way to see what jobs are like in the area, having them take a dive into SaskJobs is always a unique idea that can give them a glimpse of what types of Opportunities are out there.
Another way students are connected through digital citizenship is that communication has evolved so much that students are given an online voice. Previously, sharing messages between people far away may have taken weeks or months. It now only takes mere seconds to send a message. Students can ask questions using the internet in real time instead of having to wait to hear back from people far away.
While students can turn to the internet to find information, that doesn’t mean that information is always correct. Many websites can give students false information. It is essential that they learn early on that websites like Wikipedia are not helpful in school because anyone can post or change information on them. That is one of the safety risks of the internet. Not everything you see online is always true.