A little over 10 years ago, it seems like technology really took the world by storm. It felt like one day we were using T9 word on our Samsung flip ones, and the next we we’re dishing out multiple Instagram posts a day. Needless to say, the use and power of technology continues to grow at an exponential rate. As it continues to grow, we as educators have a responsibility to help our students understand how to keep digital experiences safe, positive, and purposeful. The digital side of our world is so prominent, and I plan to teach my students many of the ways in which they can have good digital citizenship.

Digital citizenship, is defined by Mike Ribble as “the continuously developing norms of appropriate, responsible, and empowered technology use.”

An article written by ACSD called Character Education for the Digital Age, discusses the importance of emphasizing ethical behaviour and critical thinking in students as they explore online spaces. The main points I took away from this article we’re focusing on core values & integrating these lessons into daily life.

As educators, it’s important for us to continue encouraging and modelling ethical principles like respect, responsibility, and fairness. These values are essential for guiding students’ everyday life, including online interactions. We want to help them discern credible information, and fostering positive digital engagement with others. It is important that we explain to them that digital identity is NOT a separate entity, it’s part of who they are. As we incorporate these character-focused discussions and practices into everyday classroom activities, we can help our students internalize these values more effectively.

Additionally, another article discusses the Nine Elements of Digital Citizenship outlines the key skills and behaviours necessary for navigating technology responsibly. Each element is uniquely important and I want to share some ideas as to how I can a few of them in my class in the form of lesson plans! These plans can be found in further detail from the following websites: Common Sense Education, Tech & Learning, & Book Widgets.

Many of these lesson plans can be cross-curricular as we often rely on technology in many different subjects and are fortunate that we live in a place where we can do so.

1. Digital Access: Distributing technology equally to provide everyone in the classroom and in your community a fair opportunity to access resources at home.
   • Lesson Plan Ideas:
     • Teach equity by having students brainstorm solutions to digital access gaps in their own community.
     • Have students compare resources in different communities, researching statistics and discussing strategies to promote equitable access.
     • Ask students to complete a task without using technology (i.e. requiring them to use books, ask elders questions, etc.) then reflect on the challenges and the value of accessibility we have in Canada.

1. Digital Commerce: The way to responsibly use money in the digital space through spending, saving, investing, banking, or using money digitally in any way.
   • Lesson Plan Ideas:
     • Introduce financial literacy through lessons on online shopping safety, avoiding scams, and understanding payment platforms.
       • Have students go on a “virtual shopping trip” using online stores to complete a monthly shopping list while staying within a set budget.
     • Create or find case studies about recognizing legitimate versus fake e-commerce sites through provided links.
       • Ask/show students ways and clues to help easily identify website security.
     • Show students how digital commerce works by having them create their own small online business.
       • Can use apps like Platzi, SquareSpace (free trial)
2. Digital Communication & Collaboration: The sharing of information, thoughts, and ideas electronically with others in a way they can understand.
   • Lesson Plan Ideas: 
     • Assign projects requiring teamwork like shared editing and virtual discussions (i.e., Google / Microsoft applications). Teach students how to work efficiently and appropriately together on the same projects at the same time, and the etiquette for effective communication with group members online. 
     • Provide examples of professional emails, social media posts, and text messages. Examine how tone differs across platforms and practice rewriting a message for different audiences (e.g., formal email vs. text to a friend).
       • Option to include an activity with emojis to analyze how they change
       • each message when added or used in  different combinations.
3. Digital Etiquette: The norms of responsible, respectful, and considerate behaviour when using technology and interacting with others online.
   • Lesson Plan Ideas:
     • Collaboratively create a list of norms for technology use in the classroom, emphasizing respectful interactions and staying on task.
     • Present scenarios where students must decide the most respectful way to respond to messages or posts.
     • Have students design posters in groups outlining respectful online behaviour to display in class and at home.
     • Review a series of real or hypothetical social media posts. Have students categorize these posts as appropriate or inappropriate, and provide an explanation for why.

• Sources:
• https://ideas.demco.com/blog/how-to-promote-digital-citizenship-in-the-school-library/
• https://it.wustl.edu/items/microsoft-365-m365/
• https://www.apple.com/ca/newsroom/2017/07/apple-previews-new-emoji-coming-later-this-year/
• https://acowebs.com/impact-ecommerce-society/
• https://kharrison76.weebly.com/element-1-digital-access.html
• file:///Users/jaylynbell/Downloads/OldSchoolvsTechnologyInfographic-1.pdf
• https://teachingresources.stanford.edu/resources/norms-template-for-professors/