Month: June 2024 (Page 1 of 2)

This semester has been incredibly busy for me! Balancing full-time work with two spring classes was challenging, but I made it through and reached the finish line!

As the semester wraps up, I want to say thank you for an amazing experience! I’m grateful for the friends I’ve made and all the knowledge I’ve gained. This course has deepened my understanding of technology’s role in and out of the classroom, and the importance of staying curious and learning continuously as technology evolves. I truly believe that the things that I learned in this class will stay with me forever and I can’t wait to use it in the classroom. Thanks to everyone who read and commented on my posts—it really means a lot to me!

Please take a moment to watch my summary of learning video to find out my major takeaways from the course. I hope you enjoy it!

Here we are, my final blog post for EDTC 300. It’s a mix of emotions—I’ve learned a lot from this class and grown, but I’m also relieved to have less work and enjoy some of the summer. This class and community have been incredibly supportive. In this post, I want to talk about how I’ve supported my peers’ learning and been active in our class. I’ve commented on many classmates’ posts and participated on Discord, and here are a few standout moments that I would like to share.

Discord Contributions

Before this class, I haven’t used Discord, but I’m glad I got the chance to experience it. Discord is a messaging and communication platform commonly used for online communities, discussions, and collaboration. We used Discord to communicate, support each other, and exchange valuable resources. It was also handy for staying updated with class emails and getting to know each other better. Our first activity involved introducing ourselves on Discord, sharing what brought us to the class, and discussing our hobbies and interests. I can say that I was actively involved on Discord, sharing resources and providing answers to the best of my abilities. I believe my classmates valued my help and contributions. I’ve compiled screenshots highlighting some of these interactions into a Google Slides presentation. Please take a look at my contributions and here are a few of them that I want to highlight:

Blog/Learning Project Contributions

I enjoyed supporting my classmates by regularly leaving comments on their blog posts. I made a total of 40 comments across various blog posts, which I organized into Google Docs Slides. It highlights my best comments where I supported my peers and also suggested useful resources. I think even leaving simple comments like “great work!” can be very encouraging. Having experienced how fulfilling it is to receive comments on my own posts, I aimed to help others feel the same satisfaction throughout the project. It’s rewarding to see others enjoy the posts you’ve worked hard on.

Reading my classmates’ blogs was a fantastic way for me to gain insights from their perspectives and discover new classroom tools, especially when we explored AI and coding resources. I made sure to take note of these tools and engage deeply by leaving thoughtful comments. It was a valuable learning experience to see different viewpoints and explore tools that could enhance classroom learning. I was genuinely excited about some of my classmates’ projects and couldn’t wait to see their progress each week. For example, I really enjoyed following Bridget’s learning project, where she trained her dogs to learn new tricks. Since I have a puppy, I often use the McCann Dog Training YouTube Channel for training tips that are easy to follow, and they’ve helped my pup learn quickly. I shared it with Bridget and thought she might find it useful too! When I tried to use Canva Video Creator and Editor for one of our assignments, I discovered that it offers cute dog templates that could add extra tough to Bridget’s videos. I shared this idea with her and I hope she found it helpful. Bridget’s project inspired me to spend more quality time with my dog and teach him new tricks after the course ends. Now I know which blog to visit for excellent resources and tips. Thanks, Bridget!

I also loved following Rowena’s project, as she made delicious Korean dishes. I learned a lot about Korean cuisine from her posts. I tried making bibimbap myself a while ago, and even though it didn’t turn out perfectly, it was a fun experience. I shared a recipe link from Marion’s Kitchen with Rowena to try it out. She motivated me to try making it again, and her posts just always made me crave some good Korean food! Thanks, Rowena, for sharing your culinary adventures with me! Another learning project that kept me engaged was Nicol’s journey, where she explored various hair braiding techniques. She did an excellent job starting with simple techniques and progressing to more advanced ones like the Dutch crown braid. I loved seeing her progress and supporting her along the way. Since I have long hair, I’ve always admired this skill and I’m eager to try some of the techniques she shared. Thanks, Nicol, for letting me be part of your journey! I couldn’t comment on every blog post, but I did my best to read and engage with as many as possible. Please feel free to explore more comments here!

Conclusion

Even though this course was online, I found plenty of chances to engage with my peers. I believe there’s always something to learn from each other, especially in a diverse group like ours, where everyone comes from different backgrounds and ages. This course has given me a fresh perspective on learning online and its many benefits.

Overall, I did my best to help others learn. I believe that I’ve contributed to this community, and I hope other’s feel the same! Great job everyone!! I want to express my gratitude to all my classmates, Katia, and everyone who supported my growth and learning throughout this course! Thanks for reading my posts and leaving your encouraging comments. It meant a lot to me!

Photo by Andrey Popov on Adobe Stock

Digital Identity

Reflecting on my digital identity, I’ve realized there’s a lot I didn’t know or haven’t thought much about. Since we were kids, we’ve been figuring out who we are. But now, there’s this thing called digital identity, thanks to technology. It is a representation of who we are online. Even though we might think it doesn’t matter, it actually does a lot! Your digital identity is like your online reputation. People believe that what they see and read about us online, what we post and who we talk to online says a lot about us.

When I searched my name, I found my Facebook account, along with my professional profiles on LinkedIn and ResearchGate. I was surprised that my Instagram account didn’t pop up because I use it a lot. Also, I saw my name on the University of Windsor website, where you can find my Master’s Degree defense and academic papers from my research work. I don’t use my ResearchGate profile as much anymore since I’m not actively researching and publishing papers in scientific journals. The first time I looked up my name, I wanted to find my Educites profile, but I couldn’t see it for some reason. When I tried again later, I was happy to find some of my blog posts showing up in the Google search for my name! Yay!

When it comes to posting on social media, I use only Instagram and Facebook profiles, mostly Instagram, but I don’t post every single day. I’m not someone who is very big on social media, but whenever I do post, I’m careful about what I share in my digital world. I’m also picky about who I add as friends or followers on my accounts. Both of my social media accounts are private, just for my friends and family.  I’ve learned that my online presence is mostly private, except for my  LinkedIn and ResearchGate accounts, which I use for professional purposes, and my blog. On my social media profiles, there are mainly pictures of me and some information about my interests, giving people a basic understanding of what I look like and what I enjoy.

During our last class, we talked a little bit about how people can find it strange if someone isn’t on social media like Instagram or Facebook. If you’re not active on these platforms, people might see you as antisocial. This video is about a girl panicking because her new boyfriend wasn’t on social media. It’s interesting how people’s social media habits can become such a big deal in relationship. I’d say I’m pretty active on social media, but I genuinely respect those who prefer to stay away from it. I completely understand and respect their choice. And let’s be honest – rather than tagging them as antisocial, it might be worth recognizing that those who aren’t into social media could actually be more sociable. Some people simply prefer real-life interactions and gatherings with friends rather than constantly sharing their lives online. I don’t blame them, because is life on social media even real?

In the article by ESPN, it explains how social media shows a polished version of life, making people feel they need to be perfect. It makes people’s expectations much higher for themselves which in turn affects their confidence and self-esteem. I think it’s important to remember that nobody is perfect. It’s tough to realize that what’s posted isn’t always reality. We tend to believe that people who post perfect photos have flawless lives, but that’s not true. It’s crucial to remember that behind those perfect images, people have their own struggles and insecurities. Everyone experiences moments of imperfection, but social media tends to showcase a biased version of reality because few people share their flaws.

Tweeted Away: How One Post Can Turn Your Life Upside Down

Before this course, I didn’t think much about my online presence. But now, I realize that I’ve been looking out for myself in my own way. There are so many examples of how just one post can change your life forever. What we post online can shape how people see us, sometimes even more than our real-life interactions, and it’s so scary to think about! Jon Ronson’s TED talk, How one Tweet can ruin your life, explains this very well and shows how a single social media post can have big consequences and dramatically change someone’s life.

Here are some impactful quotes that he shared:

• “Twitter took control of her life and dismantled it piece by piece”
• “”We are defined more by our minor misdemeanors than our major accomplishments.”
• “We are so defined by our Googleability.”
• “We want to hurt people and not feel bad about it.”
• “One of the punishments of losing your reputation is that people won’t believe you if you tell them the truth.”

Justine Sacco’s life was turned upside down by just one inappropriate joke. Although what she said wasn’t okay, the reaction was way too harsh. She said: “Living in Africa puts us in a bit of a bubble when it comes to what is going on in the Third World. I was making fun of that bubble.” People made cruel comments like “last tweet of your career” with the hashtag #HasJustineLandedYet, and it got even worse. It hurt me inside to see people lacking empathy, almost enjoying how her life was being ruined. Why can’t we just be kinder to each other? After watching this video, I felt genuinely sorry for Justine and I felt that she deserved public sympathy and a chance to rebuild her life.

Jon Ronson also wrote a book called “So You’ve Been Publicly Shamed,”  which points out that the main victim of Justine Sacco’s tweet was herself. While her tweet offended many and went viral, it didn’t directly harm anyone else. She faced intense humiliation, depression, and ongoing anxiety as a result. Her mistake continues to haunt her online. Jon Ronson not only talks to people who’ve been publicly shamed, like Justine Sacco, but he also digs into why it happens. He looks at how Google makes reputations stick and talks to people who help repair the damage caused by online scandals.

Digital footprint is like a trail in the digital world, showing who we are. It’s not just about what you post, but it’s the breadcrumbs and the silent traces that we leave behind. This article talks about how important it is to protect your digital footprint and how to delete it. Personally, I believe that we have the right to have elements of our digital footprint to be forgotten. The right to be forgotten is essentially about having control over what stays online about yourself. It lets you ask for old or irrelevant information to be taken down from the internet, which is crucial for personal privacy, especially as we all grow over time. I think tech companies have a big say in this because they decide how long information stays online and how easy it is to find. Policies that support the right to be forgotten can help protect us from the long-term consequences of one-time mistakes

Photo by enzozo on Adobe Stock

Our duty to assist students in creating a positive online presence

As I learned more about digital footprint, I found out that it comes in two types: passive and active. A passive digital footprint is unintentional, like data websites gather about your browsing habits. In contrast, an active digital footprint is created intentionally, such as when you post on social media, comment on blogs, or send emails. Understanding both types showed me how important it is to teach students about the consequences of their online actions—both negative and positive. A negative footprint can cause problems, but a positive one can really benefit a student’s future. It’s crucial for students to understand the full impact of their online presence. During a quick Google search, I found tools designed to track your digital footprint, like Saymine. Although I haven’t tried it myself, it seems useful for understanding your online presence. It might even be a valuable teaching tool for students to assess their own online presence.

Photo by Tierney on Adobe Stock

As educators, I believe we should teach students about creating a positive digital footprint. We can help them build it while also letting them learn from mistakes. One of the examples we discussed in class was students getting expelled from universities for inappropriate social media comments. It saddened me that universities prioritize their image over students’ chances to learn and improve. It’s important to support students as they navigate the digital world and grow.

Overall, in today’s world, having a digital identity is unavoidable, so it’s crucial to ensure it is positive. After watching the TED talk and reading the news article, I’ve realized the importance of being mindful of our actions and words on social media, as well as the importance to teach our kids how to build a positive digital footprint. According to the Building and Keeping a Positive Digital Identity, adults should lead by example to teach students safe online habits. As educators, we must model these behavior and adapt our teaching methods to integrate new technologies and support both digital and real-world citizenship growth and engagement.

Resources

The Power of Digital Footprints

Dis-like: How Social Media Feeds into Perfectionism

Teaching Students about their Digital Footprint

What is Coding?

We’re surrounded by computer coding in our everyday activities. Whether we’re scrolling through social media, picking a show to watch on a streaming service, or using smartphone apps, code is what makes it all happen! What is coding? It’s is the process of writing instructions for a computer to follow and accomplish a goal. It’s usually done using programming languages such as HTML, Python, or JavaScript. Coders use these languages to translate their ideas into commands that the computer can understand.

Photo by Scanrail on Adobe Stock

Coding in the classroom

Teaching code is crucial in today’s digital age. Even though coding languages can seem tough, teaching the basic concepts of coding has various benefits and can be super helpful for students of all grades! Young children can start learning to code with platforms like Code.org that offers courses for kindergarten through fifth grade. It’s not only limited to tech enthusiasts or kids interested in computer work. There are so many good reasons for all students to learn how to code. Why Kids Need to Learn How to Code discusses how learning to code offers benefits beyond just using computers. Foe example, through coding, students develop:

• helps students develop problem-solving skills. Coding teaches kids to think logically and solve big problems by breaking them into smaller ones which is a valuable life skill.
• boosts creativity. They can design their own apps, games, and come up with their own ideas which is super cool!
• helps students develop persistence. Instead of giving up when they face a problem, coding teaches them to keep going and try different solutions until they find the right one.
• opens up diverse career opportunities, preparing students for future career and goals
• helps students develop deeper understanding of everyday technologies
• improves communication skills. Learning to code is like learning a new language. It improves communication by simplifying instructions for computers to understand
• gives students’ satisfaction. When they solve a problem through coding and see the results, it encourages them to tackle more challenges.

Photo by charles taylor on Adobe Stock

As a teacher, you might be thinking about how to introduce coding concepts in your classroom. Coding in classrooms is about learning. It is not necessarily about becoming a professional computer programmer. There are so many ways for students to start learning coding, and it can be a lot of fun to try out new tools. But it’s important to know that not everyone will love coding right away. Instead of making students do it, it’s better to introduce them to coding and let them decide if they enjoy it. Even if they’re not interested now, they might be later! Five Best Ways to Implement Coding into your Classroom is a helpful guide for bringing coding into the classroom. I plan to use some of these methods in my future classroom:

• Emphasize creativity – show students that coding is about creating things like games and stories which is so fun and engaging!
• Try project-based learning – encourage students to use platforms like Scratch to solve problems through hands-on projects.
• Keep it fun – encourage problem-solving and experimentation activities for students.

Hour of Code

Coding helps us understand and interact with technology more effectively and that’s what Hour of Code is all about. I learned about it in our previous class, and it’s a fantastic tool to use in your classroom planning. The quote from What’s the Impact of the Hour of Code that caught my attention says:

“The Hour of Code is at its core not about learning a brand new skill in just one hour. One hour isn’t enough to learn how to code. It’s about increasing access to computer science by breaking stereotypes and opening doors.”

With that idea in mind, Hour of Code is not just about learning a new skill in a hour, rather about expending and enhancing our learning experiences. If you are new to coding, check out this Hour of Code Participation Guide to get you started!

Since it’s my first time learning to code I decided to start with the basics and check out the “Hello World” lesson offered by the Hour of Code platform. It’s a fun way to start where you can create little characters, make them move around, and even build your own scenes. I went for a space theme because, honestly, who can resist cute space sprites? Following the step-by-step instructions felt really good, and I was surprised at how quickly I picked things up. It’s designed to be easy to understand, which is a great approach to make coding more inviting to kids, rather than making them feel like it’s too hard to understand. Playing around with different features was like exploring a new video game—so fun! I’m pretty sure kids will love it too! Check out this quick video I made of one of the activities—it’s super simple, but it’s a good sneak peek into what you can do:

This lesson not only taught me the basics of coding but also how to solve problems along the way. It’s a fantastic way for kids to get into coding, and they can use what they learn to tackle even tougher challenges later on. Getting a certificate is so rewarding!

As a future science teacher, I wanted to see how I could incorporate this tool into my teaching career. I discovered a one-hour tutorial called “Vidcode: Climate Science & Code.” The goal of this Hour of Code lesson is for students to research and understand facts about the Earth’s climate and create a video to share one of those facts. It allows students to upload their own video, but for tutorial purposes I used one of the template videos (factory). Here is a summary of my tutorial:

Adding a Code. The platform allows users to incorporate code effortlessly by simply dragging and dropping blocks into the code editor, which then turns them into actual CODE! It translates the blocks into functional code, allowing students to apply various effects to their videos. For instance, they can experiment with effects like blurring, noise, tinting, or flipping horizontally or vertically. In my tutorial, I employed effects such as “vignette(30),” “greyscale,” and “flip-vertical” to enhance the visual impact of the video.

Adding Graphics. Students are provides with a library of graphics under the video to choose from.  They also have option to upload their own graphics. can choose a graphic that enhances your message from the library under the video or upload your own. I selected “factory” and “trees” graphics to augment the narrative of my video, labeling them as “my_graphic1” and “my_graphic2” in the code.

Adjusting Coordinates. The platform offers students the flexibility to manipulate the position of graphics within the video frame. All you need to di is to program it by typing “my_graphic1.x” or “my_graphic2.x”, where “x” represents the x-coordinate. The same concept applies for moving the graphic across the y-coordinate. This function can enhance the visual composition of the videos.

I had so much fun learning to code! The instructions were clear and made me feel like a coding pro, haha! I’m sure students will have a blast too. We’re lucky to have access to loads of resources and tools to help us learn. I’m really loving all the new things I’ve learned in this class, and it just keeps getting more interesting! Hope you enjoyed reading my blog post! Stay tuned to see what’s next! 🙂

Useful Resources

Your guide to Hour of Code

What’s the impact of the Hour of Code?

Why Your Hour of Code Matters!

Hour of Code Participation Guide

20+ ways to celebrate the Hour of Code in ANY class

What is Hour of Code on Khan Academy?

As technology becomes increasingly integrated into our daily lives, the necessity of learning about digital literacy skills becomes more evident. What is digital literacy? UNESCO defines digital literacy as “the ability to access, manage, understand, integrate, communicate, evaluate and create information safely and appropriately through digital technologies”. I’ve recently watched “The Social Dilemma” and it was 10/10! It highlights the risks of social media and technology. It emphasizes teaching kids digital literacy, helping them recognize misinformation, understand algorithms, and be mindful online. It’s a call for educators and parents to prioritize teaching these skills for safer and smarter online behavior.

In education, it’s crucial for children to grasp digital literacy from a young age. As children are spending more and more time online, they are learning digital skills on their own, but without proper guidance in school, they might not learn the right things. Just being able to read online isn’t sufficient anymore.  Students are now expected to know how to navigate online content, analyze information critically, as well as responsibly create and distribute digital content. Digital literacy is important for many reason such as it develops critical thinking skills and problem-solving, ensures online safety, teaches digital responsibility, and encourages students to actively participate in society as responsible citizens.

Fact or Fake?

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In class, we also discussed distinguishing real information from fake stuff online. Throughout my high school years, we were encouraged to verify information from multiple sources. But how do you know what websites or news can be trusted and what not? It wasn’t until this class that I gained insights into identifying fake news and websites. I was so surprised to discover how easily fake news and profiles can be created and how difficult it can sometimes be to tell if they are real or not.  According to TRU Libraries, fake news is “a type of hoax or deliberate spread of misinformation with the intent to mislead in order to gain financially or politically. Fake news is related to propaganda whose purpose is to spread information, especially of a biased or misleading nature, used to promote or publicize a particular political cause or point of view”. This website also explains why people believe fake news, how to recognize it, fact-checking, and ways to combat it. It caught my interest because it made me think about why some people easily believe fake news. This study shows that people often see information they agree with as facts more easily than information they disagree with. It highlights how important it is to think critically and check facts, especially in today’s word where there’s a lot of information and strong opinions. I found this study very interesting!

Photo by Feng Yu on Adobe Stock

We also covered the contrast between disinformation and misinformation and it closely related to the definition of fake news. The key difference lies in the intent: misinformation refers to false information that spreads unintentionally, while disinformation involves intentionally misleading or biased information, often aimed at manipulating facts or narratives for propaganda purposes.

Understanding these terms and keeping in mind the intention of the fake news is important for digital literacy because it helps us detect truth from false. Media Manipulation and Disinformation Online is a great article that delves into the complexity of online misinformation. It talks about how people and groups use the Internet to spread false information and influence others. It also explains the tactics they use, like fake news sites and social media bots. I think it’s a useful resource for teachers as it shows how this affects society and suggests ways to fight back.

Based on my personal experience, disinformation can lead to devastating consequences. I was born and raised in Ukraine, but some of my family members relocated to Russia years ago, so the impact of disinformation hits close to home. Since the war started, the divide between us has grown, largely due to the barrage of disinformation they receive through their TV channels. It’s heartbreaking to say that they trust propaganda more than their own family who is there to witness it. It highlights the urgent need for critical thinking and digital literacy to fight the harmful effects of disinformation. Damon Brown’s YouTube video suggests picking different news sources, making sure they’re reliable, understanding the context, and watching out for fake news. It can help to stay informed without getting misled.

Educating your students about Digital Literacy and guiding them to identify reliable sources is essential. This knowledge can benefit them not only in school but also in the future, whether dealing with politics or staying informed. There are plenty of resources out there to help teachers teach digital literacy to students and how to fight fake news.

As a future high school science teacher, I know it’s important to help students find trustworthy information online. While college students might be better at this, high school children are just starting out and can easily be tricked by false facts. It’s becoming harder to tell real news from fake news, even in popular media and on social media. I found some excellent strategies in these articles: “How do we Teach Students to Identify Fake News?” and “Developing Critical Literacies: What We Need to Know in a “Fake News” World”. I plan to use them in my classroom when teaching my students about this topic:

Photo by Robert Kneschke on Adobe Stock

• Prioritize helping students develop investigative techniques
• Teach students to identify bias
• Bring real-world fake news examples that we encounter everyday into the classroom
• Develop and employ investigative techniques
• Use rich examples
• Encourage a mindset of critical thinking

In my class, I’ll incorporate activities that encourage critical thinking and fact-checking. For example, I can provide students with news articles, clickbait headlines and ask them to identify the sources, check for bias, and verify information using reputable sources. Also, it is important to provide examples to show students why it’s risky to believe and share fake news, especially in science. By practicing these skills, children will get better at distinguishing between fact and fiction and navigating the internet safely.

Another great resource for teachers to integrate digital literacy into their teaching is the NCTE’s Definition of Digital Literacy Framework. It provides ideas for teachers on what students should learn to navigate the digital world:

• Be active and thoughtful online participants.
• Explore diverse texts and tools critically.
• Engage in creating, sharing, and evaluating content.
• Advocate for fair access to information and tools.
• Connect with others globally to solve problems together.
• Communicate respectfully and address biases.
• Consider the ethical implications of using information.
• Understand how digital tools shape narratives.
• Respect and celebrate diverse language and cultural identities.

Photo by totojang1977 on Adobe Stock

As a high school science teacher, I aim to incorporate the goals of the NCTE framework into my lessons. For example, when introducing a unit on chemical reactions, I can assign readings from a textbook or scientific articles and have students write summaries or reflections on what they’ve learned. Additionally, I can facilitate class discussions where students explain concepts to each other and practice active listening. This can help develop their scientific literacy and communication skills, which aligns with the NCTE framework’s goal of promoting effective communication and active participation. By incorporating group work, hands-on experiments, and discussions into our chemistry lessons, I’m not only teaching students about chemical reactions but also helping them develop digital skills. When they research online for their assignments or use digital tools for experiments, they’re also learning how to navigate the digital world.

All in all, children must be educated about the digital literacy to navigate online resources effectively. It’s all about the tools and knowledge they need to be smart online users. As technology advances, it’s crucial for educators to update the curriculum with the latest information and examples. Using outdated examples, like a popular fake octopus website, isn’t as effective in teaching digital literacy to children anymore. It’s important to stay ahead of the curve and provide more relevant and engaging examples that truly resonate with children and prepare them for what they may encounter online. By doing so, we can better equip them to navigate the complexities of the digital world with confidence and awareness!

Photo by dizain on Adobe Stock

In our recent class, we discussed important things like staying safe online, when it’s okay to use technology, how much time we spend on screens, avoiding plagiarism, and others. These topics all relate to being a good digital citizen. As our world becomes more digital and connected, knowing how to behave responsibly online is becoming increasingly crucial.

“Digital Citizenship is more than just a teaching tool, it is a way to prepare students for a society full of technology.” – Dr. Mike Ribble

Digital citizenship means being a good and responsible person online, just as we learn how to behave in the real world. It’s like knowing the rules of the road or how to behave in public places, but for the internet and technology. For example, we teach our children not to talk to strangers on the street, it’s also important to be cautious online. Even though we might feel cozy and safe behind our screen, it’s actually like being out in a public place where anyone can come up and talk to you.

What is Digital Citizenship?

Why Teach Digital Citizenship?

A Teaching Approach Beyond Just “Dos” and “Don’ts”

We live in a digital world where using technology is unavoidable, and honestly, why would we want to avoid it? There’s so much potential for connection, learning, and creativity! So, we definitely don’t want to block technology or make everyone scared of using it. I believe that teaching children about digital citizenship is far better than trying to control them. They can easily find ways around restrictions.

So, what is the best approach for teaching about digital citizenship? I don’t think just giving students a list of rules about digital citizenship and online safety is enough. Creating posters is a good start, but I believe teaching about digital citizenship should integrate the following strategies and what element of digital citizenship I think they fall under:

Digital Communication

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Integration. I believe it’s crucial to move beyond separate lessons and integrate it into our everyday curriculum. For example, I would include blogging practice into the classroom. It’s such an effective and fantastic way to teach students about responsible online behavior and being a part of online communities. What’s important is that these platforms are open to the public. We can’t just talk about digital citizenship, but we have to practice it by exposing students to real-world online experiences. Even if it’s through teacher-controlled platforms at first, incorporating public experiences into our classrooms can make a big difference.

Communication. I believe that it is important to provide students with hands-on practice. For example, we can create a safe space in the classroom to simulate online discussions, maybe using sticky notes or a cool tool like Padlet to help students learn how to properly post and interact with one another. Additionally, digital citizenship isn’t just something for school – it’s a community effort. I think it’s important to make sure that there’s an ongoing communication between teachers and parents so their messages align with what is being discussed in the classroom. This approach creates a strong support system for students. It means kids feel comfortable bringing up topics both in class and with their families, knowing that they’re on the same page.

Digital Etiquette

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Interactive Discussions. For example, I might present a situation where a classmate receives a mean comment on social media and ask the students how they think the person should respond. This will open up a discussion and make them think critically about their online behavior. By engaging in this interactive discussion, students learn about the norms and expectations for appropriate behavior online and contribute to their development of digital etiquette skills.

Self-image Is Important. I think the acronym “THINK” is really helpful for students when it comes to posting online. It’s crucial to remind students that what we share can be seen by anyone and anywhere. Once something is online, it’s there forever, so we need to think before we post. We need to be mindful that our online actions can have real-life consequences, especially when it comes to future opportunities like jobs. To help students maintain a positive online presence and digital footprint, as teachers, we can encourage them to ask themselves a few questions: “Would I want my parents to see this?”,  “Could this affect my future career?”, “Could this hurt someone’s feelings?”, or “How do I want others to see me?”. If the answer to any of those is no, then it’s probably best not to share it. It’s a good way to remind students to be smart about what they share online.

Storytelling. I find storytelling to be a powerful tool to make messages more relatable and impactful. Just like hearing about suffering in a distant country might not grab your attention, but a personal story could move you deeply. That’s why I would love to use stories and real-life scenarios in my classroom. I would introduce real-life case studies of digital citizenship that gone right or wrong. For example, we might analyze a news story about someone getting in trouble for cyberbullying and discuss what could have been done differently. This helps students understand the real-world consequences of their actions online, violation of other’s digital rights, and reflect on their own experience. This strategy can also address the rights and responsibilities element of the digital citizenship.

Digital Literacy 

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Strategies. When it comes to teaching digital citizenship, it’s not just about telling students what not to do. We also need to give them practical strategies to know what to do instead. For example, instead of leaving a negative digital footprint, we can teach them how to create a positive online presence. Another good example is instead of sharing personal information online, we can brainstorm safer things to share, like nicknames or safe topics. These ideas can be little lessons we can cover as a part of a regular curriculum. It can teach students how to navigate the online world confidently while minimizing risks and maximizing opportunities for positive interactions.

Interactive Games and Quizzes. I would incorporate educational games and quizzes into lessons to keep students engaged. For example, we might play a game where students have to identify fake news headlines or complete a quiz on online privacy settings. It can help to reinforce important concepts and develop essential digital literacy skills, while having fun. I came across this tool called Minecraft: Education Edition and it’s a great resource to turn learning tasks into fun games.

Project-Based Learning: I’m a big fan of project-based learning because it allows students to apply what they’ve learned in creative ways. For a digital citizenship project, students could create educational posters, videos, or social media campaigns to raise awareness about online safety and responsibility. It’s empowering for students to take ownership of their learning and share their knowledge with others.

“SEARCH” Strategy. This article talks about introducing students to the “SEARCH” strategy. Starting with a Google or Wikipedia search is common, but it’s important to teach students how to identify reliable sources. This strategy helps students to develop essential digital literacy skills related to conducting online research.

• Select research questions and tools, have clear questions and choose the right search engines.
• Extract keywords and pick out important words from your questions.
• Apply search strategies and use techniques like quotation marks or specifying the type of information.
• Run your search and check out the results from multiple sources
• Chart your search and keep track of what you’ve looked for and where.

Digital Health and Wellness

Balance. Excessive screen time can significantly affect children’s health, both physically and mentally. According to the research, spending too much time on screens doubles the likelihood of depression or anxiety in teenagers. Also, increased screen time, especially before bedtime, raises the risk of insomnia symptoms and affects the sleep quality. It’s important to facilitate discussions about the importance of taking breaks from the screens. For examples, teachers can design a “digital detox” plan that can help students to take breaks from screens and engage in alternative activities.

While I didn’t cover all nine elements of digital citizenship, I shared some examples to illustrate how teachers can educate children how to be a responsible digital citizen and encourage a safe online presence. It’s OUR responsibility to create a safe environment where students can learn and practice good digital citizenship. There are so many great resources out there, please click the links below to learn more tips, ideas, and lessons for teaching digital citizenship!

• Ideas for Teaching Digital Citizenship with Edpuzzle
• 5 Ways to Increase Digital Citizenship in Your Classroom
• Digital Citizenship: Elements, Lessons, and Importance
• The 9 Elements of Digital Citizenship
• Teaching Digital Citizenship: 10 Internet Safety Tips For Students (With Posters)
• Digital Citizenship Defined
• Understanding Digital Citizenship
• Strategies for Effective Digital Citizenship and Online Safety Curriculum
• Teaching Digital Citizenship All Year in the Classroom
• Promoting Responsible and Ethical Digital Citizens
• The Importance of Promoting Digital Citizenship for Students