One of the documents I read through while exploring the Saskatchewan Curriculum website was a link to a Policy Planning Guide for School Divisions and Schools to Implement Citizenship Education from Kindergarten to Grade 12 which was under one of the Quick Links for Student Safety and Wellbeing. The document explores the need of students to “learn the proper knowledge and necessary skills to develop appropriate and responsible online behaviour” (Couros, A., & Hildebrandt, K., 2015). It recognizes that teachers and schools will be required to participate in the implementation of these learnings in K-12 schools. It offers recommendations for how this can and should be done and that active involvement of the schools, the school board, and the Ministry of Education will be necessary.
I think that with the technology available to us, it would be a waste to not incorporate as much as we can. We should allow students to use and explore technology to develop their understanding of its uses and what it means to be living in a digitally connected world. However, with this access, students need to be able to understand Digital citizenship, what it means and how it affects them.
Mike Ribble and Gerald Bailey developed the nine elements of digital citizenship to define the key ways to connect our digital/online/technological presence to being responsible citizens.
The first area I found that could connect Ribble’s nine elements of digital citizenship to teaching and learning in the classroom was from the Social Studies 9 curriculum;
Outcome:
PA9.3 – Investigate the roles and responsibilities of members of the societies studied and those of citizens in contemporary Canada.
Indicators:
- Examine the rights and responsibilities of people as they existed within the societies studied, and compare findings to contemporary Canadian society.
- Compare roles within societies studied to those in contemporary Canadian society.
This outcome and these indicators can be connected to element 8, Digital Rights and Responsibility, as students can incorporate the understanding of their digital rights and responsibility and how it connects to the responsibilities of citizens living in contemporary Canadian society.
Another area I found was from the English Language Arts 30 curriculum;
Outcome:
CC A 30.1 – Students will extend their abilities to speak, write, and use other forms of representation to explore and present thoughts, feelings, and experiences in a variety of forms for a variety of purposes and audiences
Indicators:
- Create a range of visual, multimedia, oral, and written texts.
- Compose and create a narrative, descriptive, expository, and persuasive writings that include a position paper, a comparative essay.
This outcome and these indicators could be used to incorporate element 3 which is Digital Communication and Collaboration. Having students express themselves and communicate using a variety of tools, including digital tools and resources, allows them to develop their digital skills and practice in a safer environment where they can work together with their peers.
References:
Couros, A., & Hildebrandt, K. (2015). Digital Citizenship Education in Saskatchewan Schools: A Policy Planning Guide for School Divisions and Schools to Implement Digital Citizenship Education from Kindergarten to Grade 12. Saskatchewan. Retrieved June 5, 2022, from https://publications.saskatchewan.ca/#/products/74447