Safe! Kind! Responsible!
All of these are what we want our kids to demonstrate when using technology and online! Please take a few moments to sit down with your family and learn about what it looks like and sounds like to become a .... SUPER DIGITAL CITIZEN!
As we fondly remember from one of our favorite superhero's Spiderman...
Over the next few weeks in the Library, 3rd, 4th and 5th grade students will be learning how to become a responsible citizen while using online tools, apps and website. One of the first lessons students will access to jump start their journey will be "Super Digital Citizen" Common Sense Media - Digital Citizenship(common sense media - digital citizenship). In this lesson, students will explore what it means to be respectful and responsible while online and offline. Your student will create their very own superhero identity as "digital heroes" who solve issues online responsibly.
Families, check out this follow up video about Super Digital Citizens!
Many school districts across the nation (including ours) have adopted this new philosophy and take on digital citizenship. Inclusion of families and parents WITH teaching students the concepts is vital to a successful learning moment. As this (independent) school in Texas reflects, "... means helping students, teachers, and parents to understand what is
involved in being a responsible digital citizen, from promoting
personal safety online to adhering to the district's acceptable use
policies, from providing cyber-security training for district personnel
to including cyber-security lessons for all students within the
curriculum." For more on this topic and learning about how this school creates an inclusion program regarding digital citizenship, click here: Teaching Parents Digital Citizenship at Katy ISD
By now, your child should be fairly familiar with many terms and language used when discussing digital citizenship. This might be a good opportunity to discuss your views on screen time at school and at home, any expectations you have and a conversation about online safety. As a parent of two school aged children myself, I often find the online resources overwhelming and a little difficult to navigate. If you're looking to learn some strategies of how to create parental controls on your iPad, useful digital citizenship websites for parents or just a 'walk-me-through-it" type of tutorial, check out this video:
As we continue with our skill building and education of safe, responsible and respectful digital citizenship your student will learn why it's vital to create a safe and strong password, how to manage and use strategies dealing with online bullying and much more. If you're still curious and wanting to become more involved with the power of digital citizenship, take a look below at several helpful resources:
