Digital Citizenship

Digital Citizenship is a fairly new concept, simply because technology has advanced so rapidly over the past ten years. I left the public school classroom in 2001, just about the time technology exploded. As I've spent time researching technology, as well as parenting three daughters, two of whom are preteens,  I have come to realize that there are valid concerns and issues educators and parents need to be aware of in order to navigate this new world in which we find ourselves.

The first issue in my research is the issue of technology overuse and misuse. I can say from personal experience that technology can be very addictive. I became the proud owner of an iPhone 5 last year, and I have to restrict my usage or I will be on it all the time! I watch my family at times where all five of us are on our iPhones or iPods and realize that our communication has literally stopped as we play our games, check our texts and emails, and simply play on our devices. We have implemented a "No technology at the table"rule during mealtimes, and try to remind each other to put down our phones/iPods, etc. when we've used them too much that day. Additionally, I have personally found that I am distracted by my iPhone when driving. " Young people are (now) avid multitaskers, frequently using several technologies at the same time while studying or driving." (Robyler & Doering, 2013, p. 13) This is a dangerous practice, but again, a byproduct of the changing times and culture. And obviously if taken too far, technology can send the wrong messages and cause a great deal of trouble, especially among teenagers. The popular use of "sexting" (Robyler & Doering, 2013, p. 16) is a growing misuse of technology and a problem teachers fifteen years ago never dreamed of.

The explosion of social networking also brings both positive and negative influences to today's classroom and workplace. In my home alone we use Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, Vine, Instagram, and more. I "follow" more people than I ever knew existed when I graduated college twenty years ago. But again, although social networking definitely has a place, it also brings about practices such as cyberbullying, cyberporn and a whole host of other undesirable intrusions. (Robyler & Doering, 2013, p. 16) As a parent, I am constantly reminding my kids that the whole world is watching and to be careful with the things they post. The negatives are subtle, which means parents and educators must stay alert and use caution at all times.

As administrators and school boards make decisions about technology in the classroom, safety is a growing concern. "As more student data goes online and students spend more time on the internet, measures have to be put in place to limit access to personal data and to protect students from online predators." (Robyler & Doering, 2013, p. 20) Once again, education is key. Students and teachers must be aware of the dangers and take great care with what they post, remembering that nothing on the internet is truly private.

This link includes a poster with some great tips for students on Digital Citizenship and is appropriate for middle and high school classrooms: Tips on Digital Citizenship. It is important that we as educators keep the facts in front of our students. One way we can educate others on internet safety, dangers of social networking and use and misuse of technology is by offering visual presentations in the classroom. According to our textbook, (Robyler & Doering, 2013, p. 181) persuasive presentations are one of the ten most powerful uses of integration strategies for hypermedia. PowerPoint presentations led the way in this (Robyler & Doering, 2013, p. 178) but there are now multiple options available. Check out my Prezi presentation below for further ideas on digital citizenship and ways to encourage teenagers to take it seriously.



I also follow some great educators on Twitter who keep up with current technology trends. There are additional tips in my latest post. Follow me for more like this @lathamllisa. 

Great article on Digital Citizenship- technologybitsbytesnibbles.info/archives/9861 #ED5059413UWA
— Lisa Latham (@LathamlLisa) June 2, 2013

References

Robyler, M.D. & Doering, H. (2013). 

        Integrating educational technology into teaching (6th ed.).Upper Saddle River, NJ:   
        Pearson.

University of the Pacific. 

        Online Social Networking Dangers and Benefits Social Networking Site Dangers.   
        Retreived from  http://www.pacific.edu/Campus-Life/Safety-and-Conduct/Safety-and-
        Security/Online-Social-Networking-Dangers-and-Benefits-.html

Katrina Schwartz. (2012, May).
       Schools and Students Clash Over Use of Technology. Retrieved from 
       http://blogs.kqed.org/mindshift/2012/05/schools-and-students-clash-over-use-of-
       technology/

Dowshen, Steven. (2011, June).
       Internet Safety. Retrieved from 
       http://kidshealth.org/parent/positive/family/net_safety.html#

Atchison, Bill. (2013)
       Teens and Technolgy: Misuse? Overuse?
       Retrieved from http://www.billatchisonphd.com/teens-and-technology.php