Qualities Associated with Exemplary Digital Citizens
As advances in technology are made and schools move towards 21st Century Learning, it is imperative that users familiarize themselves with the components of digital citizenship. My previous school of employment was recognized as an Apple School of Distinction, and abiding by appropriate digital use was paramount. As a high school educator, I have seen the growing dependence and commitment to technology that students have become accustomed to. I feel that all the elements of digital citizenship are important, but 3 that stand out to me and the emerging generation are digital health, digital communication, and digital etiquette.
Digital health
-Whether one is sitting in front of a computer screen for hours each day or deeply concentrated on a tiny cell phone screen, there are potential health concerns from increased technology usage. Reports have been publicized about limiting the hours of television watched each day but not as many relating to cell phone usage...why? Do researchers believe that one is more necessary than the other? Research through the Mayo Clinic has seen a correlation between people who work desk jobs and the rise of carpal tunnel syndrome. Adolescents also place a lot of pressure and stress on being an active participant in the digital world. The need for instant gratification is just one example. It is amazing to watch students fidget without the use of phones; during lunch or restroom breaks, you almost walk right into a student who is so deeply involved in catching up on missed group text messages or snap chat stories. As people become more attached and dependent on their technological devices, more information needs to be public to make people aware about the long-term health issues associated with overuse.
Digital communication
-The number of people who use some form of social media on a daily basis is astounding. Grandparents, parents, young adults, adolescents, and even children are becoming more engaged with communicating through a social medium. Since their inception, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and SnapChat are online accounts frequently used. While technology can be very helpful with communication, it must be used properly. Doug Gross (2009) used an article displaying statistics regarding the increased activities throughout the years, and the parental feedback most concerning dealt with the lack of ability to monitor someone's true identity (age, gender, location, etc). His article posted to CNN was titled: Social networks and kids: How young is too young? The answer might look different based on a given situation, but we as a generation have to learn a happy balance between digital communication and also learning how to interact face-to-face.
Digital etiquette
-I believe that digital law and etiquette accompany each other well. Just like in the society we live in, citizens must be obedient to the laws and standards of life. Treating others as you would like to be treated goes a long way. In an online environment, it is important to establish boundaries for respect and cultivate an understanding of legal/not legal. I always remind my students that once something is out on the Internet, there are endless possibilities on who might see it. If you are upset or angry, pause for a minute before hitting the SEND or POST button. We also have to be on guard against incriminating activities (sexting, cyber-bullying, sharing questionable materials, etc). While this is very important for adolescent digital users, it also can be important for adults who are setting examples for the next generation.
1.1.2 Joining a Digital Learning Community Quest
Digital Learning Communities can assist novice and expert teachers alike. These communities can provide additional resources, content, activities, discussion forums, instructional techniques, news, and current events in the education field. I had not really thought about becoming a member of a digital learning community until this quest, but I feel that I have found a resource that I can take back to my own classroom immediately. Educators must make sure that websites are reputable and practice digital citizenship when becoming part of a community.
The 5 DLC's that I chose to bookmark via Google Bookmarks included the Center for Digital Education, Connexions, Free Technology Academy, Khan Academy, and Wikiversity. One of the key attractions to these were that they were FREE! I also liked the variety of information included in them. The DLC that I registered for was the Khan Academy. I had heard about it thru collaboration with a teacher who assigns videos to reinforce specific concepts covered in class. I have already started browsing the website for Economics, which is the course I teach the most sections of. I like how you can browse by Micro, Macro, Personal Finance, Entrepreneurship, and the Markets. There are a lot of really great resources that I can use as additional supplements for my current students who might need reteaching.
The process of joining the Khan Academy was fairly easy. I registered as a teacher and used the activation code sent via email, and I could begin exploring the endless possibilities of resources. The Khan Academy is also reputable and trustworthy. The DLC is a great tool and resource for helping teachers prepare their students for the real world!
1.1.3 Ideal Digital Learning Community Quest
What does the ideal digital learning community look like? Is there a one-size-fits-all mentality? How easy or difficult would it be to create a community from scratch? These might be a few questions that someone brand-new to DLC's might wonder. In order to bring an ideal DLC from vision to fruition, it would take planning and collaboration on the part of stakeholders. Educators would be the best provider but also experts in particular content areas could add a different approach than a teacher. From researching DLC's, it appears that they are always evolving and improving as new resources and information become available. It would not be helpful to visit a website and it hasn't been updated for years. Several of the DLC's that I looked into had news updates and headlines that would benefit educators, and to see current news would be more helpful than outdated information. Another aspect that makes DLC's welcoming and attractive is that there was no cost to register and just browsing through a few pages allowed me to feel that posted materials had credibility and usefulness.
Content-specific resources as well updates on technology uses for the classroom would benefit both teachers and students who visited the DLC. Each DLC had different visual appeals and some were more friendly to navigate, and so I conclude that there is not a single template for all DLC's to follow. One of the many reasons why I chose the Khan Academy was because the pages were clean and organized, and I was able to find resources quickly and pain-free. Resources are out there and DLC's make it easier for educators to find what they need.
2.1.1 Collecting Reputable Digital Resources Quest
When browsing the web for credible resources, I initially started thinking about the steps I take when finding resources for my own classroom. I enjoyed exploring the WOT Safe Browsing tool and discovering if a website was credible or not. It is human nature that when we don't know something or want a quick overview of a content topic, we just use GOOGLE. It can be a great tool but educators also have to be careful given the source.
In my current Economics classes, I am always looking for unique ways to make the content more engaging and instruction more effective. We have a list of credible websites where information has been pre-reviewed and is available to us for use. I always make sure to view YouTube videos before showing them in class to be sure the information is credible and to pre-screen for language. I also am humored when students base their research on Wikipedia...I believe educators are doing a better job with informing students about finding credible sources and the dependence on Wikipedia will decrease over time.
The included links of Criteria Used in Evaluating Web Resources and Evaluating Web Sites were great resources. Those are some examples of websites that more students need to be made aware of. With seniors, it carries over into discussing bias and research methodology, which they will partake in during college. The Center for Media Literacy also provided some insight into accessing, analyzing, evaluating, creating, and using media content.
Some of the resources that I bookmarked included:
Federal Reserve
Georgia Department of Education
The World CIA Factbook
Link to Google Bookmarks
Being a digital citizen comes with learning more about resource credibility. As they begin to use technology more in classes and research, it will be more important that students can decipher between credible and not credible. Educators should use classroom opportunities to demonstrate to students the importance. I recall a teacher once pulling up Wikipedia and showing how they could edit a page; many years later I found myself showing a student who had taken part of a project verbatim from Wikipedia why that is not a credible resource. The World Wide Web has a plethora of resources and information out there, and we need to equip ourselves and students with the savvy tools to navigate and find credibility.
2016 Broadband Progress Report
The 2016 broadband progress report was published on January 29, 2016. Some key findings included a disparity between rural and urban access to faster-speeds of Internet service. Americans also living on tribal lands had less access to these faster speeds. As more schools are looking to integrate technology and streaming capacities, the report noted that approximately "41 percent of schools, representing 47% of the nation's students, lack the connectivity to meet the Commission's short-term goal of 100 Mbps per 1,000 students/staff." That is quite an astonishing figure; I teach in a financially-sound county but based on my results with the Ookla speed test, our school falls short as well.
Access is not available as we are led to believe. It is not safe to assume that every student has the necessary resources (Internet, computers, printers, etc) to take home work and expect it completed the next day. In my travels abroad, I have been in highly industrialized European cities where coffee shops offer customers Wi-Fi compared to developing nations where you have to go into town or even the airport to get a signal.
The largest barrier to impeded students' opportunities to access digital learning is financial. Many families can not afford high-speed internet and cable in their homes. Public libraries offer desktop computers for public use but they tend to stay occupied and people prefer not to wait. I do not have a specific answer on how we provide digital access to people across the board. The legislation mentioned in the 2016 report indicates that the United States is heading in the right direction, but there is still much more progress to be made.
For my final course, I had to do a professional development presentation on a digital citizenship task. My topic was Digital Communication in the 21st century. I presented it through Blackboard Collaborate and had 6 peers along with my teacher observing me. A variety of statistics and activities were included to teach my peers about the value of digital citizenship. A workshop blog was also created to provide ways for participants to discuss topics with each other and myself. One resource that really impacted me was an NPR survey on American Attitudes Towards Technology. I'm not able to attach here but would be happy to share more if you are interested!
I began browsing the Internet for ways in which educators could inform their students on what it means to be a digital citizen. In addition to some articles with educator feedback on the importance of digital citizenship, I also found a variety a images to help in this task. The first week of the school year would be a great opportunity to teach about the rules of digital citizenship. I would have students pair up and come up with a visual to post or present to their peers. Each of the components would be discussed and a class discussion at the end of the presentations would follow about why each one is important. I would even challenge students to discuss/debate why some might be more or less important than others.
When browsing the web for credible resources, I initially started thinking about the steps I take when finding resources for my own classroom. I enjoyed exploring the WOT Safe Browsing tool and discovering if a website was credible or not. It is human nature that when we don't know something or want a quick overview of a content topic, we just use GOOGLE. It can be a great tool but educators also have to be careful given the source.
In my current Economics classes, I am always looking for unique ways to make the content more engaging and instruction more effective. We have a list of credible websites where information has been pre-reviewed and is available to us for use. I always make sure to view YouTube videos before showing them in class to be sure the information is credible and to pre-screen for language. I also am humored when students base their research on Wikipedia...I believe educators are doing a better job with informing students about finding credible sources and the dependence on Wikipedia will decrease over time.
The included links of Criteria Used in Evaluating Web Resources and Evaluating Web Sites were great resources. Those are some examples of websites that more students need to be made aware of. With seniors, it carries over into discussing bias and research methodology, which they will partake in during college. The Center for Media Literacy also provided some insight into accessing, analyzing, evaluating, creating, and using media content.
Some of the resources that I bookmarked included:
Federal Reserve
Georgia Department of Education
The World CIA Factbook
Link to Google Bookmarks
Being a digital citizen comes with learning more about resource credibility. As they begin to use technology more in classes and research, it will be more important that students can decipher between credible and not credible. Educators should use classroom opportunities to demonstrate to students the importance. I recall a teacher once pulling up Wikipedia and showing how they could edit a page; many years later I found myself showing a student who had taken part of a project verbatim from Wikipedia why that is not a credible resource. The World Wide Web has a plethora of resources and information out there, and we need to equip ourselves and students with the savvy tools to navigate and find credibility.
3.1.1 Access to the Digital Community Quest
Access is a key component of being a digital citizen. The world wide web has endless resources but some are never able to reach them. The United States is well ahead of third-world and developing nations in terms of connectivity and access to technological resources. The broadband.gov website did not load the access test, and so I used the Ookla Speed Test. My results showed that the downloading speed was 94.88 Mbps and the uploading speed was 97.67 Mbps.2016 Broadband Progress Report
The 2016 broadband progress report was published on January 29, 2016. Some key findings included a disparity between rural and urban access to faster-speeds of Internet service. Americans also living on tribal lands had less access to these faster speeds. As more schools are looking to integrate technology and streaming capacities, the report noted that approximately "41 percent of schools, representing 47% of the nation's students, lack the connectivity to meet the Commission's short-term goal of 100 Mbps per 1,000 students/staff." That is quite an astonishing figure; I teach in a financially-sound county but based on my results with the Ookla speed test, our school falls short as well.
Access is not available as we are led to believe. It is not safe to assume that every student has the necessary resources (Internet, computers, printers, etc) to take home work and expect it completed the next day. In my travels abroad, I have been in highly industrialized European cities where coffee shops offer customers Wi-Fi compared to developing nations where you have to go into town or even the airport to get a signal.
The largest barrier to impeded students' opportunities to access digital learning is financial. Many families can not afford high-speed internet and cable in their homes. Public libraries offer desktop computers for public use but they tend to stay occupied and people prefer not to wait. I do not have a specific answer on how we provide digital access to people across the board. The legislation mentioned in the 2016 report indicates that the United States is heading in the right direction, but there is still much more progress to be made.
3.1.2 Digital Resources and Netiquette Quest
Netiquette is defined as the correct or acceptable way of communicating on the Internet. When receiving my Online Teaching certificate as a part of my Specialist Degree, there was not a day when I wasn't practicing proper netiquette when participating on discussion forums or communicating with my professors. Each interaction provided me with more practice on developing as a digital citizen. For my final course, I had to do a professional development presentation on a digital citizenship task. My topic was Digital Communication in the 21st century. I presented it through Blackboard Collaborate and had 6 peers along with my teacher observing me. A variety of statistics and activities were included to teach my peers about the value of digital citizenship. A workshop blog was also created to provide ways for participants to discuss topics with each other and myself. One resource that really impacted me was an NPR survey on American Attitudes Towards Technology. I'm not able to attach here but would be happy to share more if you are interested!
I began browsing the Internet for ways in which educators could inform their students on what it means to be a digital citizen. In addition to some articles with educator feedback on the importance of digital citizenship, I also found a variety a images to help in this task. The first week of the school year would be a great opportunity to teach about the rules of digital citizenship. I would have students pair up and come up with a visual to post or present to their peers. Each of the components would be discussed and a class discussion at the end of the presentations would follow about why each one is important. I would even challenge students to discuss/debate why some might be more or less important than others.
4.1.1 Digital Rights and Responsibilities Quest
Acceptable use policies can vary based on individual networks but there are many common principles that are seen across the board. Companies have usage policies based on the field of work. For example, my husband works with a company that trades on the NYSE; therefore, he is not allowed use of his cell phone at his desk and their computers do not have access to Google search. In education, it has become policy for districts to create a common policy for all schools within it to follow. These policies apply to administrator, teachers, and students alike. At the root of these policies are strategies and expectations that allow for a positive digital learning environment to take place.
The DLC should provide a digitally-safe environment where user laws are upheld and individuals strive to participate in safe and ethical practices. Imagine joining a DLC and there was profanity on a discussion board or suggestive materials posted...that would raise major caution flags to me and I would reconsider my membership to that DLC. How does an individual or group oversee to ensure that netiquette is occurring within? People agree to Acceptable Usage policies but how strongly are they enforced? Do they exist just to have a policy in writing? What happens when an individual does not abide by what they supposedly agreed to?
These are all fair questions that I myself have asked. I have seen discussion board comments removed from courses, students called in for being inappropriate on social media, and even teachers for their lack of netiquette. While these individuals serve as examples, they most likely were not the only ones in violation of netiquette. The best practice we can have is to make sure our students act in accordance in our classroom and that we try to monitor to the best of our abilities.
Intellectual property refers to creations of the mind, such as inventions; literary and artistic works; designs; and symbols, names, and images used in commerce. The best examples that come to mind include patents trademarks, and copyrights. It is important to give credit to sources where credit is due. By abiding by these protections, it encourages people to pursue entrepreneurship!
Fair use refers to the legal doctrine that permits limited use of copyrighted material without acquiring permission from the rights holder. This is especially important for teachers who borrow resources from their peers...which is almost everyone. Our county has fair use guidelines that help teachers stay within the legal parameters.
Creative Commons is a great resource for learning more information on licensing and the process of protecting one's ideas.
The DLC should provide a digitally-safe environment where user laws are upheld and individuals strive to participate in safe and ethical practices. Imagine joining a DLC and there was profanity on a discussion board or suggestive materials posted...that would raise major caution flags to me and I would reconsider my membership to that DLC. How does an individual or group oversee to ensure that netiquette is occurring within? People agree to Acceptable Usage policies but how strongly are they enforced? Do they exist just to have a policy in writing? What happens when an individual does not abide by what they supposedly agreed to?
These are all fair questions that I myself have asked. I have seen discussion board comments removed from courses, students called in for being inappropriate on social media, and even teachers for their lack of netiquette. While these individuals serve as examples, they most likely were not the only ones in violation of netiquette. The best practice we can have is to make sure our students act in accordance in our classroom and that we try to monitor to the best of our abilities.
Intellectual property refers to creations of the mind, such as inventions; literary and artistic works; designs; and symbols, names, and images used in commerce. The best examples that come to mind include patents trademarks, and copyrights. It is important to give credit to sources where credit is due. By abiding by these protections, it encourages people to pursue entrepreneurship!
Fair use refers to the legal doctrine that permits limited use of copyrighted material without acquiring permission from the rights holder. This is especially important for teachers who borrow resources from their peers...which is almost everyone. Our county has fair use guidelines that help teachers stay within the legal parameters.
Creative Commons is a great resource for learning more information on licensing and the process of protecting one's ideas.
4.1.2 Digital Safety and Security Quest
The most important step that we can take to ensure digital safety is to have the right attitude that we can make a difference. I firmly believe that if we model appropriate behavior and communication, then others will notice our actions and realize when they are not being good digital citizens. I have a poster posted in my classroom to remind students of the importance of digital safety. I also have included the county acceptable use policy on my course dashboard so students and parents can view.
Google Bookmark of Safety Resources
Google Bookmark of Safety Resources
4.1.3 Digital Health Quest
For the week of March 4-11, the following modifications were tracked and reflected upon:
*Adjusting posture when sitting at the desk in front of computer
*Stretch hands and fingers
*Circle & alphabet exercises with ankles
*Make trips to front office on planning periods to exercise and get time away from the screen
*School work left at school
*Unplug during dinner and time with my husband
*Be in the moment; don't worry about recording things or taking pictures of everything. Live in it!
Friday, March 4: Walk to front office each planning period, discussion, eat lunch with peers
Saturday, March 5: Unplug with husband, go to dog park
Sunday, March 6: Family time, go to dog park
Monday, March 7: Walk to front office each planning period, eat lunch with peers, stretch
Tuesday, March 8: Walk to front office each planning period, take dog for long walk, make dinner
Wednesday, March 9: Walk to front office each planning period, eat lunch with peers
Thursday, March 10: Walk to front office each planning period, take dog for long walk, stretch
Friday, March 11: Walk to front office each planning period, eat lunch with peers, make dinner
Individuals have to be aware of the amount of time they spend plugged-in. I sometimes find myself catching up on social media when I get home as I'm interested in what has been going on in people's lives. I also like to watch the news with my husband and keep up on current events. I do not answer my phone or return texts after 9pm, if not earlier when I'm in bed. Accountability between family members is a key step in leading a balanced life. I like the efforts made by ChickFilA with the technology drop-box at tables and families are rewarded with ice cream treats. In the classroom, it is a uphill battle with students who feel the need to be on their phones constantly. I try to allow them time while I'm taking attendance or a minute or so before the bell rings, and they have between class time and lunch as well. The individual has to come to the realization that they are overusing technology and be willing to make changes to practice good digital health.
*Adjusting posture when sitting at the desk in front of computer
*Stretch hands and fingers
*Circle & alphabet exercises with ankles
*Make trips to front office on planning periods to exercise and get time away from the screen
*School work left at school
*Unplug during dinner and time with my husband
*Be in the moment; don't worry about recording things or taking pictures of everything. Live in it!
Friday, March 4: Walk to front office each planning period, discussion, eat lunch with peers
Saturday, March 5: Unplug with husband, go to dog park
Sunday, March 6: Family time, go to dog park
Monday, March 7: Walk to front office each planning period, eat lunch with peers, stretch
Tuesday, March 8: Walk to front office each planning period, take dog for long walk, make dinner
Wednesday, March 9: Walk to front office each planning period, eat lunch with peers
Thursday, March 10: Walk to front office each planning period, take dog for long walk, stretch
Friday, March 11: Walk to front office each planning period, eat lunch with peers, make dinner
Individuals have to be aware of the amount of time they spend plugged-in. I sometimes find myself catching up on social media when I get home as I'm interested in what has been going on in people's lives. I also like to watch the news with my husband and keep up on current events. I do not answer my phone or return texts after 9pm, if not earlier when I'm in bed. Accountability between family members is a key step in leading a balanced life. I like the efforts made by ChickFilA with the technology drop-box at tables and families are rewarded with ice cream treats. In the classroom, it is a uphill battle with students who feel the need to be on their phones constantly. I try to allow them time while I'm taking attendance or a minute or so before the bell rings, and they have between class time and lunch as well. The individual has to come to the realization that they are overusing technology and be willing to make changes to practice good digital health.
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