Digital Citizenship should be at the top of the list when it comes to what to teach students every year since they spend a huge amount of time online. “Digital citizenship refers to the responsible use of technology by anyone who uses computers, the internet, and digital devices to engage with society on any level” (Zook, 2023). When a student has good digital citizenship, they are engaging in technology in a way that promotes collaboration, empathy, safety, responsible social media use, kindness, and friendship. They are not participating in illegal activities, cyberbullying, giving out private information, and posting things that could be potentially harmful in the future. They understand that they have a digital footprint that cannot be fully erased that compiles information about the sites they visit, things they purchase, emails sent, and any forms they fill out online (Kaspersky, 2023). Students should understand that their information is used repeatedly and shared all over the world without their consent and without their knowing consent. The International Society for Technology in Education, ISTE, has published standards for students, educators, educational leaders, and coaches to help everyone get the most out of their technology experiences (ISTE, 2023). ISTE standard 2.3 address priorities that educators need to address inside of their classroom about digital citizenship. These priorities include creating a positive experience, evaluating resources for credibility, safe, legal, and ethical practices, and modeling digital privacy (ISTE, 2023). Students who are not fully informed about digital citizenship can make poor decisions with their actions and information that they would have not made if they knew the consequences.
Resources:
ISTE. (2023, July 19). ISTE Educator Standards. https://beta.iste.org/standards/educators
Kaspersky. (2023, June 30). What is a digital footprint? And how to protect it from hackers. www.kaspersky.com. https://www.kaspersky.com/resource-center/definitions/what-is-a-digital-footprint
Zook, C. (2023). What is digital citizenship & how do you teach it? Applied-Educational-Systems. https://www.aeseducation.com/blog/what-is-digital-citizenship
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