Digital Citizenship
Many different groups acknowledge the need for student learning about safety, responsibility, and ethics when thinking about technology. Some refer to this area as “Digital Citizenship.” A recent survey undertaken by Sonoma County school districts through BrightBytes found that digital citizenship was ranked high among the learning needs of all respondents. State and federal lawmakers have passed legislation requiring public schools with Internet access to provide students with a digital citizenship learning curriculum. This page offers resources and materials to help guide educators and parents in this important area.
Discussion Starters for Adolescents & Families
Internet safety discussion scenarios for middle school and high school students can be helpful to explore questions and concerns common to educators, parents and students. These questions from Matt Harris (@MattHarrisEdD) are starters for teen conversations.
Acceptable Use Policies
School trustees and administrators should have policies that outline the purposes of school Internet use for both students and staff. Policies should describe services, define expectations, and clearly explain the rules of use. Common Sense Media offers sample policies and outlines essential elements in a planning resource for 1:1 school learning programs.
Digital Citizenship Learning Materials
The California Department of Education and the K-12 High Speed Network recommended that schools provide lessons on Cyberbullying and Internet Safety in support of the cybersafety requirement for E-Rate compliance. Some potential curriculum resources for various grade levels are offered through:
Digital Citizenship Curriculum from Common Sense Media
Google's Be Internet Awesome
Digital ID: 21st Century Citizens
Preventing Bullying Through Science, Policy & Practice
A free download from The National Academies Press, this book provides current research on the issue of cyberbulling in schools. From the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education; Health and Medicine Division; Board on Children, Youth, and Families; Committee on Law and Justice; Committee on the Biological and Psychosocial Effects of Peer Victimization: Lessons for Bullying Prevention; Frederick Rivara and Suzanne Le Menestrel, Editors
Internet Filtering on School Computers
Schools and libraries that receive federal funds must filter Internet content to prevent access to objectionable content or material deemed harmful to students. This is accomplished by a device that monitors incoming Internet addresses and checks those addresses and/or keywords on incoming Web pages. If a page contains matches in addresses or keywords, the filter denies access to the end-user’s computer.
Internet filters are generally successful in restricting content for school with primary-grade students, but they are less effective as students get older and become more skilled at developing workarounds that bypass the filtering system. This is especially true at middle and high schools where overcoming filtering software can be a game-like obsession for some students.
The bottom line is that there is no substitute for adult supervision. Educators and parents need to monitor student use of the Internet to ensure that it is used wisely and that students are safe.
Professional Development for Educators
Technology evolves and develops rapidly. Educators can best support safety on the Internet by keeping current about technology and understanding its educational applications. Teachers need relevant ongoing training activities in the following areas:
- Hardware and software, including how to use classroom technologies on a personal basis.
- Effective practices for managing school technologies, including how to utilize technologies with students in different settings (i.e., individualized learning, small group, and whole class).
- Media literacy, including how to assess the validity and perspectives of media resources.
- Information literacy, including how to use the Internet in conjunction with books, magazines, encyclopedias, and other information resources, and how to sort, sift, weigh, and synthesize information from a variety of resources.
