Digital Citizenship

Digital Citizenship is a hot topic since recent legislation mandated the teaching of internet safety including digital citizenship in the K12 environment. This legislation affects the funding of eRate monies.

Legislation is a good reason for teaching students to act and post appropriately online, but it's also just a good idea. Teaching to the concepts of digital citizenship and information literacy is important for many reasons. Students, when they are no longer in the K12 environment will have access to the world wide web - an unfiltered, unmonitored, unadulterated web. These concepts are imperative parts of their education. Most universities and many businesses don't use an internet filter. If there is a filter in place, it's not likely it's as ardent as the ones found in elementary and secondary education. An absence of instruction around digital citizenship and information literacy is akin to giving the car keys to a teenager without behind-the-wheel practice. Without skills in being a good online citizen

Digital Citizenship includes, but is not be limited to the following skills:

• social networking etiquette
• email etiquette
• texting etiquette
• understanding their place in a digital community including the definition and effects of cyberbullying
• a basic understanding of how networks operate and how their behavior on a network affects other users
• a deep understanding of how copyright works and what's legally available to them online
• a deep understanding of how to check the reliability and validity of information online prior to sending it out to other parties
• understanding how to avoid identity theft
• understanding about phishing scams and mulitple ways to protect yourself from other types of internet theft
• how to avoid SPAM and other unwanted email messages
• a thorough understanding of how to access and interpret online privacy policies and user agreements
• understanding of long term consequences of posting items and other content online
• advocating for secure and safe practices for themselves and their peers as well as other parties online
• understanding about avoiding spyware and adware