Digital Citizenship

       It may be a cliche, but it is also the golden rule: treat others the way you want to be treated. As a person on the Internet, you have certain rights in how you are treated, what you can say, and your security. Just like anything in life, in order to do something correctly, you must be taught how. If people are never taught what their rights and responsibilities are, then they will not be able to act in a way that protects these rights. It is important for students to realize that it is their duty to not only keep themselves safe on the Internet, but to make sure other people feel safe as well. You have rights as someone on the Internet and those rights need to be protected at all costs. The Internet is such an integral part of children’s lives these days and they do not know how to live without it. Children need to be taught early on the facts of internet safety because it clarifies for them what they should be looking out for on the internet as red flags. This website does an incredible job of outlining the key things kids need to know before they use the internet. It is important to recognize these rules especially since there are not many laws in place in terms of the Internet and what can and cannot be transmitted.
       There are nine elements of digital citizenship and one of them is digital rights and responsibilities. This element states that there is freedom of speech on the internet, but the freedoms also come with responsibilities and cautions internet uses need to be aware of. Especially with children, they need to be informed about what is safe and acceptable on the internet and what is not.

The above video is a way elementary students can conceptualize internet safety and the importance of boundaries and awareness. The North Carolina standard (2.SE.1) addresses the importance to “Understand issues related to the safe, ethical, and responsible use of information and technology resources.” This connects back to the digital rights and responsibility element because both express the importance of making responsible decisions on the internet, and teaching kids how to go about doing that. They need to be told what may seem like common sense, such as being kind, not giving out personal information or talking to strangers on the internet. Children need to be taught the foundation of internet safety to make sure they remember to make the right choices regarding internet safety. A lesson that could integrate this into the classroom is the internet safety board game. This could be used reinforce standards for them, as well as form their own ideas and opinions on what they need to remain safe on the internet.

       The Internet is still a very new and ever changing product. The progression of the online world has happened so fast which makes it very challenging to create rules and regulations to go along with it. By the time a law is made, things have already changed. To be a good citizen of the Internet it is important to make sure other people feel safe and protected. Violating people’s rights can cause for many issues to emerge. Keeping in mind that you must keep in your mind if something is appropriate or not. The nine elements of digital citizenship create a baseline for what is appropriate and safe internet behavior. This needs to be stressed to students so they do not make dangerous decisions due to oblivion. Teacher have to make sure that they teach students to always look back at a comment before posting and think before they act. Sometimes you may need to take a step back and cool off before you make a post that you may later regret. The Internet doesn’t go away and you are never completely private. Students need to learn this from a young age in order to prepare them for being good citizens of the digital world.

Responsible use of Social Media in Education

Teachers use of social media can be effective if approached in a professional manner. The Guilford County Schools Social Media Policy states that there are very clear appropriate and inappropriate ways to use social media in a school setting, or as an educational leader. Putting privacy settings in place on social media is required from all teachers. Teachers shall not communicate with students or parents in an unprofessional manner. Appropriate communication consists of using the teacher's academic email to communicate with parents regarding the student’s work, class activity, student concerns/behaviors, or other school related matters. In this article written by Vicki Davis for Edutopia she makes a valid point by urging teachers to not mistake social media for socialization. She draws an interesting parallel by saying social media in a classroom is to socialization, as students working in groups is to hanging out after school. This resonated with me because Davis is completely correct. Just because two things are associated with the same concept, doesn’t mean they are completely the same. Students should be able to be trusted with using social media in class without the automatic assumption that they are not paying attention. A line that I find interesting in the Guilford County Schools Social Media Policy is that the government gives schools the right to discipline faculty if their postings or social media actions disrupt school operations. It stated that this right overrules the teacher's right to “freedom of speech”. This exemplifies how serious of a matter, and how sensitive of a topic, social media in education truly is.

When talking about teachers association with social media, one wrong social media move or choice can ruin a teacher's career and a school's reputation. Guilford County Schools Social Media Policy expresses this concept well by stating that, “Your online behavior should reflect the same professional and personal standards of honesty, respect and consideration that you use face-to-face and in work-related settings.” This is basically saying that nothing should be done or posted by a teacher that wouldn’t be appropriate or comfortable for them to do in a school setting. It is vital to understand that once you sign a contract to work in the education field, you represent the school whether you are physically there or not.

In the video made by the Catholic Education in Melbourne, they explain the basic guidelines teachers should follow. I believe they do a great job reminding teachers that things we might not see as a big deal, could be dangerous. For example, the video discusses never letting a student use your phone. In normal adult life, this happens all the time. However, it creates so much unknown danger no matter how harmless it may originally seem. It is also important to remember that teachers should never use a social media network to complain about a student or a personal student matter. This seems like common sense, but sometimes teachers choose to vent, thinking no one will see it, and so much trouble is created for the teacher and school. Teachers should be allowed to use social media to further academic knowledge, however they should always be aware of the possible “what if’s” that come with the internet.

Regarding the use of social media by students in a school setting, it can either help or hinder the learning experience. In today’s society, it is hindering not introduce children to technology early on because that is what the world has become. Today’s children will use the internet and technology for most of their needs, and teachers need to recognize and prepare them for that. This video  introduces a teacher from an elementary school in Canada recognizes that social media is important to establish in a classroom. She executes this in an interesting way because she has her students create an online portfolio so they can always go back and see their progress. I also found it interesting that she found penpals for her students to practice their writing and also learn about other places in the world. Yes, I do believe that the teacher in this video may have been a little far fetched with the amount of social media she involves first and second graders in, however her points and objectives are beneficial for her class moving forward. Today, the internet is helping kids learn all subjects and lessons such as math, grammar, writing, reading and numerous other subjects. Social media allows students to share their work with each other, and help one another without having to be next to their classmate.

Teachers can properly use social media in the classroom in so many ways. They just need to be cautious and aware of the situations that could be unsafe or dangerous for the students, the school or themselves. In my eyes, there are far more positives from integrating social media into the classroom than negatives, however one negative has the ability to overrule all positives. Teachers should stick to the mind frame that in an educational setting, social media should be used solely to further the student's educational growth. They should also keep in mind that their media choices outside of the classroom have the same precautions as if they were in the classroom. Today's children will be heavily reliant on technology whether we like it or not, so I believe that schools and teachers should be able to find an appropriate balance between social media and on-screen based teaching.