Introduction
The reality of education today is that teachers are frequently called upon to teach students more than content. Teachers are asked to help students become contributing members of the community. As technology resources proliferate, especially among young people, there is a need for teachers to help students understand the value of the digital resources at their disposal as well as the appropriate way to conduct themselves when using those resources. Consequently, teachers often find themselves weaving the lessons of digital citizenship into the subject matter that they are teaching. As children gain access to technology at younger ages, it is essential to realize that teaching about digital citizenship is no longer just the domain of middle and high school teachers. Students need to begin to hear about leaving a positive digital footprint in kindergarten, or even earlier, and the message needs to continue and to be consistent throughout their school years.
Durable Understandings of Digital Citizenship
In his book Digital Citizenship in Schools: Nine Elements all Students Should Know, Mike Ribble (2015) states, “The concept of digital citizenship, then, reinforces the positive aspects of technology so that everyone can work and play in this digital world” (location 331). Computers may have developed as a means to improve work productivity, but today’s technology is often used for leisure activities as well. Young children do not use technology to create spreadsheets or presentations; they use it to watch videos, to learn, and to play games.
Ribble (2015) breaks the concept of digital citizenship into nine elements: Digital access, digital commerce, digital communication, digital literacy, digital etiquette, digital law, digital rights, and responsibilities, digital health and wellness, and digital security. He categorizes these elements into three groups: respect, educate, and protect (Ribble, 2015).
While Ribble’s ideas of digital citizenship are broad enough for today and to take us into the future, he was not the first to bring this concept to light. Moor’s (1985) definition of computer ethics is “the analysis of the nature and social impact of computer technology and the corresponding formulation and justification of policies for the ethical use of such technology” (p. 7). Although he did not use the term “digital citizenship,” Moor’s definition encompasses the same overarching themes of personal and societal responsibility.
Digital citizenship should be important to everyone. Each individual must take ownership of his/her digital footprint, asking himself/herself the question, “What does my use of technology tools say about me?” Digital citizenship also asks society to ensure that equal access is provided to everyone, regardless of socioeconomic status. At the time of this writing, the United States is confronted by a pandemic that is bringing into the light inequities in technology and high speed internet access that have existed for decades. Federal, state, and local governments must work together to ensure that everyone, especially students, can benefit from today’s technology tools.
Course Accomplishments
As a high school teacher, I am frequently confronted with students’ failure to properly cite their sources due to lack of knowledge. Others have a tendency to copy and paste from internet sources due to laziness. Ribble’s (2015) book, class discussions, and course assignments have given me a clearer understanding of the legal implications that students could face when they do not know the rules and regulations regarding the acceptable use of materials and others’ ideas. Additionally, this course has shown me areas where I need to change my own practices when using internet and copyrighted materials. Before taking tise course, I believed that it was acceptable to use most resources within the classroom because their use was for educational purposes. In the future I will look at the materials I choose and how I use them with the rules of digital citizenship in mind.
Course Challenges
The assignments and activities in this course ask students to think about aspects of digital citizenship to which I had not given much consideration before. I work in a medium-sized public school district that is generally well-funded. We have dependable wifi internet access in all school district buildings, and the vast majority of students have high speed internet at home. Two years ago our district began a one-to-one program where we provided Chromebooks to all high school students.
While I have always been aware that inequities exist in the area of access to technology tools, I had not given enough thought to the ethical responsibility to provide equal access to all members of the community prior to taking this course. My state is a commonwealth. As such our school districts are run, and funded for the most part, on the local level. There are several school districts within each county, each operating independently of the others. While this system offers the many benefits of community-based governance, it also leads to disparities from school district to school district. The school district in which I work has most resources teachers and students could want, but some neighboring schools struggle to provide the basics. The state government attempts to make up for shortfalls in local tax revenue in these districts, but inequities persist. Access to technology should not be dependent upon one’s address.
Best Work in this Course
The various assignments in this course forced me to think about the many aspects of digital citizenship. The weekly reflections, in particular, were where I took the time to consider the implications of the nine elements of digital citizenship and how they relate to what I do in the classroom. After this course has ended, I anticipate returning to my reflection posts as a reminder of the importance of weaving lessons on digital citizenship into my content area instruction.
Connecting Course Learning
Perhaps the most important lesson for my high school students to learn and accept into their internet usage practice is the significance of leaving a positive digital footprint. When I look out across the classroom at my students, I see young people with incredible potential. However, I also see adolescents who sometimes act without thinking about the consequences. They may be adept users and consumers of technology, but they are not as informed about the responsible use of the technology tools that they have at their disposal.
Because I see what my students have to offer to society, I do not want their opportunities mitigated by a negative digital footprint that they may have created in high school. I accept that sometimes students post statements because they are inside jokes that they find funny at the time, but others may find them offensive. I also know that there are students out there whose emotional reactions cause them to post malicious opinions and rumors. The lesson that I hope to teach my students is that there is already enough negativity in the world. Why not be a force for positivity instead?
Favorite Aspect of Course
Regardless of the course, I have always found the online sessions the most valuable. The opportunity to ask questions is always appreciated, but I also learn much from my classmates who are colleagues in the teaching profession as well as the professors, who have real word education experience. While I benefit from reflections and discussion board posts because they encourage me to think about the course content and materials, contributions for course members and instructors have the greatestt influence on my practice as an educator.
Conclusion
I began this course ready to check another one off of my list as I march toward my degree. However, as with many of my courses, I found that this one provided important and necessary insight that I need in order to follow ethical and legal standards of copyright and to help me to prepare my students for the difficult challenges that they face in evaluating their own digital footprints as well as the way they use resources in their academic work. As digital learning comes more prevalent, I will return frequently to the skills and knowledge that I learned in this course so that I provide appropriate guidance and learning experiences to my students.
References
Moor, J. H. (1985). What is computer ethics? Metaphilosophy, 16(4), 266-275.
Ribble, M. (2015). Digital citizenship in schools: Nine elements all students should know (3rd ed.) [Kindle Book].
Growing my Classroom 