1.1.1 Digital Citizenship
Information abounds on the topic of digital citizenship and there are many avenues and side streets to consider. One of the best resources that I have found that not only simplifies the meaning of digital citizenship is: http://digitalcitizenship.net/Home_Page.html. The author, Mike Ribble, employs the art of keeping it simple with the skill of defining digital citizenship in the following, streamlined way: "Digital Citizenship is the norms of appropriate, responsible technology use."The current concept of Digital Citizenship seems to have three overarching themes: Respect, Educate, and Protect.
The "Respect" theme brings to importance the imperative that the technology use practices self respect as well respect for others. This includes the use of proper etiquette (such as not using all caps), making the use of technology universally accessible, and obeying the law (no intellectual theft, plagiarism, illegal downloads, creating viruses, etc.) A user practicing exemplary digital citizenship skills uses proper etiquette at all times, contributes towards making the internet and digital tools accessible to everyone, and follows all laws that govern internet and digital technology use.
The "Educate" theme shows the importance of teaching discretion in choosing ways to communicate, making sure that students are literate in the use of digital media, and how to be effective consumers using the internet. A user practicing exemplary digital citizenship communicates using the most appropriate tool, takes steps to ensure that they and their students are literate in the use of digital media, and actively practices discretion and good judgement as an online consumer.
Finally, the "Protect" theme ushers in the awareness and importance of protecting the right of all people to access the internet, the importance of developing habits that ensure personal safety online, and the awareness of potential problems to health and welfare such as the unhealthy development of digital addictions. A user practicing exemplary digital citizenship protects the rights of all people to use access and use the internet, takes steps to ensure the safety of all users by practicing and teaching safe conduct habits, and is watchful for signs of the development of unhealthy side effects of technology use.
For teacher and students alike, K.I.S.S., (Keep It Simple Sweetheart), is a well received philosophy. In our current technology enriched milieu, definitions and distinctions can become overwhelming. Mike uses an acronym, "R.E.P.", which stands for Respect, Educate, Protect, to organize the main branches of the digital citizenship tree in a way that is easy for teachers to present. His method is to teach on one rung of each section before moving to the second rung. For instance R-1, E-1, P-1 then R-2, E-2, P-2... This is a system of organization that is very familiar to teachers, which will result in easier adoption and more widespread understanding of "Digital Citizenship". An enhanced excerpt:
Respect yourself/Respect others
R1-etiquette
R2-access
R3-law
Educate yourself/Connect with others
E1-communication
E2-Literacy
E3-commerce
Protect yourself/Protect others
P1-rights and responsibilities
P2-Safety/Security
P3-Health and Welfare
So, to follow his strategy, the first lessons would include etiquette, and communication, followed by rights and responsibilities.
For Mike's complete description of the 9 Themes of Digital Citizenship, please go to his website here: http://digitalcitizenship.net/Nine_Elements.html
Why is it important to keep it simple? If we don't keep it simple, "it" will be lost, ignored, or misunderstood. When a teacher is responsible for the behavior of 30 or more students in a computer lab and must also ensure that equipment stays safe and students apply the standards of digital citizenship, he or she can be easily overwhelmed. Note the damaged monitor in the photo below:
This happened on accident in one classroom in the blink of an eye! Of course, the instructor was on the other side of the classroom at the time of the incident helping another student with accessibility issues. Thankfully, this was the only damage that happened during the unit of study. Other damages could have been worse, for instance, a student could have unknowingly given out their personal information or accessed pornographic content while the teacher wasn't looking.
In short, teach Digital Citizenship. Keep it simple, sweetheart. Take a gander at Mike Ribble's page: http://digitalcitizenship.net/Nine_Elements.html
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