In such unprecedented moments with more time spent online for learning platforms and surfing news, several skills are required by teachers and students to deal with the complex challenges emerging with the increased use of technology.
Online Safety
- Caution is required with social media to avoid behaviors associated with cyberbullying, such as incitement of hatred, uttering threats, criminal harassment, sending false messages, etc.
- Review the following social media guidelines prepared by ERASE Student Advisory in BC for students, teachers, and school staff.
- Another document that highlights responsible use of information and Communications Technologies is prepared by the Surrey School District highlighting the importance of safety, privacy, responsible online citizenship, as well as guidelines related to social networking, online publishing, file sharing, and mobile devices.
- Privacy: check this blogpost to learn more about protecting your students’ privacy and possible risks of using online technologies
Digital Citizenship
- Digital citizenship is not only about online safety. It is also concerned with creating empathetic, active, digital citizens who engage online respectfully, determine the validity of online sources, and using technology to amplify their voices to be heard by public leaders and shape public policy, as described by ISTE CEO.
- Watch the talk by Richard Culatta, CEO of the International Society for Technology in Education, discussing the Do’s of digital citizenship.
- ISTE develops standards for students to work in the technological landscape, one of which is related to digital citizenship.
- According to ISTE, digital citizens recognize the rights, responsibilities, and opportunities of living, learning and working in an interconnected digital world and act in ways that are safe, legal, and ethical.
- Watch ISTE digital citizenship series that includes i) digital footprint, ii) online behavior, iii) intellectual property, and iv) digital privacy.
Another useful resource is provided by MediaSmarts; Canada’s Centre for digital and media literacy, which includes digital and media literacy fundamentals.
Digital Literacy
The BC Digital Literacy Framework provides an overview of the digital literacy skills and strategies that teachers are now required to convey in their classrooms.
Another Digital Literacy Framework is developed by MediaSmarts classifies competencies for digital literacy into three main principles: use, create and understand. Skills fall under 7 key aspects of digital literacy: ethics and empathy, privacy and security, community engagement, digital health, consumer awareness, digital health, consumer awareness, finding and verifying, and making and remixing.
Media Literacy
Media literacy is about critically understanding the nature, techniques, and impacts of media messages and productions. Issues covered by media include body image, gender representation, diversity in media, intellectual property, marketing and consumerism, and violence. Several lessons and resources are provided by Media Smarts for teachers and parents to cover these topics. More details are provided here by Media Smarts on key concepts of media literacy and tips on integrating it in the classroom.
Resources for teaching digital citizenship
- Commonsense offers digital citizenship lesson plans to prepare students to take ownership of their digital lives, including topics on media balance and well being, privacy and security, digital footprint and identity, relationships and communication, cyberbullying, and news and media literacy.
- Commonsense also provides credible primary and secondary research resources for students and kid-friendly news sites.
- However, it is a good idea to encourage students to review and compare various news sources and analyze various narratives of one kind of news.
Interactive games for students
- Digital Passport (provided by Commonsense) for Grades 3-5 that introduces 6 interactive games related to the use of safe and secure passwords, dangers of multitasking on cellphones, privacy issues when sharing online information, responding to cyberbullying,
- Conducting effective research online
- Digital Compass (provided by Commonsense) for grades 6-8, to learn the basics of digital citizenship through a game of 8 characters.
- Educational games (provided by Media Smarts) that introduce children to key ideas in media and digital literacy
Online platform for connecting with international students
An interesting tool that allows students to put digital citizenship into practice is Penpals schools. Penpal schools is an online platform that allows international students to connect with students across the globe to discuss global concerns.
Guest Post: Nashwa Khedr, EDCP graduate student, project assistant 2020
