Week 1 - 5316

One year ago I was just starting my second course in Lamar's Digital Learning and Leading program. I was entering uncharted territory unsure of where I was heading. Today, I'm finishing up the first week of my last semester. I'm getting ready to meet my new batch of students, and I'm so excited to use what I've learned in my own classroom. I've grown so much as a learner, a teacher, and a person. As I near the end of this program, I wish I had taken this digital citizenship course much sooner. Already, I'm learning so much!

One of the most important things learned this week stems from having to develop my own definition of digital citizenship. I first looked to the experts. Ribble’s (2017) definition of digital citizenship seems to be the go-to for most seeking a definition. He succinctly says, “Digital citizenship can be defined as the norms of appropriate, responsible behavior with regard to technology use” (par.1).  Ferrari and Martens (n.d.) explain that “digital citizenship empowers people to reap the benefits of digital technology in a safe and effective way” (par. 12). And the Cyberwise (2015) group adds to the definition by stating that digital citizenship “is the essential first step to becoming media literate […] Digital citizenship prepares [students] to navigate the information super highway confidently and safely.” No matter who defines it, there seem to be some basic similarities - there are hints at responsibility, safety, and literacy. My cobbled together definition of digital citizenship is using technology to be active and worthwhile members of an expansive society - one without walls, oceans, a society that has the potential to rid the world of such barriers.

From developing this definition, I also realized how much digital citizenship encompasses. It is not enough to say, "digital citizenship is about being nice." After all, defining what it means to be a citizen is much more complex so why wouldn't this be? The alarming part about teaching digital citizenship is that it isn't happening everywhere. The landscape of technology changes so quickly and sometimes drastically, but plenty of districts haven't seemed to catch on to the necessity to teach students how to be savvy consumers and users of technology. Ribble helps to clarify the complexity of digital citizenship by creating 9 elements. After reviewing these, I cannot help but wonder if my district is doing enough to teach our students about digital citizenship. Ribble suggests a pattern for schools to follow as far as when to teach what for grades k-8. Ideally, by the time my high school students get to me, they should understand what it means to be a responsible user of technology. But if you have ever stepped foot into a high school classroom, you would know this is not the case. Modeling and teaching what it means to be a "good" digital citizenship can never end.

As overwhelmed as I am right now, at this very moment, with a to-do list the doesn't end, I am excited to see what else this course offers. I feel this course will not only benefit me, but also my students as I'm already planning on using some of what was covered in my own classroom.

References

Cyberwise. (2015, June 10). What is digital citizenship? [Video File]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OH6869bD8iU.

Ferrari, A. & Martens, H. (nd). Digital citizenship. Retrieved from http://www.etwinning.com.ua/content/files/725816.pdf.

Ribbble, M. (2017) Nine elements. Retrieved from http://www.digitalcitizenship.net/nine-elements.html.