For our blog post this week in Digital Literacy, our assignment was to explore the vast world of digital citizenship. There is a wealth of information available to read and learn from. I found several articles and YouTube videos most helpful in understanding the digital world and how I can better prepare my future students.
To start off, I wanted to get a better understanding of what is digital citizenship is. I watched this YouTube video called, “What is Digital Citizenship” and found it gave a great explanation! During this video, they it explained digital citizenship as just like we take our kids to drivers ed, we need to prepare our students for the information superhighway. In addition, it was pointed out that the internet does provide great opportunities for us all, like collaboration, connection and learning. However, on the other hand, there are some negatives, like identity theft, cyber bulling and predators. The main concern for us all is ethics, and to think about our moral choices and principals that help us make decisions. It is important to teach our students and prepare them for the digital world.
The second piece of information that I found helpful was a blog post from Katherine Sokolowski, Living Our Lives Online. This was a powerful post and I enjoyed reading her thoughts coming from a teachers and parents point of view on living our lives online. She shared her experiences from as a parent, like that one of her sons has a phone and the other doesn’t yet. She stated that they have rules and that it is okay for at any moment, she can check to see what her son has going on his phone. I love these ideas, especially for my own children! The second point that I found inspiring where her thoughts from a teachers point of view. She shared how she has spent time at the beginning of the year teaching her students about what is acceptable and what is not. She describe how she tossed the idea about which social networks to join and if she should allow students on as friends. I love that she see this as an opportunity to be a positive role model for both her students and her children. She is cautious about the things that she posts and it is her hope that students will see and remember give a second think about how and what they are posting online.
The greatest takeaway from all this information is that digital citizenship is a way that we prepare our students and children to use technology appropriately. In addition, we need to be careful with what we post and share and to remember the purpose of our comments. Likewise, being an educator, we will have students watching our comments and posts and need to be positive role models.
JaimeBurkink 
I am so glad Elizabeth gave us a bunch of different viewing options this week, because I am excited to hear about everyones views on DIFFERENT articles! You mentioned about about friending students, and I actually think my mom’s idea makes sense. She is a high school business and computers teacher, and she will only friend her students after they graduate. She thinks the relationship should be businesslike as long as you are their teacher, and that makes sense to me. What are your thoughts?
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Thanks Avery for your comments. I think your mom’s idea about only friending students after they graduate is a good idea. I think that is smart and agree that while students are in school, it should be kept as a businesslike relationship.
Jaime
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I appreciate the video you included in your blog because it defined digital citizenship up clearly. This is unfamiliar to a lot of people but is important. I agree with what the video said; there are a lot of young people that do not think before they post.
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Thanks Christa for your comments. I have a better understanding now of digital citizenship and the importance of teaching our students and children how to be appropriate in the digital world. Jaime
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I love the video you included Jaime! I was so appreciative of how many different resources we had at our disposal this week, and I’m loving reading all the different takes on this topic! It is a hard concept to teach children but so, so important! Great thoughts!
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Thanks Brittney for your comments. This week’s reading and research materials was so interesting to read! I agree with you that it has been fun reading our classmates opinions and what they choose to read! I think that all of us have had great thoughts and shared interesting points of view! Jaime
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In high school, all of my classmates wanted to follow our teachers on social media because they thought it would be so cool. But almost all of them said, “No, not until you graduate.” Which I understood. They did not want that friendship with their students until they were out in the world and no longer their student. But reading about how Katherine handled it was really cool and it inspired me to try and be a role model to some of my younger followers. Great post!
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I also agree with you that the way Katherine handled it was professional and positive. I am still divided on what I personally would do, as I am leaning more on friending students after they graduate. Its a hard decision to make. Thanks for your comments. Jaime
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I think that it is almost to the point where it seems like we aren’t teaching our children how to correctly use technology as a good digital citizen. I really enjoyed the first video as well because of how informative it was. I think we need to do more work with our students and children is school to make sure they know how to correctly use technology. Monitoring what our children are doing constantly is going to help make sure they are doing the right things.
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Thanks Tate for your comments. I agree that we need teach our students more about how to be a good digital citizen. It will take some time, but I feel that it is necessary that it happens in the classroom,just like classroom rules and policies, this should be addressed just as well. Jaime
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