The Necessity for Digital Citizenship

As a young adult, I have often considered my digital footprint. Since middle school, I began leaving a trail of all of my information digitally. From pictures, to statuses, to personal information, it is all out there somewhere. I would like to think that I have been safe with the information I have let out, but I cannot remember any formal digital citizenship training in my younger days. As I was going through school, social media was still new. I recall people telling me to be careful what I post, and that once it is out there it cannot be gotten back, however I am not sure I fully grasped this idea. In college I was often tagged in pictures with my friends at bars, but I then soon realized that future employers may see those pictures. This is not a good image for a young adult trying to get a job. I was able to un-tag and remove pictures, but they are still out in the digital world somewhere.

Teaching students about digital citizenship is essential, and should be continuously taught to them. Teachers have the responsibility to repeatedly model this citizenship to students, according to ISTE Standard 4 (ISTE, 2016). This can be as simple as ensuring to site their sources on slide shows, and pointing it out to students. Digital Citizenship should be taught in order to make the internet a safer place. There are often concerns that the internet is a bad and scary place, especially for young children. "Unsafe drivers cause accidents, whereas educated drivers make the roads safer. Likewise, educating students makes the Internet a safer place" (Lindsay & Davis, 2010).

Digital citizenship should be taught to students starting in Kindergarten, or at the earliest age where children begin to use digital tools. Students of all ages should be aware of proper digital usage, which will help to protect the student and any of their family and friends. There are simple ways to help younger students to grasp the concept of digital citizenship, for example a flow chart for middle schoolers that help them decide what is appropriate to post (Common Sense Media).


Resources

 Lindsay, & Davis. (2010). Navigate. Retrieved March 15, 2016, from http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ886385.pdf 

Technology Reflection

Without a doubt, education has begun to morph to keep up with the changes of the twenty first century. Schools are starting to incorporate more of what students see on a regular basis outside of their classrooms, technology. Both students and teachers use technology in many aspects of their life, whether it is for social media, or to quickly look up the answer to a nagging question. Our technology has become an additional appendage to our bodies, and we are always connected. However, many schools are still seeing technology as a distraction to students and force students to "unplug" during the school day. Thankfully, there are schools who are taking advantage of the wonderful opportunities that technology can bring about, which will better prepare our students for the world outside of our school walls.

Technology Integration Specialists (TIS) play a key role in the success of a technology program in a school. Technology Integration Specialists work with administrators, teachers, students, and support personnel to ensure that they know how to best use technology tools. These specialists help to upkeep professional development in the building and are able to help people with all different levels of comfort and expertise with technology. Technology Integration Specialists may hold several different workshops, large group, one-on-one, facilitated peer groups, etc. to ensure that technology is being used correctly as a tool.

A common misconception about 21st century learning is that kids need to be using technology in all of their classes all of the time. However, it is important to remember that, "21st century learning is about the experience, not about the tools you are using. The experience defines the tools, not the other way around" (Warlick, 2010). Educators must understand that not only should students be exposed to how to use the technology, but they must know how to use the technology to apply their understandings or create a product to show their knowledge.


References

 Warlick, D. (2010, August 16). Technology for 21st Century Learning: Part 1 : 2¢ Worth. Retrieved March 11, 2016, from http://2cents.onlearning.us/?p=2712