“Students need to be educated on how to be good citizens of their country and what their rights and responsibilities are as members of society. The same issues need to be addressed with regard to the emerging digital society, so that students can learn how to be responsible and productive members of that society.”
― Mike Ribble, Digital Citizenship in Schools
Digital Citizenship aims to empower individuals to use technology appropriately and responsibly (Ribble, 2017). Our students are going up in a time where technology is everywhere and integrated into everything. Therefore, it is essential for educators to help students to develop the skills necessary to navigate the internet and technology in ways that benefit both themselves and others.
After reviewing the Digital Citizenship website https://www.digitalcitizenship.net/nine-elements.html, Digital Citizenship progression chart and podcast featuring Dr. Mike Ribble, I have reflected on these Nine Elements of Digital Citizenship and am sharing my thoughts below.
My strengths and weaknesses as an educator
In self-reflecting on my educational practices, below I have identified three strengths and three weaknesses of the Nine Digital Citizenship Elements.
Strengths
1
Digital Fluency: I promote positive online behavior by using collaborative projects on platforms like Google Docs for group work and Schoology Discussion Post app for discussions. I take the time to emphasize the importance of positive online interactions, such as providing constructive feedback and supporting peers and model these interactions throughout our daily discussion in math. I make every effort to integrate lessons on digital etiquette within math lessons, highlighting the significance of respectful communication and the impact of their words online. Additionally, I develop media literacy by assigning projects where students must find and present data from various sources, teaching them to evaluate the credibility of these sources and distinguish between accurate data and misinformation.
2
Digital Security and Privacy: While I don’t think I have ever taught students a direct lesson on this topic, I am constantly reminding them of data privacy and security. As an online instructor with BCPS, I also use a program called Go Guardian which enables me to monitor students internet activity. This has been very beneficial as I have observed students attempting to access unsafe websites and have used this as an opportunity to discuss the potential for digital threats, data protection, and just general safe online practices. I also utilize BCPS’s approved websites within my classroom to model good digital security and privacy with my students. I have explained many times why I might not use a particular website with the students because I am looking out for their data privacy as well as my own!
3
Digital Communication and Collaboration: This is definitely a element in which I shine! I have worked very hard over the past three years as an online instructor to increase my capacity to teach effectively through digital communication and collaboration. I have utilized tools such as Schoology Discussion posts, Google Docs, Schoology Media Albums, Edublog, and other great collaborative tools to help my students share their voice online and with each other.
Weaknesses
1
Digital Commerce: I have to admit that I do not think I have ever really discussed this element within my classroom. MAYBE financial literacy to some extent; however, teaching mostly 6th and 7th graders, this is not a topic I have delved into often. I believe that I could easily be more cognizant of incorporating elements such as how to identify scams and fraud, the difference between digital payment platforms, and even lessons on E-Commerce and how to evaluate online merchandise. As a math teacher, I am fully aware that my students will grow up in a world where bill paying, shopping, banking and even currency will likely be fully online. I know that this will be an area that students will need to develop skills to be successful adults in the future.
2
Digital Health and Welfare: Personally, I struggle myself with this element and feel that I do need to do a better job of balancing my life with technology. Recently, I took a social media break because I felt so overwhelmed and just tired of trying to keep up with “posting my life online”. I found the break an amazing experience and it was just what I needed to break the addiction of social media. Since I am teaching online and online with my students for 6+ hours per day, I feel it is even more important to instruct my students (and remind myself) of a healthy balance with technology. I do find myself encouraging my students to get outside during our breaks or even sit on their porches if they can for lunch, but I do feel I need to do more.
3
Digital Law: For this element, I wouldn’t necessarily call it a weakness, but maybe just something I could focus more on with my students. I feel that I do a really good job of teaching my students about copyright laws since I am a photographer and have had my own personal experiences with this area of digital citizenship. I also lead our school’s online yearbook and have modeled with my yearbook crew how to use creative commons, cite sources, and accurately use media on the internet. However, I feel that I could do more with additional laws outside of copyright laws. I am fortunate that in my current experience teaching online, most of my students practice good online etiquette and I have not had the need to handle inappropriate online comments to each other, but the students do often discuss their experiences outside of school on platforms such as Discord and online gaming. I feel I could do more to instruct them on digital law, especially concerning cyberbullying.
My STUDENT’S strengths and weaknesses
I teach about 125 students online everyday and have the opportunity to see their online interactions, engagement, and habits probably more so than a teacher who teaches in a physical classroom. Here are three strengths and three weaknesses of the Nine Digital Citizenship Elements that I believe my students exhibit.
Strengths
Digital Etiquette
My students have demonstrated Digital Etiquette in their interactions with each other using online platforms such as discussion boards and collaborative projects. They respond well to each other, provide positive feedback and reinforcement, create their own jobs and tasks during group work, and honor everyone’s voice in the classroom.
Digital Communication and Collaboration
My students are pros at using digital platforms to communicate and collaborate. I have observed my students create their own Google Documents to network, share ideas, create and communicate even outside of the classroom. Students make suggestions to me regularly on how to improve our classroom practices to make things more collaborative. I have seen so much growth in my online learners in this element over the past three years as they have spent time in our online learning program.
Digital Access
We are very fortunate in BCPS to have 1:1 devices for our students as well as access to hotspots for students who need internet access. Since we are an online program, our students often receive priority when it comes to digital access. Learning online requires them to have working devices, internet, and tools so that they can be successful in the program.
Weaknesses
Digital Health and Welfare
I would say of all the elements, this one is the one my students struggle with the most. It is really hard for our learners to break away from technology. They learn with it, they socialize with it, and they play with it. In most cases, my students were probably born with technology placed in their laps only months old. I can imagine that understanding a life without technology may be very foreign to them.
Digital Law
My students have good intentions but often have no idea about digital law. I have seen them just copy and paste things from the internet so many times because it is just easier than searching the right way. I have also seen students do this because they just have no idea about digital law. In a world where images, texts, music, and even test questions are available online, it is so easy for students to just go and “grab” what they want instead of thinking and creating for themselves. This has been an ongoing struggle for several years now with many students that I have taught both online and in person.
Digital Commerce
I feel that my students KNOW about digital commerce, but they are not always using digital commerce correctly. This may also be due their age as they are just now learning to shop online, evaluate products, and earn and save money. The students who I have taught mostly range in age from 10-14 so financial literacy is just at its beginning stages for them.
Advocating for Digital Citizenship and Engaging Stakeholders
This has been something that I have been living in for the past three years as an online instructor. I have combined these two sections because I feel they are connected. Advocating IS engaging stakeholders. Our families, administrators, school leaders and even students are all stakeholders. Here are some ways I have been advocating digital citizenship AND engaging stakeholders in my current practice as an online math instructor:
- Attending board meetings to address the effectiveness of online learning and the need for a more robust program. I have worked to advocate for our online learning program to members of the board to encourage them to include our program into the working budget and provide online learning opportunities for our students. This goal is to increase digital access, literacy, digital rights and responsibility, and digital communication and collaboration. I have encouraged my students and families to write and speak to board members as well to help them also advocate for their online learning program and access to online classes.
- Working with families to increase their understanding of effective online learning and academic engagement. I have conferences with families and students struggling with online focus and engagement and have been an advocate for ways to help them be successful in a digital learning environment including learning in a distraction free space, scheduling times for technology outside of education, and balancing technology with non-tech tools. This goal is to help students with digital health and welfare and digital etiquette.
- Planning with administrators and colleagues to include more digital citizenship instruction within our lessons. As a department chair and member of our school’s leadership team, I am always working on ways to improve our online learning program. I have worked with my administration and department to address elements of digital citizenship such as how to practice digital security and privacy, how to appropriately communicate and collaborate online, and how to practice digital etiquette.
Lesson Review and Evaluation
My school system, BCPS, has a great Digital Citizenship website with many resources to students, families, and teachers to help with this important component of online activities. One of the resources provided by BCPS through the Library Media Specialists is our Slam Dunk lessons which students can complete independently or through guided instruction. Throughout the school year, our Library Media Specialist will work with classroom teachers to deliver age-appropriate lessons to all grades within the school building.
Synopsis of the Lesson
The lesson that I am evaluating is coming from the Grade 8 Slam Dunk series. It is the first lesson for the grade level titled, This Just In. This can also be found on the Common Sense Education website. The reason I selected this lesson is because it helps to address the variety of news outlets available to us and how to determine the viewpoints and biases that these media outlets often contain. It also helps students to evaluate the difference between a reliable and not so reliable news source. With the popularity of social media, students are often bombarded with websites that claim to be news but are in fact spreading misinformation. In this lesson, students identify newsworthy stories, how technology plays a role in delivering the news, and how to identify a bias in a variety of news articles. Students have the opportunity to evaluate several articles and discuss the viewpoints, the quality of news reporting, and if any information may be missing or misrepresented.
Which of the 9 Elements of Digital Citizenship does this lesson meet?
There are several elements of Digital Citizenship addressed in this lesson; however, the primary focus would be on Digital Fluency. In looking at the S3 Framework and breaking down the 9 Elements of Digital Citizenship, this lesson focuses on the Saavy component of Digital Fluency in that students will be able to discern accurate versus fake information in news articles and social media posts. The other element that is a focus in this lesson is Digital Communication and Collaboration. Students must work together to evaluate the news sources and create a shared document with ideas from their readings.
What are the lesson’s strengths and weaknesses?
The lesson effectively engages learners by covering a topic that interests many middle school students, especially given the numerous current events. It encourages student discourse and employs several discourse strategies, such as “think, pair, share” and other group or partner activities. Effective communication is essential for sharing thoughts in the digital world, and this lesson promotes that. The lesson closure encourages students to reflect on the consequences of sharing false information and provides a formative assessment opportunity. Additionally, the lesson offers resources for instructors to share with families about news and media literacy, emphasizing the importance of engaging both students and their families in the topic of digital citizenship.
However, a major weakness of the lesson is the limited integration of technology. The only available tool is a PowerPoint presentation for the instructor to use while teaching the content. Suggestions for improving technology integration are discussed in the “Integration of Technology” section of this review. Moreover, the lesson would be more valuable if it included opportunities for students to share their own experiences with “fake news” or inaccurate information, which it currently lacks. Integrating additional elements of digital citizenship could also enhance students’ understanding of the topic.
What changes would I make to address the weaknesses in the lesson that I presented? What technology would I integrate into this lesson to make it stronger and more impactful to my learners?
I am going to answer both of these prompts together because one of the lesson’s major weaknesses happens to be the lack of engaging technology for the learner. The only technology used is a PowerPoint presentation that supports each element of the lesson. I feel that if the PowerPoint were converted into a more interactive platform such as Desmos, this would provide a more engaging way for all learners to participate in the discussion elements of the lesson. For example, in Desmos, students can write responses, see other student’s responses, and the teacher can anonymously share student responses with the class. Also, in Desmos, the teacher can poll students and display this data for the class to see.
Additionally, the worksheet components of the lesson could be converted into Schoology Discussion Apps where students can collaborate with partners or groups more engagingly than traditional paper and pencil. Even using a simple shared document on Google would allow students to share their thoughts and to answer questions about their interpretation of each post, missing information, or inaccuracies. Since I am a fully online teacher, I am always modifying the curriculum because my students cannot actually complete paper and pencil worksheets. I find that just the simple conversion of worksheet to discussion post goes a long way in engaging the students and also hitting that Digital Communication and Collaboration element!
How would this lesson work in my instructional setting?
As a math teacher, I think it may be a bit challenging to directly apply this to my content area; however, in Math 8, we do cover a unit on data associations, and I think this could be integrated into that unit as an extension to a lesson on collecting and evaluating data. In away, collecting and evaluating numerical data falls in line with evaluating and collecting perspectives as well. While I feel this may be a stretch to cover in math class, I think it could be implemented towards the end of the unit once the students have had an opportunity to explore the lessons on data collection and evaluation. In BCPS, the Library Media Specialists usually work with the ELA and Social Studies teachers to co-teach these lessons due to their natural connections to the standards in those subject areas.
References
Ribble, M. (2017). Nine elements: Nine themes of digital citizenship. Digital Citizenship. Retrieved June 28, 2024, from https://www.digitalcitizenship.net/nine-elements.html
Common Sense Education. (2020). Digital Compass. https://www.commonsense.org/education/digital-compass
Innovation Hub. (n.d.). Digital citizenship. Baltimore County Public Schools. https://innovationhub.bcps.org/digital-citizenship
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