Dual Citizenship: What does it mean to be a Digital Citizen?

In our last online meeting for our ECMP455 class, we discussed various topics concerning the realm of technology and its use, for good or ill, in the classroom and in the world.  It seems to me that there are a lot of dangers with using technology and more specifically the internet.  But many people, when they see the evil that can occur because of the internet, are frightened and lump all of technology together, the good and the bad, which causes them to either restrict the use of it for themselves and their children.

Now, people are entitled to their opinions, but I don’t think that that response is the correct answer.  It seems to me that if there are some guidelines or rules that are followed, it would make it less dangerous for everyone to use technology by severely limiting the risks.  It seems like the problem is not too much technology, but not enough understanding of how it can, should, and should not be used. What does it mean to be a good Digital Citizen?

Dean Vendramin, a respected teacher colleague of mine, talked about digital citizenship and gave a few great points (look at the column on page 3) for how teachers should approach using technology to help appropriately integrate it into their schools, their communities, and their lives.  He goes through and talks about how teachers should be informed about what’s out there, that they should get involved with some tool and integrate its use in the classroom.  Using the tool teachers should model appropriate use for students, they should inform parents and admin, and lastly have fun whilst using this new tool.  The best part is that if a teacher is unsure about something, they can feel free to ask questions of someone who does no more about the topic.

Zachary Cowper also shared some really good points on his blog, also talking about Digital Citizenship, and even incorporated a sweet rap video that gave a few thinking points to ponder.  These are all good things to think about when trying to be a good Digital Citizen.

So, how does one be a good Digital Citizen?  Follow some of the steps given in the video and elsewhere, and be considerate of who might see the post and who might be affected by it.

Have a great day!