Digital Citizenship

Being a Citizen in a Digital World

Image courtesy of http://monarchlibrary.wikispaces.com/digitalcitizenship

What is digital citizenship and why should it be a part of literacy instruction?

How can digital citizenship be assessed?

The term digital citizenship was foreign to me before taking graduate school courses, although I realize now that it is exactly what it sounds like.  Just as people are citizens within a community or country, they are also citizens within a very large digital community.  Being a citizen means that one has rights and responsibilities.  For instance, being a United States citizen means having certain rights and requirements.  In a similar way, participating in the online world makes someone a citizen of it.  However, the instructions on how to be a digital citizen sometimes are not communicated to our newest citizens (children) and they are not prepared to appropriately negotiate the digital world.

Gaining My Citizenship
Although I feel relatively young, I suppose I am ancient when I consider my entrance into the digital world.  I was able to gradually enter the digital world as it started to take shape.  I think that my first time exploring the Internet was in my 5th grade classroom in 1995.  My family got the Internet at home in 1997 (dial-up of course).  I started using email a little later, and in 2004 I was a freshman in college when I joined Facebook (which was a relatively small community at the time).  My freshman year in college was also the year when I had my first computer and cell phone.

The reason why I bring up my own citizenship is that it highlights the stark contrast to today's students.  When I was younger the world was not as connected, and I was able to gradually enter the budding digital world.  I think that my gradual entrance allowed me to adjust to and comprehend the rights and responsibilities of a digital citizen.  Today, kids are born into a world that is connected.  "As the Internet has gone mobile, the Nielson Company reports that by age 10 over half of youth own or borrow a cell phone, while six out of ten own a cell phone at age 11, and three-fourths of youths age twelve own a cell phone"  (Hollandsworth, Dowdy, Donovan, 2009, p. 37).  Everything is at their fingertips at an early age, and there is no structured orientation for the massive digital world.

The potential dangers of the digital world are well known, but I don't know if we as a society are doing a great job of preparing our children for these dangers.  But whose responsibility is it to educate?  According to Hollandsworth, Dowdy, and Donovan (2009), it takes a village.

I really appreciate Hollandsworth, Dowdy, and Donovan's approach to Digital Citizenship instruction.  Parents have the responsibility to educate children in the home in the early years (the most vital education), but teachers and media specialists also have that same obligation to educate students in Digital Citizenship.  "As with other performance standards in addressing digital citizenship, the village must create a common set of policies, practices and curriculum with the end result in mind.  What should a good digital citizen look like as an adult member?" (41).  Schools should have the goals of forming student into responsible citizens who can contribute to society.  If society has shifted its focus to the digital world, schools must shift their focus as well.

I think that assessment of digital citizenship is a bit more complicated.  I appreciate Ribble's (2014) approach to educating students, but assessment still seems a bit tricky.  I think that his 9 key elements might provide some structure for assessment, but creating meaningful assessments that hit on all 9 elements might be challenging.  However, Ribble's approach to digital citizenship education is inspiring, "We need to make sure we help students understand the issues that might occur online while also stressing the positive impact of technology.  As many educators know, most students want to do the right things--and will, if they know what it is.  Let's help them do great things with technology while avoiding the pitfalls."  I agree.

My school's robotics team.  Kids doing great things with technology.  (Picture taken from school website: www.priory.org

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References:

Hollandsworth, R., Dowdy, L., & Donovan, J. (2011). Digital Citizenship in K-12: It Takes a Village. TechTrends, 55(4), 37–47. 

Ribble, M. (2014, June 25). Essential elements of digital citizenship

My goals moving forward:

1.  Look further into Ribble's research.  Try to find Digital Citizenship in Schools

2. Look at my school's technology policy.  I don't think it even addresses digital citizenship.  I am currently reviewing the Student Handbook and considering changes.  Perhaps language involving digital citizenship would be appropriate.