Mike Ribble, director of Technology from Manhattan-Ogden School District in Kansas, is starting his session on digital citizenship, using the NETS standard. His opening quote in from the movie “Full Disclosure” with the quote “May you live in interesting times.” Technology opens so many possibilities but also so many issues.

NETS*Standard 5 in-a-nutshell definition: “The norms appropriate, responsible behavior with regard to technology use.” Full blown: Students understand human, cultural, and societal issues related to technology and practice legal ethical behavior.

Why is digital citizenship important? (Side trip into Michael Wesch’s video A Vision of Students Today. What are the issues?:

• providing tools without explaining how to use them
• between two generations - one that has watched the growth of technology and one that has not known a world without digital opportunities (Prensky)
• Setting a foundation for the future

Key Questions for today’s session:

• What are the issues related to Digital Citizenship?
  • digital access
  • digital commerce
  • digital communication
  • digital literacy
  • digital security
  • digital etiquette
  • digital rights and responsibilities
  • digital law
  • digital health and welfare
• How are we going to deal with them?
  • to understand Digital Citizenship we need to be able to see all the parts (Peter Senge, 1990)
  • working with AUPs - how can we turn them from negative phrasing to positive? (Jordan School District, Jordan Utah video on students powering down for school). How do we make it clear to students what’s appropriate and what’s not appropriate. Considering that first graders are showing up to school with cell phones, we have to start in kindergarten.
• Digital law: the legal rights and restrictions governing technology use.
  • YouTube video of teacher hitting a student, taken by a student on a cell phone
• Digital health and welfare: the elements of physical and psychological well-being related to digital technology use. Internet addiction problem is exploding. Withdrawal symptoms are similar to alcoholism.
• Digital security (self-protection): the precautions that all technology users must take to guarantee their personal safety and the security of their network. Constant issue with kids finding proxy servers to tunnel on by the firewall.
• Digital Access: full electronic participation in society. Everyone should have opportunity to be involved in a digital society.
• Dgial Communication: electronic exchange of information. All users of digital technologies need to understand the rules and options when using digital communication (cell phones, blogs, wikis, RSS).
• Digital etiquette: the standards of conduct expected by other digital technology users. Students need to realize how their use of technology affects others.
• Digital rights and responsibilities: the privileges and freedoms extended to all digital technology uers, and the behavioral expectations that come with them.
• Digital literacy - the capability to use digital technology and knowing when and hwo to use it.
• Digital commerce: the buying and selling of goods online.

So what do we do now? Where do we begin? Don’t attempt to teach them all at once. Work from the framework and work back out. IT departments and teaching and learning need to work together. State and federal need to coordinate where and how technology should be monitored.

I really like the way the CTAP4 folks have organized resources for learning about and teaching all aspects of digital citizenship. They’ve included links to PowerPoints, workshop wikis, and even this wonderful poster. I think much of the credit for this valuable website goes to at&t’s Linda Uhrenholt.

I also appreciate Doug Johnson’s sharing his Cyberbullying and How to Avoid It student guide and poster - and Nancy Willard’s willingness to allow him to incorporate information from her website.  Doug will send the Word version to educators wanting to adapt the guide to meet their school or district’s guidelines.

And for our elementary students, I like McGruff’s Shrink the Cyberbully activity.

OK, in appreciation of all who are contributing resources to promote digital citizenship, I have one to give.  Many of the teachers and administrators attending my iSafety workshop ask for additional explanations of some the terminology that comes with Web 2.0.  I’ve been working with our district webmaster, who co-teaches the iSafety workshop, on developing a Cyberspace Glossary.  I can send the Word version to anyone who wants to tailor it for their own site.