Aug. 2 - digital citizenship response

In my opinion, digital citizenship is a topic that needs to come more into focus into the school systems. With the advancements in technology use into the classroom, the rules, laws, expectations, and etiquette is something that is NOT being talked about as much as it should be. When I think about it, it is like playing a new game, and trying to dabble in it, without even knowing the rules of how to play. It just doesn't work and pretty soon, you are going to get thrown out or cut from a game if you don't know exactly how to play. I think the same could be true of not instructing our students on how to be an effective digital citizen.

*Two elements of the discussed nine elements that stood out to me were digital law and digital etiquette.
DIGITAL LAW: Students have entered a school age where they need to know what a good digital citizen is and how to construct safe spaces within the spaces they occupy their time in. Students need to be aware and have a strong foundational understanding on how to successfully keep track of personal information that exists about them, especially when this information is so easily captured by others looking for an easy target. Just like there are rules and laws about how to conduct one's self in public, there are rules and laws that need to be followed in the technology "world" as well. It becomes pertinent for our young children to become very familiar with the laws that exist and how they affect them.
Parents should be one group within a child's life that educates their child/ren on the laws that exist and how to be an effective citizen within this technologically advanced world. Below is a website that talks about how parents can educate their children on this topic.
http://www.schoolatoz.nsw.edu.au/technology/using-technology/raising-good-digital-citizens
I also feel that a large part of education about digital citizenship needs to come through education that is received at school. Students are spending more time with different types of technology and some of those lessons need to begin with digital law.
www.teachingcopyright.org, http://www.thirteen.org/edonline/lessons/digitaldivide/, http://www.commonsensemedia.org/educators/lesson/forms-and-norms-6-8 all offer curriculum and lessons to help instruct students on this very subject.
DIGITAL ETIQUETTE: Teaching good manners online and throughout conduct on the world wide web and other forms of technology is also very important. Students need to be taught on how to have good manners with replying to emails, responding to a blogpost, creating blogposts, and even text messages or other forms of communication. Students are beginning to use technology as soon as they can physically hold and operate a mouse or move their finger over the mouse pad on a laptop, so it is so important that they learn the "in and outs" of etiquette when using technology just as much as learning good manners when talking to someone on the phone or face to face. These items to keep in mind may be very easy, but all to important as they communicate with someone. Something as small as remembering to type in lower case letters unless they are intending to "yell" at a person. This is something that needs to be taught and again it falls on the educational staff and parents.
One site that falls into both law and etiquette is: http://www.janinelim.com/bc/4thur/ethics.pdf  Parents need to realize that the rules and etiquette needs to start at home as well. Making rules such as not texting during dinner or after a certain time at night are great places to start. Another website to help with lessons to teach children is http://www.commonsensemedia.org/educators/curriculum/mannersbullyingethics/lessons/2-3/good_manners_everywhere
WHAT DO I THINK NEEDS TO HAPPEN?
I believe that once again, it starts "top down". I know there are administrators that have not been properly taught the digital law and the digital etiquette that exists. Sure, some of them are easier to know and something that could just be "figured out", but some of the laws are more difficult to know. Then, in turn, teachers and staff need to know these very well so that they can, in turn, be taught correctly to the students. I think technology departments from districts need to hold meetings for parents on how they can effectively help their child as they become more technologically advanced.  Parents also need to be aware of these rules and they need to become more familiar with these rules as well. I do believe that digital law and digital etiquette lessons need to be part of the curriculum right from the beginning. Starting in Kindergarten, students can learn the simple rules and then it can be built upon in the years that follow. I believe that this would be a start in creating a stronger student that has this knowledge to pull from.