What is Digital Citizenship?
Technology has a huge presence in today's classrooms and this has changed the way that instructors teach, students learn, and how instructors and students communicate and collaborate with each other. Technology also provides students with a greater opportunity to express themselves and to demonstrate their creativity. Accompanying the increased use of technology, however, is the need to utilize it appropriately. This appropriate use is addressed by the concept of digital citizenship.
Digital Citizenship is defined as "the norms of appropriate, responsible behavior with regard to technology use" (Ribble, 2012). Since this is a broad, complex topic, it has been divided into nine general areas of behavior:
- Etiquette: electronic standards of conduct or procedure
- Communication: electronic exchange of information
- Education: the process of teaching and learning about technology and the use of technology
- Access: full electronic participation in society
- Commerce: electronic buying and selling of goods
- Responsibility: electronic responsibility for actions and deeds
- Rights: those freedoms extended to everyone in a digital world
- Safety: physical well-being in a digital technology world
- Security (self-protection): electronic precautions to guarantee safety
To learn more about these nine elements of digital citizenship, please visit this webpage.
To learn more about what it means to be a good digital citizen, watch this YouTube video:
Overview of this Digital Citizenship Website
This website explores the complex topic of digital citizenship, with a specific focus on digital rights and responsibilities, digital access, and digital communication.
Importance of Digital Citizenship:
This website is intended to provide a detailed explanation of digital citizenship and how it should guide students' and teachers' use of technology. Many forms of technology, including social media, photo and video-sharing websites, and collaborative websites, are used by students in schools. In the courses that I teach at Delaware Technical Community College, students are required to use various websites on the Internet, such as Educreations and Mastering A&P, to complete educational activities and conduct research. They are also encouraged to use social media and other collaborative websites, such as Voicethread, Edmodo, and Google Drive. It is important that the technology is being used properly and I believe it is the responsibility of teachers to inform their students about proper use. We must not only teach students to respect others when using technology, but to also protect themselves their own property by taking appropriate security precautions.
Teaching digital citizenship should occur in four stages. First, students must become aware of technology and its uses in the classroom. At this point, they should have a basic understanding of the appropriate use of technology. During the second stage, students will have the opportunity to perform guided practice where they will use technology under the supervision of their teachers. This gives them a chance to perform research and try new things, while understanding that it is OK to make mistakes. The third stage involves teachers modeling appropriate use of technology so that students can learn how to be good digital citizens by observation. Finally, the fourth stage of teaching digital citizenship should involve feedback and analysis. Teachers should consistently provide their students with feedback, including constructive criticism, to help them learn appropriate use and behaviors. The lines of communication should always be open between teacher and student so that students continue to learn digital citizenship throughout their schooling.
Intended Audience:
This website was designed to assist students and educators in learning about digital citizenship and practicing appropriate, respectful behaviors when utilizing technology in the classroom and at home.
Importance of Digital Citizenship:
This website is intended to provide a detailed explanation of digital citizenship and how it should guide students' and teachers' use of technology. Many forms of technology, including social media, photo and video-sharing websites, and collaborative websites, are used by students in schools. In the courses that I teach at Delaware Technical Community College, students are required to use various websites on the Internet, such as Educreations and Mastering A&P, to complete educational activities and conduct research. They are also encouraged to use social media and other collaborative websites, such as Voicethread, Edmodo, and Google Drive. It is important that the technology is being used properly and I believe it is the responsibility of teachers to inform their students about proper use. We must not only teach students to respect others when using technology, but to also protect themselves their own property by taking appropriate security precautions.
Teaching digital citizenship should occur in four stages. First, students must become aware of technology and its uses in the classroom. At this point, they should have a basic understanding of the appropriate use of technology. During the second stage, students will have the opportunity to perform guided practice where they will use technology under the supervision of their teachers. This gives them a chance to perform research and try new things, while understanding that it is OK to make mistakes. The third stage involves teachers modeling appropriate use of technology so that students can learn how to be good digital citizens by observation. Finally, the fourth stage of teaching digital citizenship should involve feedback and analysis. Teachers should consistently provide their students with feedback, including constructive criticism, to help them learn appropriate use and behaviors. The lines of communication should always be open between teacher and student so that students continue to learn digital citizenship throughout their schooling.
Intended Audience:
This website was designed to assist students and educators in learning about digital citizenship and practicing appropriate, respectful behaviors when utilizing technology in the classroom and at home.
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Digital Citizenship by Laura Bianco is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
