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This was presented at the Leadership Conference August 2018

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Imagine a world where parents can genetically design and modify their own children.

Think it's far-fetched? The cost of sequencing our personal genome is dropping, and genome editing technologies are growing more accessible. It could become a reality within the next decade or so.

"Do we want our kids to have blue eyes? Do we want our kids to be taller? Do we want to try and help our kids be stronger or faster or smarter? Do we want to try and eliminate certain risks of birth defects?" asks education leader Scott McLeod. "Families are going to have this choice they can theoretically possibly make in the next decade or so about whether we should really be designing our own children."

Enter the genetic counselor. It's a career you won't see named in college admissions essays just yet, but it's one we're going to need - and sooner than you might think. To help families navigate the ethical and psychological minefield around genetically modifying embryos, these professionals will need a deep knowledge of biology and genetics as well as ethics, sociology and psychology.

"That's definitely a cross-disciplinary job," McLeod. says. "But nobody's preparing those people. Whoever takes those jobs are going to have to sort of make their way through and self-design their own thing."

When you hear the statistic that 65 percent of children entering grade school today will end up working in jobs that don't even exist yet, this is the type of career they're talking about. And it's just one example of the many future jobs that will pop up at the intersections between often wildly divergent disciplines and subject areas.

Will students be ready for them?

In her ISTE19 TED Talk, engineer Aspen Meineke explains why she believes the role of teachers is to help students find their passion or their spark and then connect it to STEM, so they can create their own future.

When worlds (and fields) collide

The massive shifts technology and globalization that are expected to transform the workplace have already begun. In many industries and countries, some of the most in-demand jobs didn't even exist five or 10 years ago - and the pace of change will only accelerate.

"New categories of jobs will emerge, partly or wholly displacing others," says the World Economic Forum in its report, The Future of Jobs. "The skill sets required in both old and new occupations will change in most industries and transform how and where people work."

By 2025, there will be increasing demand for data analysts and scientists, software and applications developers and e-commerce and social media specialists. But there will also be accelerating demand for new specialists roles like AI and machine learning specialists, big data specialists, process automation experts, robotics engineers and blockchain specialists. And as AI becomes increasingly advanced through the development of tools such as OpenAI's ChatGPT chatbot, the ability to work collaboratively with AI will become a key job skill in many different fields.

"Workers will need to have the appropriate skills enabling them to thrive in the workplace of the future and the ability to continue to retrain throughout their lives," according to the World Economic Forum report.

"I think we need to do a better job of teaching kids to live at intersections," McLeod. says. "In schools we usually silo our content. You take courses that are within particular disciplinary areas, and they're very confined to just that one subject. We rarely give students the opportunity to live in interdisciplinary spaces and to live in cross-thinking areas where they can see the connections across disciplines."

It's no wonder, then, that a Pew survey of scholars and education leaders found that 30 percent are pessimistic about the education system's ability to teach new skills "at the scale that is necessary to help workers keep abreast of the tech changes that will upend millions of jobs."

Blowing off STEAM

The debate over STEM vs. STEAM perfectly sums up the dilemma educators face. Proponents of integrating the arts and sciences often face stiff opposition from within a deeply siloed education system, even as employers clamor for workers who can think and work across multiple disciplines.

But such discourse "only marks the beginning of what needs to happen in education," says John M. Eger, director of the Creative Economy Initiative at San Diego State University. The STEM and STEAM acronyms, he adds, are merely placeholders for the need to eliminate silos in education and focus on interdisciplinary learning.

"Eventually," he says, "all subjects need to be integrated."

McLeod. agrees. "We've been talking about interdisciplinary teaching decade after decade - for at least half a century, if not more. Yet we certify teachers by siloed subject areas, and we set up students' schedules by siloed subject areas. It's inertia at this point."

It's getting harder to justify maintaining these silos. Interdisciplinary learning, according to researchers, not only prevents the dissociation of knowledge, but it creates "higher-order thinkers" who can bring a holistic and analytical approach to complex problems. It also brings a host of beneficial side effects, including:

Helping students examine their biases

Advancing critical thinking and cognitive development

Helping students embrace ambiguity

Fostering an appreciation for ethical concerns

The bottom line is that there's no way to prepare students for specific careers when we can't even fathom what those might be. Even now, nearly half of what students learn in their first year of technical school is outdated by the time they graduate. Instead, the key to molding job-ready graduates is to teach students how to live - and learn - at the intersections.

"The most important skill is a meta-skill: the ability to adapt to changes," says Calton Pu, professor at the Georgia Institute of Technology. "As the rate of technological innovation intensifies, the workforce of the future will need to adapt to new technology and new markets. The people who can adapt the best (and fastest) will win."

This means students will need to become lifelong learners, and it's up to educators to ignite their curiosity while teaching them to explore the crossroads between different subjects and disciplines.

"I think we have to be very conscientious about what seem to be the emerging intersections for which we're going to need people," McLeod. says. Genetic counselors, it seems, are just the beginning.
Nicole Krueger is a freelance writer and journalist with a passion for finding out what makes learners tick. This is an updated version of a post that was originally published on June 16, 2016.

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Preparing Students for Jobs That Don't Exist

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Imagine a world where parents can genetically design and modify their own children. Think it's far-fetched? The cost of sequencing our personal genome is dropping, and genome editing technologies are growing more accessible. It could become a reality within the next decade or so. "Do we want our kids to have blue eyes?

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National Center for Missing & Exploited Children

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Since 1998, NCMEC has operated the CyberTipline, a place where the public and electronic service providers can report suspected online and offline child sexual exploitation. The millions of reports made each year uniquely situate NCMEC to identify trends and create prevention resources to address th…

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Social Networking in Real Life -SOCIAL EXPERIMENT

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...and your Instagram captions and your Facebook posts and the Tumblr you abandoned three years ago. Social media is a powerful platform to present your unique personality and interests to colleges, coaches, and other gatekeepers for jobs and internships. What does your online presence tell that audience about you?

The internet is a public place, even inside a "private" social media group. Before you post your dankest meme, take a moment to consider what it might look like to someone outside your online tribe. In recent years, students have faced disciplinary consequences for using offensive language and images in private group chats-including having admissions decisions reversed.

Social Media Tips for College Applicants

Delete your account. (Just kidding, but you might want to clean it up following the steps below.)

1. Watch the name

Whether it's your email address or your Twitter handle, your username is your key identifier-keep it simple and professional.

2. Check your privacy settings

Monitor your privacy settings so that you know who can look you up, see your wall, tag you in pictures, and more. (There are a lot of options, so make sure you're thorough.) Even if you're over Facebook, take a look at groups you might have joined way back when. Most are probably fine, but some may not give the best impression. A few clicks can remove them.

3. Curate your online photo libraries

A picture is worth a thousand words. So make sure you're okay with what those words might be! Maybe "you had to be there," but remember that the college admissions staff wasn't. While you're at it, check what photos your friends have tagged you in. Any sort of illegal or objectionable behavior deserves a delete!

4. Google yourself

Search for your name on Google-you might be surprised what shows up on the first few pages. Maybe you've made a comment on a blog that you'd rather not have show up, or a friend has tagged you in an unflattering photo. While you can't always delete the results, you can be proactive about what you post online. (For tips on how to do this, read on!)

Ways to Shine Online

Keep in mind, social media can also help you. Here are four ways to give yourself an admissions boost online.

Joining this professional network demonstrates you're serious about your future. Make a point to connect with teachers, employers, your parents' friends and colleagues, and others who know you. You could even direct admissions teams to your LinkedIn profile by including the address in your application.

2. Participate in online groups related to colleges that interest you

Follow the Twitter, Instagram and Facebook pages of your target schools. This is a great way to learn more about prospective colleges. Plus, by commenting and asking great questions you can raise your name recognition and improve your digital footprint.

3. Keep it positive

Post your successes on your social media sites just in case someone from admissions takes a peek. Link to the editorial you've written for your school paper, upload a video of your cello recital, or post a photo of your soccer team after a big win. Share articles that underscore your interest in history or your love of modern dance.

4. Find out if your prospective colleges use ZeeMee

ZeeMee is a new social media platform geared toward college admissions. College-bound students can set up a free profile and then upload photos and videos, list their study interests, or expound on a favorite extracurricular activity. Colleges that partner with ZeeMee provide a place to include your profile link on their applications.

5. Not happy with your Google results? Change the story.

If you're not thrilled with what shows up about you online, there are ways to fix it. Social media accounts are usually some of the top returns, so cleaning up those profiles goes a long way. School activity is likely to show high up as well from writing an article for the school paper to participating in an extracurricular activity or club that's on the high school website. Try starting your own foodie blog or commenting on online news stories from your local paper or even the New York Times to boost your online presence. Just make sure your comments are positive.

The bottom line is that social media is yet another opportunity to show college who you really are beyond grades and test scores. While colleges may not officially evaluate your Twitter feed as part of the decision process, you have to assume that a curious admissions officer could take a look.

Test Your College Knowledge

How well do you understand the college admissions process? Find out with our quiz.
Take the Quiz

About Rob Franek

Rob Franek, Editor-in-Chief at The Princeton Review, is the company's primary authority on higher education. Over his 26-year career, he has served as a college admissions administrator, test prep teacher, author, publisher, and lecturer. Read more and follow Rob on Twitter: @RobFranek.

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College Admissions Officers Are Reading Your Tweets

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and your Instagram captions and your Facebook posts and the Tumblr you abandoned three years ago. Social media is a powerful platform to present your unique personality and interests to colleges, coaches, and other gatekeepers for jobs and internships. What does your online presence tell that audience about you?

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Learn more and understand better with BrainPOP's animated movies, games, playful assessments, and activities covering Science, Math, History, English, and more!

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NetSafe Episode 4: Be Kind Online (Grades K-3)

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After Marriott Breach, How to Protect Your Information Online (Published 2018)

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There are more reasons than ever to protect your personal information, as major website breaches become ever more frequent.

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Pastes you were found in

A paste is information that has been published to a publicly facing website designed to share content and is often an early indicator of a data breach. Pastes are automatically imported and often removed shortly after having been posted. Using the 1Password password manager helps you ensure all your passwords are strong and unique such that a breach of one service doesn't put your other services at risk.

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Have I Been Pwned: Check if your email has been compromised in a data breach

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Have I Been Pwned allows you to search across multiple data breaches to see if your email address or phone number has been compromised.

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Terms and Conditions Social Experiment / Prank

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Digital Citizenship, Literacy, Fluency, Social Media...Oh My!

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Picture Books that Teach Digital Citizenship

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Picture Books that Teach Digital Citizenship

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Picture Books for Digital Citizenship Education

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You don't have to implement a "new initiative," shop for a "curriculum" or "find time in your day" to have digital citizenship conversations with our youngest learners. In fact, digital citizenship education can (and should!) happen in really natural ways - like during story time.

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This website is meant to continue the conversations, provide additional resources, and inspire you to think differently about the role of social media in school.

Social LEADia provides examples, and support to teachers who want to empower their students to use technology and social media to move beyond just being ethical and responsible citizens towards becoming digital leaders. It brings together the experiences and stories of educators, and the voices of students who are leveraging social media to learn & share learning, to address social inequality, and to be a positive influence in the lives of others.

Read the first few chapter for FREE here: bit.ly/socialleadiaFREE

Listen to me talk about the book here

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This website is meant to continue the conversations, provide additional resources, and inspire you to think differently about the role of social media in school. Social LEADia provides examples, and support to teachers who want to empower their students to use technology and social media to move beyond just being ethical and responsible citizens towards becoming digital leaders.

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Picture Books to Teach Digital Citizenship

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Picture Books to Teach Digital Citizenship

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Safe Social Media

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Stephanie Affinito's Digital Citizenship Padlet

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Stephanie Affinito's Digital Citizenship Padlet

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Digital Citizenship - Elementary School 4th

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Digital Citizenship - Elementary School  2nd

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Checkology is a free e-learning platform with engaging, authoritative lessons on subjects like news media bias, misinformation, conspiratorial thinking and more. Learners develop the ability to identify credible information, seek out reliable sources and apply critical thinking skills to separate fact-based content from falsehoods.

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Understand social media by being a part of it

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digcitkids.com - Domain Name For Sale | Dan.com

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I found a great domain name for sale on Dan.com. Check it out!

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How psychology is being used as a weapon against children

"We called the police because she wrecked her room and hit her mom... all because we took her phone," Kelly's father explained. He said that when the police arrived that evening, Kelly was distraught and told an officer that she wanted to kill herself. So an ambulance was called, and the 15-year-old was strapped to...

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The Tech Industry's Psychological War on Kids

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How psychology is being used as a weapon against children "We called the police because she wrecked her room and hit her mom... all because we took her phone," Kelly's father explained. He said that when the police arrived that evening, Kelly was distraught and told an officer that she wanted to kill herself.

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Digital Forensics and News Literacy Education

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In this edWebinar, Peter Adams, Senior Vice President of Education at the News Literacy Project, provides an overview of the field of news literacy, including the most current trends and research, and offers concrete tools and strategies for addressing these skills in the classroom.

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DigCit Landing Page | Common Sense Education

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Common Sense is the nation's leading nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of all kids and families by providing the trustworthy information, education, and independent voice they need to thrive in the 21st century.

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The National Cybersecurity Alliance is a non-profit organization on a mission to create a more secure, interconnected world.

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Teaching digital and civic literacy skills from Teaching Tolerance.

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Skip to main content

The internet is an amazing tool for teaching and learning. But, before we can teach students to harness its power and become good citizens of the web, we need to understand the intricacies of how it works and how it can be manipulated to mislead and even harm users.
Learning the Landscape of Digital Literacy

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Digital and Civic Literacy Skills The internet is an amazing tool for teaching and learning. But, before we can teach students to harness its power and become good citizens of the web, we need to understand the intricacies of how it works and how it can be manipulated to mislead and even harm users.

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Google's newest initiative to teach students the fundamentals of digital citizenship and safety online.

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The Internet Keep Safe Coalition is dedicated to protecting children, families, and schools by assessing, advising, and certifying organizations that collect, use, and share personal information and data that is protected by law.

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Be Internet Awesome is a multifaceted program that includes a fun and free web-based game called Interland and an educational curriculum to teach kids how to be safe and responsible explorers of the online world.

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Thirty inspiring kids creating ripples of good online!

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30 Inspiring Digital Citizens: Youth Doing Good Online

kids

creating

30+ Inspiring kids teach the world how to be good digital citizens

Check out these examples of kids taking charge to be awesome digital citizens and digital leaders. Then, go and figure out what you can do in your own sphere to influence the world, or even just one other person, for good.

Let's start a ripple effect and take over the internet with kindness, positivity, and creativity. Let's be changemakers, together. #UseTech4Good

Just as good citizenship is more than not breaking the law, digital citizenship is more than just avoiding harms online. Technology can enhance and magnify the ability of youth and adults to contribute to and serve in their families, schools, communities, and even in the world. Youth and adults can work together to consider and create more ideas around how technology can be used for good - to facilitate collaboration, creation, communication, and positive contributions to family and community.

#UseTech4Good
Submit your story Start a positive project at your school
Anonymous Insta

Valedictorian anonymously posts kind words about his fellow classmates on Instagram for nearly a year.

You can sit with us

16-Year-Old creates app so no one ever has to sit alone at lunch.

Tweeting Compliments

In the age of online bullying, Maesar Prep students are tweeting compliments instead.

Because of an App

She speaks English. He speaks Spanish. 10-year-old classmates became friends after she used an app to write him a letter.

High School students in Anaheim, CA randomly choose someone everyday to feature on Instagram and Facebook. #iCanHelp

Bringing a community together

Nashville Library held a competition for teens who created storyboards, videos, and rap lyrics to encourage adults to get online.

@DigCitKids

10-year old, Curran, encourages all kids to get online and make a positive difference in your community and in the world.

#BeThatKindofKid

#DigCit Day at McNick

Read what a DigCitDay would look like and get one going at your school! Each classroom teaches a different topic addressing DigCit.

@TheLivBits

9 year-old, Olivia, advocates for books and using social media to promote student voice and audience. She is a voice for kids online.

"Millennials...exist in a time where everything is changing. Because of this we are responsible to help spread the messages. We are responsible to forge new paths. We are using social media, a tool that is so readily available to us, and that we understand so well.... We are using this to change the world.

#Comments4Kids

Kids are posting online and looking for positive comments from you! Give some encouraging feedback.

184 Days of Learning

This school invites all students and teachers to contribute photos, videos, and comments to their blog to share what they learned that day.

Youth Visit Seniors

A group of inspiring teens at Magna Library used their digital literacy skill to help get seniors connected online.

Students Bond with "Eagle Eyes"

Jordan High uses technology to bond with classmates who cannot verbally communicate.

The Speaking Exchange Project connects CNA students in Brazil with Americans living in retirement homes.

Cyber Seniors

Cyber-Seniors classes pair youth with seniors so the youth can mentor the senior in digital literacy.

Rethink

Trisha Prabhu uses two software systems to stop cyberbullying.

Day of Happiness

This class set out to break the internet with kindness by creating videos to combat haters and trolls.

Teens Can Make a Difference

Are Millennials using technology for good?

"The number one benefit of information technology is that it empowers people to do what they want to do. It lets people be creative. It lets people be productive. It lets people learn things they didn't think they could learn before, and so in a sense it is all about potential."

Author of My Story

These #DigCit Students created social branding presentations about improving your Digital Tattoo.

@TopDogKids

A Twitter account lead by 3rd grade students.

10-Year-Old Changemaker

"Why does everybody wait to talk to kids until they're in high school?" Kids have a lot to say.

DUDE. be nice

A platform to inspire young people to build a positive community by recognizing someone in a creative way.

The Born Friends Family Portrait - a unique friendship brought together by Skype.

iConstitution by Students

More students actively doing kindness and empathy will directly influence how we treat each other.

5th Grade Class Blog

Students share their class work on their class blog.

Weekly Update

Students of Cantiague broadcast their school weekly update.

Lesson Plan for Kids

Talk to your kids about using Technology for Good. Educate and Empower Kids gives you this great guide.

"Through social media, grassroots movements... are promoted and used worldwide. Oftentimes, we see it as a person with a phone in their face. But, in my perspective, I think it's the sharing of learning, empathy, and love for one another. One touch of a button can connect one person to another that are on completely separate ends of the world."

Social Media Education

High school student promoting social media education to be taught in all schools. She creates a 10 week Youtube Series.

Change.org

4th Grader, Lila Mankad, has almost 2,000 signatures on her change.org petition to reduce the use of plastic bags.

The Stang Station

This talk show brings together high school students to talk about miscellaneous topics. #stuvoice

StudentCam

C-SPAN hosts an annual national video documentary competition for grades 6-12.

Do you know a story that should be highlighted on our page?

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kids creating Check out these examples of kids taking charge to be awesome digital citizens and digital leaders. Then, go and figure out what you can do in your own sphere to influence the world, or even just one other person, for good.

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A library of useful resources from #DigCitUtah

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Digital citizenship education resources are plentiful, but it can often be difficult and overwhelming for educators and parents to know where to learn more about digital citizenship and/or to find digital citizenship lessons and curricula. This DigCitUtah Resources Library was created to help.

In collaboration with a digital citizenship expert, over 200 resources were curated and categorized for this Digital Citizenship Resources Library. This library is provided by EPIK Deliberate Digital as a free resource for school community councils, parents, educators, and administrators.

For those interested in an overview of digital citizenship, the library includes a general Digital Citizenship page. The library also features ten categorized resource pages that allow users to find materials that may more specifically help with particular school goals, interests, needs, and/or concerns.

Most of these categories involve knowing how to identify and avoid harmful content and behavior and to be aware of the many ramifications of technology use. But there is much more to digital citizenship!
Please see the About page and our Positive DigCit highlights page for more information on how you can participate in helping expand digital citizenship education to include more examples of deliberate, positive, and service-oriented technology use.
Categories include the following (brief descriptions are in parentheses):

Digital Footprint (all the ways a personal trail is left when computers are used)

Media Literacy (smart consumption and ability to participate in online conversations)

Security (keeping technical devices free from malware and protecting self from data loss)

Ethics (following personal values and legal standards in the digital sphere)

Digital Literacy (knowing how to use digital tools to create content and more)

Harmful Content (identifying and avoiding harmful content)

Digital Safety (staying safe from physical harms like predators)

Etiquette (cultural rules for online interaction)

Cyberbullying (overt and covert intimidation using technical media)

Sexting (sending explicit photos or texts through digital means)

Other important disclaimers about this Resources Library:

Please note that this library is not meant to be exhaustive, nor does inclusion of a resource imply endorsement or recommendation by EPIK Deliberate Digital.

EPIK has not received any monetary benefit from featuring any of the resources in the library.

Resource lists may change over time, so check back regularly.

If there is resource you think should be added to the Library, please let us know. Send a link, description, and reason why you think it should be included to aubrey@epik.org

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Digital citizenship education resources are plentiful, but it can often be difficult and overwhelming for educators and parents to know where to learn more about digital citizenship and/or to find digital citizenship lessons and curricula. This DigCitUtah Resources Library was created to help. In collaboration with a digital citizenship expert, over 200 resources were curated and categorized...

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A PowerPoint designed by Laurie Guyon of Schuylerville CSD to teach digital citizenship skills to her students.

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A student maze quest designed by Laurie Guyon of Schuylerville CSD.

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Students learn about the benefits and drawbacks of sharing information online. Students give their opinion about what the characters in the story should do about their privacy dilemmas, from posting photos to buying music online, and they receive feedback on their responses as the story unfolds.

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You are here

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Privacy Playground, Cybersense and Nonsense, Top Secret!, Allies and Aliens, Passport to the Internet and MyWorld have been retired because Flash Player is no longer supported.

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Looking for one of MediaSmarts' older games?

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Looking for one of MediaSmarts' older games? Privacy Playground, Cybersense and Nonsense, Top Secret!, Allies and Aliens, Passport to the Internet and MyWorld have been retired because Flash Player is no longer supported. Sign up for our newsletter if you would like to get news of MediaSmarts' new educational games.

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Students learn the critical thinking skills they need to apply to their online experiences, including online safety, authenticating online information, recognizing online marketing ploys, protecting their privacy, managing online relationships and dealing with cyberbullying.

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In this section, you can find...

Educational computer games that introduce kids to key ideas in media and digital literacy. These games are a great way to start a conversation on media issues in the home or classroom, and you can play most of them right here on our website.

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Educational computer games that introduce kids to key ideas in media and digital literacy. These games are a great way to start a conversation on media issues in the home or classroom, and you can play most of them right here on our website.

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This interactive reviews how to conduct an effective search online.  Students have to choose the best key words to use for a search on provided topics.

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Educational teaching resources and teaching aids for BrainPOP subscription. Explore graphic organizers, lesson plans, handouts, classroom posters, clipart, worksheets and more.

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This website offers a variety of games and activities related to digital citizenship and emails, chat rooms, web browsing, SMS/text messaging, and personal online space.

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The National Crime Agency's CEOP Education team aim to help protect children and young people from online child sexual abuse.

We do this through our education programme, providing training, resources and information to professionals working with children, young people and their families.

I am:

Respecting me, you, us: building healthy relationships and creating positive cultures is a CEOP Education resource for 12 -14 year olds developed in association with clinical psychologist, Dr. Elly Hanson.

Under 18 and worried about online sexual abuse?
To report, click to visit the CEOP Safety Centre.

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The CEOP Education programme from the National Crime Agency’s CEOP Education Team aims to protect children and young people aged 4-18 from online child sexual abuse.

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An interactive game about protecting yourself online.

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We can’t find the page you requested. Please visit the Consumer Information homepage and search for the topic you wanted to find.

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Kids can explore various websites to demonstrate and practice digital citizenship.

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On this website, kids can choose from a variety of games related to Internet safety and digital citizenship.

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To support the Internet safety lesson I taught, I often had links to Internet safety games for the kids to play once the lesson was complete. I put these up on my website so that students could access them in their classroom and at home. Here are some of their favorites:

This is a fun, video-game type adventure that teaches kids to recognize the ads all around them, both off and online.

Games, videos and activities inspired by the PBS Kids show Cyberchase.

This is a fun tic-tac-toe type game that asks players to answer Internet safety questions.

Help save Safety Land from the nasty character who is trying to make the town sick.

This is an interactive adventure that challenges players to answer Internet safety questions about the storyline. It's a fun spin off of the Three Little Pigs and the Big Bad Wolf.

The adventure continues! This adventure talks about netiquette and determining the difference between fact and opinion.

Another fun arcade like game about Internet safety. Kids learn to be safe while playing.

Do you have some fun Internet safety games that you use with your students?

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To support the Internet safety lesson I taught, I often had links to Internet safety games for the kids to play once the lesson was complete. I put these up on my website so that students could access them in their classroom and at home.

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This challenging game has students answer questions about digital citizenship by choosing one of two possible scenarios for each question.

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In this free online game, students explore the effects of sharing information online and learn how to protect their privacy on the internet.

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This engaging game-based tutorial deals with issues of good digital citizenship such as identity‚ privacy‚ credibility and web safety.

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In this game, the CyberPigs play on their favorite website and encounter marketing ploys, spam and a close encounter with a not-too-friendly wolf.  The purpose of the game is to teach kids how to spot online marketing strategies, protect their personal information and avoid online predators.

**Also check out the CyberSense and Nonsense: The Second Adventure of the CyberPigs.

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In this section, you can find...

Educational computer games that introduce kids to key ideas in media and digital literacy. These games are a great way to start a conversation on media issues in the home or classroom, and you can play most of them right here on our website.

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Educational computer games that introduce kids to key ideas in media and digital literacy. These games are a great way to start a conversation on media issues in the home or classroom, and you can play most of them right here on our website.

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This tutorial introduces children to the concept of online privacy and teaches them to distinguish between information that is appropriate to give out and information better kept private – and to recognize how this may change in different contexts.

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This tutorial introduces children, ages 7-9, to the concept of online privacy and teaches them to distinguish between information that is appropriate to give out and information better kept private - and to recognize how this may change in different contexts.

In the game children assemble a map leading to a pirate treasure (to introduce the idea that personal information has value). As they do this, they will be asked a variety of questions about privacy and personal information on the Internet. Correct choices will be rewarded with an additional piece of the map.

The game's educational content is spread over two sections. In the Tutorial section, children are given direct instruction to guide them to correct choices. In the Free Play section, which is the largest portion of the game, children encounter similar situations but with less guidance so they can practice the skills they learned in the Tutorial. Both sections provide access to a "mentor" character who gives advice if requested, underlining the key skill of asking a trusted adult for help whenever a child is uncertain about the right choice.

Before Playing

It is strongly recommended that parents and teachers preview the unit. Young children may need assistance with the language and concepts of the unit. MediaSmarts has prepared the document Privacy Pirates: Background information for parents and teachers to provide an overview of online privacy issues, as well as suggestions for playing the game with children and extension activities.

Privacy Pirates was made possible with funding from Google Canada.
Home and School Connection

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Privacy Pirates: An Interactive Unit on Online Privacy (Ages 7-9)

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This tutorial introduces children, ages 7-9, to the concept of online privacy and teaches them to distinguish between information that is appropriate to give out and information better kept private - and to recognize how this may change in different contexts.

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A website with resources for educators, families, and teens to learn about and prevent cyberbullying.

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School Administrators Charged with Child Exploitation After Investigating Sexting

Last spring, Brush High School (Brush, Colorado) assistant principal Bradley Bass was alerted to a student sexting issue at his school. He and secondary schools director Scott Hodgson looked into it. They talked to some students who were reportedly involved, and determined that intimate images had been shared consensually. At least one student voluntarily showed [...]

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Cyberbullying Research Center - How to Identify, Prevent, and Respond

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Cyberbullying presents a dangerous threat in today's digital world to youth and adults alike. Access up-to-date resources and research on cyberbullying for parents, educators, students, non-profits, and tech companies. Read victim stories, learn about cyberbullying laws, and download relevant tips and strategies.

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A website that helps teens learn about being safe and responsible in online spaces.

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National Center for Missing & Exploited Children

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Since 1998, NCMEC has operated the CyberTipline, a place where the public and electronic service providers can report suspected online and offline child sexual exploitation. The millions of reports made each year uniquely situate NCMEC to identify trends and create prevention resources to address the evolving needs of kids and teens online.

NetSmartz is NCMEC's online safety education program. It provides age-appropriate videos and activities to help teach children be safer online with the goal of helping children to become more aware of potential online risks and empowering them to help prevent victimization by making safer choices on- and offline.

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Since 1998, NCMEC has operated the CyberTipline, a place where the public and electronic service providers can report suspected online and offline child sexual exploitation. The millions of reports made each year uniquely situate NCMEC to identify trends and create prevention resources to address the evolving needs of kids and teens online.

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Articles that may "provide a good jumping off point for conversations on Digital Citizenship." (**NOTE: Some content may require a user name and password.)

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Newsela is an Instructional Content Platform that supercharges reading engagement and learning in every subject.

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Various instructional resources (e.g., videos, games, quizzes) related to digital citizenship.  (**NOTE: Some content may require a user name and password.)

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Trach (2013) is an elementary school principal who stated that it is schools’ responsibilities to lead the way in educating children about digital citizenship.  In her teacher-friendly article, Trach (2013) bulleted ideas in sections related to safety guidelines, implementing district policies, and school-based strategies.

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Online safety requires ongoing professional learning for staff and continuing education for parents. By Sandra A. Trach Principal, November/December 2013 Web Resources

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking "Accept", you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.

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Online safety requires ongoing professional learning for staff and continuing education for parents. By Sandra A. Trach Principal, November/December 2013 Web Resources We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking "Accept", you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.

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Levy (2011) began his article by discussing the differences between bullying and cyberbullying.  He then argued about the importance of schools addressing cyberbullying with students.  At the end of the article, Levy (2011) included several resources and a model for cyberbullying education that educators and administrators can use with students.

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Digital Citizenship | Feature

Confronting Cyberbullying

Experts say that schools need to stop worrying about external internet predators and take on the threat within: cyberbullying

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, as schools first started getting widespread access to the internet, many administrators saw the potential in this new technology, but also huge risks and liabilities. While billions were being spent on hardware and connectivity, the mainstream media was fueling parental fears with stories of online predators waiting at every exit of the new information superhighway. The response from many schools was initially to teach internet safety in terms of protection from the two P's: predators and pornography. With funding coming from the Department of Justice, teacher training was conducted by law enforcement personnel and student assemblies often included uniformed police officers. At the same time, numerous well-meaning nonprofits appeared, seeking to help educators communicate with parents and students, but still through a lens of fear and protection.

Many experts now believe this was very much the wrong approach. "We missed the boat by concentrating on internet predators," says Patti Agatston, a nationally recognized counselor and cofounder of Cyberbullyhelp.com. Larry Magid, codirector of ConnectSafely.org, concurs that "predation is statistically so unlikely that it's not where we should be putting our resources."

The focus today, Agatston and Magid agree, should be on empowering kids to be good digital citizens. Groups such as Common Sense Media have in recent years helped to reframe their discussion in terms of the skills students need to live successful, technology-rich 21st century lives. Acquiring these proficiencies requires a positive and more holistic approach: how to protect personal information, interact in social forums, deal with cyberbullying, and critically judge online information are all among these vital skills. By focusing on how schools do want kids to behave online rather than on how we don't want them to behave, "We let them assume responsibility for their own learning and their own online experience," says Linda Burch, Common Sense Media's chief education and strategy officer.

Elevating the Issue
Common Sense Media, along with groups such as Media Awareness Network, BrainPop, Learning.com, and Web Wise Kids, all offer a breadth of resources to address these issues. While these organizations strongly encourage administrators to institute the full range of digital literacy curricula, the combination of students with smartphones, the expanded usage of social networking sites, and high-profile media coverage of recent cyberbullying tragedies has elevated the issue of cyberbullying to the top of many administrators' worry lists.

"Bullying and cyberbullying have a lot in common, but in many ways, cyberbullying is even more pernicious," says Anne Schreiber, vice president of education content at Common Sense Media. Schreiber points out that the cyberbully doesn't see his or her victim, which makes it easier to have less empathy than in a face-to-face interaction. What's more, anything written in a text or online chat or on a social networking site can be forwarded to any number of people with just a few clicks, escalating the problem beyond, say, a corner of the school cafeteria.

Schreiber recounts a recent cyberbullying incident that began with a series of hostile text messages at school in the morning. By the afternoon, a fight had broken out between friends of the bully and friends of the victim--the harsh words were forwarded over and over until the whole school was involved. "Because the bullying spread so quickly through viral texting, there was no time for the individuals to cool off and think about how to behave rationally or ethically," Schreiber notes.

Administrators can't shrug off issues of cyberbullying by arguing that the bulk of the issues happen with kids outside of school or that they simply don't have time in the school day. Agatston, who is the co author of Cyber Bullying: Bullying in the Digital Age, says that although she appreciates that school leaders are pressed for time to confront these issues, "if they can see the link between academic achievement and bullying, they'll see that it's well worth the time." Agatston's research suggests that addressing cyberbullying in school improves attendance as well as students' focus on their schoolwork.

What's needed, ConnectSafely's Magid contends, "is a sustained campaign where bullying is as 'out' as racism or smoking." To accomplish this, experts suggest a unified and comprehensive approach, which requires that schools integrate cyberbullying education into their curriculum and adequately provide for teacher training.

Agatston says that schools must cast a broad net in terms of who they involve in the discussion of safe online usage. "Within schools we need to move from the idea of anti-bullying being the responsibility of the school counselor to being the responsibility of the whole school community, which includes parents," she says.

Staff Training Is Key
If school leaders are going to engage more members of the school community, recent data suggests that much work still needs to be done with classroom teachers. According to a 2010 survey from the National Cyber Security Alliance, just 50 percent of teachers who participated in the study felt prepared to discuss cyberbullying. Over three quarters of teachers surveyed spent less than six hours on any type of professional development education related to cyberethics, cybersafety, and cybersecurity within the last 12 months.

Many states around the country, including Massachusetts, Maine, and Rhode Island, as well as districts such as Kentucky's Pike County Schools, have demonstrated that programs that educate their schools and, in some cases, their entire communities about the responsible use of technology can be effective. In Pike County, for example, the district was struggling in 2007 with extensive violations of its Acceptable Use Policy (AUP). After it implemented on-site professional development to support digital citizenship, the impact has been substantial. Since 2009, only two AUP violations have been recorded.

Burch says she's optimistic about schools' abilities to substantially curb issues of cyberbullying, pointing out that more than 12,000 schools have already registered to use Common Sense Media's curriculum. Burch also sees a range of positive signs that both government and media companies are also focusing on the issue. In March, the White House launched StopBullying.gov to offer resources for students, parents, and educators on how to detect, intervene in, follow up on, and prevent bullying, including cyberbullying. The site, which was launched in concert with a White House Conference on Bullying Prevention, serves to shine a national spotlight on the issue.

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Confronting Cyberbullying -- THE Journal

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Digital Citizenship | Feature Experts say that schools need to stop worrying about external internet predators and take on the threat within: cyberbullying In the late 1990s and early 2000s, as schools first started getting widespread access to the internet, many administrators saw the potential in this new technology, but also huge risks and liabilities.

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How Do You Become aResponsible Digital Citizen?

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How Do You Become aResponsible Digital Citizen?

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In this article, Heaser (2012) scaffolded how educators can teach students from kindergarten through grade 5 about digital citizenship (see gray box).

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Frederick (2013) made several suggestions helpful for teachers and administrations related to digital citizenship in schools.  Finally, she listed several resources at the bottom of the article (see blue box).

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It’s Never Too Soon to Teach Digital Citizenship

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It’s Never Too Soon to Teach Digital Citizenship

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Davison (2013/2014) shared various ways she integrates activities throughout the day to promote digital citizenship with her kindergartners.

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Learning & Leading Through Technology - Dec/Jan 2013-14 - 1

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ISTEs member magazine, Learning amp; Leading with Technology, is published eight times a year for educators who advance excellence in learning and teaching through innovative and effective uses of technology.

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12 Resources for Teaching Digital Citizenship

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12 Resources for Teaching Digital Citizenship

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In this handout, Byrne (2015) separated resources for K-12 educators into “Elementary School Resources” and “Middle School/High School Resources.”  The resources emphasize how children can be responsible, safe users of technology.  There are a variety of resources as well: lesson plans, e-books for students, websites, videos, digital stories, games, and online programs.

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As we head into the new school year and think about all of the new apps and sites we want to use with students, it's a good time to think about teaching digital citizenship. Whether our students are in Kindergarten or high school before we send them out on the web we should be teaching them digital citizenship. The PDF embedded below, click here if you cannot see it, features my favorite digital citizenship resources for elementary, middle, and high school students.

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12 Good Resources for Teaching Digital Citizenship - A PDF Handout

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As we head into the new school year and think about all of the new apps and sites we want to use with students, it's a good time to think about teaching digital citizenship. Whether our students are in Kindergarten or high school before we send them out on the web we should be teaching them digital citizenship.

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A New Approach to Teaching Digital Citizenship

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A New Approach to Teaching Digital Citizenship

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Berman-Dry (2013) discussed how she uses debates in her classroom to promote thoughtful discussions about digital citizenship.

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This website has two videos that are perfect for introducing cyberbullying and online safety to the primary grades.

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This playlist on You Tube provides numerous videos educators can use with students to teach them about digital citizenship.

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The Digital Driver’s License program is a curriculum and platform where students must complete various “cases” in order to learn about the concepts (e.g., digital communications, etiquette, security, commerce, law, media fluency) within the nine elements of digital citizenship.

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Online Safety & Digital Citizenship from K to 6

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Online Safety & Digital Citizenship from K to 6

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Ms. Front’s (2016) blog post differentiates a lesson about online safety and digital citizenship for students in kindergarten through grade 6.  She poses several discussion questions appropriate for each grade level and provides additional resources (e.g., games, online activities) to use during lessons.

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Shaping My Classroom’s Culture with Digital Citizenship

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Shaping My Classroom’s Culture with Digital Citizenship

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In her blog post, Lura (2016) discussed the importance of having conversations about digital citizenship starting on the first day of school.  These discussions must occur with students of all ages because every child is immersed in a digital world.  She provided several resources (e.g., Common Sense Education’s digital citizenship curriculum) and tips educators can use to integrate digital citizenship topics into their classroom.

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What Your Students Really Need to Know about Digital Citizenship

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What Your Students Really Need to Know about Digital Citizenship

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Davis (2014) divides digital citizenship into two broad categories: proactive knowledge and experiential knowledge.  At the end of her article, Davis (2014) cited Anne Collier, who thinks “we should drop the word "digital" because we're really just teaching citizenship. These are the skills and knowledge that students need to navigate the world today” (Davis, 2014).

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What Your Students Really Need to Know About Digital Citizenship

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Ideas on how to guide students to the knowledge and experience they need to act responsibly online.

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On this website, educators can find numerous, free resources related to digital citizenship that can be used with K-12 students.

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The Digizen website has a broad audience – educators, families, and children – with a goal of increasing knowledge about digital citizenship.

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The Digizen website has now closed and all relevant content and new resources are hosted here on the Childnet website.

Created in 2005, the Digizen website provided information for educators, parents, carers, and young people.

It was used to strengthen their awareness and understanding of what digital citizenship is and encourage users of technology to be and become responsible DIGItal citiZENS.

Amongst the ground-breaking and popular resources hosted by the Digizen website was the award-winning film Let's Fight It Together, which shows ways in which cyberbullying can occur, who it involves, how it can affect different people, and what can be done to prevent it and respond to it.

Other resources, including the Digizen Game, has now been retired. Please see below for up-to-date resources from the Childnet Team.
Take a look at some of Childnet's other ground-breaking resources and projects from the past 25 years.

Donate

Even a small donation can support the development of our online safety resources and help our Education Team to connect with more children and young people.
Donate

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The Digizen website has now closed and all relevant content and new resources are hosted here on the Childnet website. Created in 2005, the Digizen website provided information for educators, parents, carers, and young people. It was used to strengthen their awareness and understanding of what digital citizenship is and encourage users of technology to be and become responsible DIGItal citiZENS.

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On this website, educators can access a variety of resources related to lesson topics (e.g., communication and collaboration, digital citizenship, privacy, media literacy, cyberbullying, ethics/copyright, information literacy), how to integrate digital citizenship lessons into content-area learning, and a webinar.

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Teaching Key Digital Citizenship Concepts to Children | InCtrl

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InCtrl is an online resource that teaches key digital citizenship lessons to students in grades four to eight. Start your digital journey with us today.

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Infographic: Citizenship in the Digital Age

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Infographic: Citizenship in the Digital Age

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Educators can use this infographic as a way to compare and contrast what it means to be a good citizen and what it means to be a good digital citizen.

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Borovoy (2014) compiled 11 videos related to digital citizenship that educators can use in classrooms with students.

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"Digital citizenship" is an umbrella term that covers a whole host of important issues. Broadly, it's the guidelines for responsible, appropriate behavior wh...