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Protecting equipment and identity

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Protect Your Email Accounts

How You Know You've Been Hacked

You might have been hacked if:

friends and family are getting emails or messages you didn't send

your Sent messages folder has messages you didn't send, or it has been emptied

your social media accounts have posts you didn't make

you can't log into your email or social media account

In the case of emails with random links, it's possible your email address was "spoofed," or faked, and hackers don't actually have access to your account. But you'll want to take action, just in case.

What To Do When You've Been Hacked

1. Update your system and delete any malware and make sure your security software is up-to-date

If you don't have security software, get it. (Free AntiVirus/Malware software for ECSU students below). But install security software only from reputable, well-known companies. Then, run it to scan your computer for viruses and spyware (aka malware). Delete any suspicious software and restart your computer.

Set your security software, internet browser, and operating system (like Windows or Mac OS) to update automatically.

Software developers often release updates to patch security vulnerabilities. Keep your security software, your internet browser, and your operating system up-to-date to help your computer keep pace with the latest hack attacks.

2. Change your passwords

That's IF you're able to log into your email or social networking account. Someone may have gotten your old password and changed it. If you use similar passwords for other accounts, change them, too. Make sure you create strong passwords that will be hard to guess.

3. Check the advice your email provider or social networking site has about restoring your account

You can find helpful advice specific to the service. If your account has been taken over, you might need to fill out forms to prove it's really you trying to get back into your account.

4. Check your account settings

Once you're back in your account, make sure your signature and "away" message don't contain unfamiliar links, and that messages aren't being forwarded to someone else's address. On your social networking service, look for changes to the account since you last logged in - say, a new "friend."

5. Tell your friends

A quick email letting your friends know they might have gotten a malicious link or a fake plea for help can keep them from sending money they won't get back or installing malware on their computers. Put your friends' email addresses in the Bcc line to keep them confidential. You could copy and send this article, too.

What to Do Before You're Hacked

Use unique passwords for important sites, like your bank and email
That way, someone who knows one of your passwords won't suddenly have access to all your important accounts.

Choose strong passwords that are harder to crack.
Some people find password managers - software that stores and remembers your passwords for you - a helpful way to keep things straight. If you use a password manager, make sure to select a unique, strong password for it, too. Many password managers will let you know whether the master password you've created is strong enough.

Safeguard your usernames and secret passwords
Think twice when you're asked to enter credentials like usernames and secret passwords. Never provide them in response to an email. If the email or text seems to be from your bank, for example, visit the bank website directly rather than clicking on any links or calling any numbers in the message. Scammers impersonate well-known businesses to trick people into giving out personal information.ECSU will never, never ask for your secret password.

Turn on two-factor authentication if your service provider offers it
A number of online services offer "two-factor authentication," where getting into your account requires a password plus something else - say, a code sent to your smartphone - to prove it's really you.

Don't click on links or open attachments in emails unless you know who sent them and what they are
That link or attachment could install malware on your computer. Also do your part: don't forward random links.

Download free software only from sites you know and trust
If you're not sure who to trust, do some research before you download any software. Free games, file-sharing programs, and customized toolbars also could contain malware.

Don't treat public computers like your personal computer
If it's not your computer, don't let a web browser remember your passwords, and make sure to log out of any accounts when you're done. In fact, if you can help it, don't access personal accounts - like email, or especially bank accounts - on public computers at all. (Also be careful any time you use public Wi-Fi.)

Learn more at the Federal Trade Commission website https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/topics/privacy-identity-online-security

How to Keep Your Personal Information Secure

Protecting your personal information can help reduce your risk of identity theft. There are four main ways to do it: know who you share information with; store and dispose of your personal information securely, especially your Social Security number; ask questions before deciding to share your personal information; and maintain appropriate security on your computers and other electronic devices.
Learn more here

Lookout for Phishing

Phishing is when a scammer uses fraudulent emails or texts, or copycat websites to get you to share valuable personal information - such as account numbers, Social Security numbers, or your login IDs and passwords. Scammers use your information to steal your money or your identity or both.
Learn more here
Lookout for Malware

Malware includes viruses, spyware, and other unwanted software that gets installed on your computer or mobile device without your consent. These programs can cause your device to crash, and can be used to monitor and control your online activity. They also can make your computer vulnerable to viruses and deliver unwanted or inappropriate ads. Criminals use malware to steal personal information, send spam, and commit fraud.

The IT Security Office (ISO) provides focused topic presentations in-person and on the website. We also curate free resources for the University Community.

Identity Theft is Real

Protect Your Identity:

What can you do to keep your personal info secure? Are identity protection services worth the cost? What about credit freezes? Check out the FTC's identity theft articles to find out.

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You might have been hacked if: friends and family are getting emails or messages you didn't send your Sent messages folder has messages you didn't send, or it has been emptied your social media accounts have posts you didn't make you can't log into your email or social media account In the case of emails with random links, it's possible your email address was "spoofed," or faked, and hackers don't actually have access to your account.

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Protecting equipment and identity

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Protecting equipment and identity

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Vocabulary

privacy [ pray vuh see] ( noun) freedom from being observed, attended to or disturbed by other people

security [suh kyoo reh tee] ( noun) freedom from danger or threat

digital footprint [ did juh tuhl fuht print] ( noun) the information available about a person online because of their own digital activity

Series Overview

As technology advances and the social landscape shifts, it is crucial for students to become digitally literate citizens. In this series, elementary students will learn the ins and outs of media literacy, from choosing reliable sources and understanding online searches to navigating online security and participating in digital communities.

Lesson Overview

Children are using the internet and participating in digital communities at unprecedented rates, and as teachers, it is our job to help them learn to keep themselves safe. This lesson begins by helping students to define privacy and security and understand what these concepts mean in the context of a digital environment. They also will learn what it means to have a digital footprint.

Students will discuss basic guidelines for maintaining privacy and security online. To help them internalize these rules, students will illustrate what it would mean to follow each guideline.

Finally, students will have a chance to look at some of the privacy policies on specific websites and think about what these policies mean for them.

Procedure

Privacy, Security and Digital Footprints

1. Ask students to name some times when privacy feels important to them-either at home, at school or out in public. Use their answers to help them come up with a definition of privacy. Then, ask them to name some times when security feels important to them. Use students' answers to help them understand what security means. If students are unfamiliar with the concept of security, you can ask them to think about times when it feels important to be kept safe or have information about themselves, the people they love and their personal belongings kept safe. Tell students that, when they are using the internet or any digital media, it is important to keep privacy and security in mind.

2. Explain that one reason privacy and security matter online is because of something called a digital footprint. You can tell your students that just as they leave footprints in sand, snow or wet cement that stay behind long after they are gone, they also leave footprints online when they use digital media. Emphasize that a digital footprint can compromise privacy. They might not want people to be able to learn things about their fourth-grade selves, for instance, once they are in high school. Give students a chance to process and discuss these concepts, and keep track of any questions that come up.

3. The concept of a digital footprint may be tricky for some elementary students. If you feel this concept is too challenging for your students, ask them to reflect on something they know about themselves from when they were in preschool or kindergarten. Maybe it is a silly story their caregivers tell, or maybe it is something they remember. You can also make this concept more concrete by having students imprint their foot in clay or paint and make prints on paper. Alternately, show images of footprints or other imprints in cement near your school.

Then, ask your students to think about how it would feel to have this story posted on the walls of the middle school they will eventually attend, for everyone to read. Emphasize that with digital footprints, this is essentially what happens, and the information is there forever. Use this example as a way to catalyze the discussion, and monitor what issues and questions come up for your students.

4. Ask students to think about what rules keep them safe when they play outside or at home. Chart their responses, and then explain that there are also rules to keep us safe when we play online.

Key Privacy and Security Guidelines

1. Break students into small groups, and give each group one of the guidelines below to think about and discuss. For each guideline, students should address the following questions:

What is the reason for this guideline?

What are some things that could happen if you follow this guideline?

What are some things that could happen if you do not follow this guideline?

2. Have students work with the following guidelines:

Do not share personal information-like your name, address, phone number, school name or passwords-with anyone you meet online.

Talk to your parents or other adults you trust about things you see online that raise questions for you. Always tell a trusted adult if anyone online makes you uncomfortable or asks you to share private information.

Follow the rules and policies that our school and your family have about using the internet safely.

Respect the privacy and security of other people you meet online.

3. As students work in groups, circulate and make note of what is coming up in their conversations. If you notice that students are only talking about one dire possibility, such as getting killed or kidnapped, help them move the conversation toward concepts like considering their digital footprint, their family's privacy and their relationships with others.

Some of your students may not use the internet much at all yet. Emphasize that they are thinking about guidelines they will follow in the future so they will be ready to do a great job protecting their privacy and security.

4. After students have had a chance to discuss their group's guideline, give each group a poster board and have them work together to design an image representing what it looks like to follow the guideline they are working with. Give students a chance to share their posters with the rest of the class and, if possible, with others in your school.

Analyzing Privacy Policies

1. Give students a copy of your school or district's acceptable use policy or privacy policy regarding student use of digital media. Have them work together with partners to read the policies and underline anything that seems confusing or interesting to them. Circulate to help support reading comprehension. (Note: Depending on your school or district's policy, you may want to have students work in groups to read the policy in paragraph or sentence-long chunks. They should work in groups to break down vocabulary, come to a common understanding and summarize the policy in their own words.)

2. Bring students back together and ask them to share any thoughts or questions that came up when reviewing the policies you shared. Remind them that they can look at privacy policies on many different kinds of websites and digital media and that reading these policies carefully with an adult can be an important part of protecting their own privacy and security online.

Do Something

Ask students to write letters to the creators of online privacy policies explaining how they might make these policies friendlier and more accessible to young users. Help them craft persuasive and meaningful letters using some of the concepts they internalized in this lesson, and include tips on how web developers might do a better job communicating the significance of privacy to children.
Alignment to Common Core State Standards
Interpret information presented visually, orally, or quantitatively (e.g., in charts, graphs, diagrams, time lines, animations, or interactive elements on Web pages) and explain how the information contributes to an understanding of the text in which it appears.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.4.1.a
Come to discussions prepared, having read or studied required material; explicitly draw on that preparation and other information known about the topic to explore ideas under discussion.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.4.1.b
Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions and carry out assigned roles.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.4.2.a
Introduce a topic clearly and group related information in paragraphs and sections; include formatting (e.g., headings), illustrations, and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.4.2.d
Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic.

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Teaching Tolerance provides free resources to educators-teachers, administrators, counselors and other practitioners-who work with children from kindergarten through high school. Educators use our materials to supplement the curriculum, to inform their practices, and to create civil and inclusive school communities where children are respected, valued and welcome participants.

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Protecting equipment and identity

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Today, middle school students are constantly connected to the world around them through the Internet - for better or worse.

On one hand, this is amazing since it gives students access to the world's largest knowledge database.

But it's also scary since middle school students may not grasp the principles of Internet safety.

After all, the Internet is a double-edged sword. It lets us see, research, and understand the world - but the world can see us back.

That's a scary thought, especially when it applies to middle school children.

So how do you make sure your students know how to stay safe online?

You have to teach Internet safety.

The best way to do that is to lay foundation for your students' understanding of safe behavior online.

The seven internet safety topics you should teach in middle school are:

1. Verifying someone's identity

2. Verifying a link is safe

3. Identifying an online scam

4. Protecting privacy

5. Creating and using passwords

6. Identifying, not participating, and stopping cyberbullying

7. Becoming a good digital citizen

In this blog, we'll explain these topics and give you some ideas for teaching them.

Let's get started!

Step 1. Verifying Someone's Identity (Anti-Catfishing)

Social media is everywhere online. New social networks crop up by the month, and some of them may fly under the radar of adults while they catch the attention of middle-school aged children.

For example, everyone has heard of Facebook and Twitter.

But have you heard of Minds, Ello, Stage 32, Spring.me, Cucumbertown, Diaspora, Wooxie, or Yookos?

If you have, you're in the minority of adults aware of just how many social networking options are available online.

You're also probably aware of just how easy it is for someone to lie about who they are online.

This practice is called " catfishing," and it involves one person creating an elaborate fake identity to trick or manipulate someone else.

At best, catfishing is an embarrassing prank friends play on one another. At worst, it's an attempt to steal someone's identity, blackmail them, cyberbully them, stalk them, or even physically hurt them.

So what should students do if they get a friend or follow request from someone they don't know on social media? And what should they do if they think one of their online friends is actually an imposter?

It's fairly easy and fast to do this - you just need to know how!

1. Search the Person's Full Name on Google

If they show up in multiple places with multiple social media profiles, that's a good indicator that someone is who they claim to be.

You can also click on trustworthy websites to see if someone looks the same in photos on one social network as they do on another.

2. Reverse Image Search Someone's Profile Photo

Google has a reverse image search function that lets you upload an image to search online.

You have to go to images.google.com and click the camera icon in the search bar.

Then, you'll get two options for searching an image - paste a URL or upload an image.

To search, you have to save someone's photo to your computer and upload it to Google's reverse image search. You can also copy the image's URL by right-clicking on the image and clicking the " Copy Image Address " option.

If an image comes back with a lot of copies from a lot of different websites, it's bad news.

Profile photos are almost always unique on social media, so it should be concerning if you see that someone's profile photo is used on a stock image website or the same social network multiple times.

3. Block Them

When in doubt, give students the one big piece of advice they'll never forget - block the stranger.

In fact, they can do this immediately to reduce the risk that someone is actually tricking them.

When someone is blocked on social media, it often means they can no longer see your students' posts, friends, or other associations.

That stonewalls the online imposter, and it keeps your students from disclosing any other information to a stranger.

But identity is just one piece of the puzzle. When you want to teach Internet safety, you also have to warn students about non-human dangers - like malware.

Step 2. Verifying a Link Is Safe

If a student has access to a computer or smartphone, the odds are good that they have an email account.

That email account should be secure - that's the goal of every email provider - but every student is still vulnerable to spam and scams.

Sometimes, these unsolicited messages simply ask for money. There's an easy way to respond to those - delete the emails.

But hackers and malicious Internet users become more cunning every year. Their attempts at hacking have fooled everyone from retirees to cutting-edge IT professionals and everyone in-between.

The main way hackers do this is through link falsification, sometimes called spoofing.

This is the act of creating a hyperlink that says it'll send someone to one webpage, but it actually sends them to another.

That webpage may be programmed to automatically install malware on someone's computer or phone. It may also install something called a "keylogger" that tracks the keystrokes you make and reports them back to an unknown individual who can learn your usernames and passwords.

It may even do something as innocent as asking for the security question to a specific account you own.

Regardless of the shape it takes, these are all dangerous links.

So how can students stay safe from them?

1. Hover the Cursor over the Link before Clicking

This is the simplest way to verify if a link is legitimate or not.

Hover your mouse cursor over the link (or image, in some cases) and look at the URL that pops up. It's important to keep your cursor motionless at this point, otherwise the URL will disappear.

If you recognize the URL, that's a great sign!

If you don't, then don't click!

2. Read the URL Carefully

Online scammers know how easy it is to make an "r" and an "n" look like an "m."

That may not sound like much - but it makes an enormous difference when you're looking at URLs like:

One of those URLs goes to a well-known and long-established bank in the United States.

The other one is an imposter website that could do anything from installing ransomware on your computer to downloading your browser history.

Fortunately, there's a way to help your students avoid this danger altogether.

You can teach them how to identify an online scam.

Step 3. Identifying an Online Scam

While scammers upgrade their tactics for every new scheme, they can't beat the one thing that almost everyone feels when they encounter a scam.

A gut feeling.

The best way students can avoid a scam is to go with what they feel.

If a website they've never heard of is asking for their information, then they need to be safe and leave the website.

This is also true for individuals who may contact students via social networks or email. If students don't recognize someone's name - or if they haven't validated someone's identity - then they need to stay away.

It's incredible what a small piece of personal information can do in the wrong person's hands.

Here's what you can teach your students to give them the right "gut feeling" when they encounter a fishy situation online.

1. Money Is Involved

Any time an unsolicited message from any source mentions money, it's best to ignore the message.

As a general rule, the institutions who have access to your personal information will rarely discuss it over email.

This is true for both requests for money and requests to give you money.

They both require you to give out personal information, like bank account numbers, which scammers can use to empty your account without a trace.

Often, scammers like to combine requests for money with some sense of urgency so that you act before you have a chance to think about the message itself.

Don't be fooled - if you or your students don't recognize someone's name, company, email address, or anything else, delete the email. Don't even open it!

2. Fear and Threats

Fear is an incredible motivating factor in any context.

This is unfortunately true for scams as well.

Scammers will attempt to use harsh language and threats of penalties to get you to click links, reply with information, and more.

If someone's threatening you - even if it's written with "official"-sounding language - they're probably lying.

3. "We Need Your Information to Proceed"

If someone is asking you for personal information over email or social media, it's a scam.

No company does this. Still, it's one of the most effective scam tactics out there.

To keep your students safe, make sure they recognize that their personal information is their personal information.

If someone's asking for it, they're up to no good!

But this all still feels pretty dangerous, especially for middle school students.

How can you protect their readily-available information, like email addresses and phone numbers, when all of that is available at the drop of a hat online?

It comes back to protecting students' privacy in the first place!

Step 4. Protecting Privacy (Especially on Social Media)

In an era of smartphones and social media, there have never been more ways to contact someone.

There have also never been so many ways to find someone.

Frighteningly, few of these methods require your consent in order for someone to find you.

That includes your students, too.

While many social networks don't allow anyone under the age of 13 to sign up, they do nothing to stop people from lying about their ages.

So your class of 6th graders could all be on social networks, even if they're not old enough from a policy standpoint. No one can really stop them since it only takes 30 seconds to get an account, and (even worse) no one is going to take their profiles down.

How can you help your students stay protected when they can sign up for these social networks without anyone else even knowing?

1. Social Networks Have Privacy Settings

Because of outcry against the way social networks collect user data, they now have privacy options that allow you (and your students) to limit what others see online.

Some social networks call these "privacy settings," and others may call them "security settings."

Regardless, they allow you to block other users from seeing your email address, home address, phone number, date of birth, and more.

If your students already use social media, the next thing they need to do is set up their privacy settings.

This is important because most networks don't have privacy settings enabled by default. You have to change them yourself, and you have to change them immediately.

2. Signing Up for Social Media with Dummy Email Accounts

The rise of free email services has made it possible for students to sign up for multiple email accounts at a time.

These email accounts can have usernames and information that are complete gibberish. Most email platforms will allow them to create an email account without ever asking why or how often they'll use it.

If students sign up for an email account with a fake name and then sign up for a social network using that email account, they're adding another wall between themselves and strangers on social media.

Best of all, that email account is effectively useless in the event a social network is hacked or sells its users' data to another company.

3. Deny and Turn Off Location Settings

One of the biggest dangers of social media is that it tells everyone where you are whenever you post something.

Your parents know. Your friends know. And the cybers-talker you didn't know you had also knows.

This is an exceptionally dangerous feature for middle school students. It empowers anyone to know where they are with the tap of a screen or the click of a link.

If students truly want to keep themselves safe, they need to turn off location services and modify their posts to not show their location.

Almost every social network offers these options.

If they don't, it's crucial that you stress to students just how dangerous these features are.

As a rule, they should also turn off their location settings on their smartphones, if they have one.

Sometimes, social networks will automatically pull smartphone location data to add to a post.

It's not quite ethical, but students need to know about this so they don't broadcast their location every moment of every day.

Speaking of keeping information private, there's more to it than just changing settings in social networks and smartphones.

If students truly want to stay safe online, they need strong passwords.

Step 5. Creating and Using Passwords

Passwords are the verification method of choice for anyone who has an account with any company or application.

The upside to passwords is that they're easy to remember. After all, they're just a few letters and numbers on the keyboard.

The downside to passwords is that it's easy to make one that a hacker can guess or figure out!

As a result, it's essential that your students learn how to create and use passwords effectively.

Overall, passwords are a pretty strong way to keep accounts secured from outside users. That's why scammers have to figure out clever ways to reset your password or work around your current security settings on an account.

But to really use them well, students have to know the best ways to keep their accounts safe online.

1. Use a Password You Can Remember, but No One Can Guess

This is the essential "trick" to creating a password. It has to be something you can remember, but it can't be something someone can guess.

The best way to do this is to think of something that's completely weird or unique - even if it's nonsensical gibberish - and remembering exactly what that is.

In general, students should stay away from using names or ideas that they like. The strongest passwords will have absolutely nothing to do with them personally, which will make it all but impossible for hackers to guess.

Strings of unrelated words combined with random characters, numbers, and capitalization tend to work great.

Let's use an example to see how you and students can make powerful passwords.

String of unrelated words: anvilmobysaunaduck

With random characters: @nvilm()bysaunaduck

With random numbers: @nvi1m()bysaun4duck

With random capitalization: @nvI1m()bYSaun4duCK

By all accounts, that's a strong password!

But creating a strong password is only half the battle!

2. Creating a New Password for Every Account

If you talk to anyone - literally anyone - there's a really good chance that they reuse at least one password for multiple accounts they own.

This is exceptionally dangerous. It means that one password can give someone access to multiple parts of your life, which is especially bad for children.

This makes it easy for someone to impersonate, stalk, or rob you - and by the time you realize what's happened, it's almost always too late.

To truly stay secure, use a different password for every account you open!

3. Never Talk about Passwords

If a password is going to do its job, only one person can know it.

That means students should never give their passwords away, even to their friends!

This is a pivotal point for students to remember. They may want to share an account for something, but by doing so, they could jeopardize other accounts they own.

To truly be safe, only a student can know their passwords for anything - even school accounts.

But Internet safety goes beyond technical concepts like passwords.

It also deals with students' social behaviors - namely, cyberbullying.

Step 6. Identifying, Not Participating, and Stopping Cyberbullying

Cyberbullying is the process of attacking, insulting, belittling, humiliating, blackmailing, or otherwise harming someone online.

Cyberbullying takes millions of different forms. It could be as simple as a mean tweet. It could be as complex as researching someone's personal life and publishing a stream of documents online for anyone to download.

Still, it's not always aggressive behavior that's characterized as cyberbullying. It could be passive aggressive or something else entirely.

In short, cyberbullying isn't always cut and dry - but you know it when you see it.

You know it because you can see the impact on a student's academic and personal life. They may lose friends, lash out, or perform poorly in class.

You may have strategies to deal with this, depending on your school or state requirements.

But the best way to help students with cyberbullying is to teach them how to identify, resist, and stop it.

1. Identifying Cyberbullying

Cyberbullying is best defined broadly in terms of its negative impact on a student or students.

If that student's peers see cyberbullying happening - even if it looks "innocent" like teasing - it's important that they know what they're really seeing.

It's not just a joke someone's playing. And it's not "fake" just because it's happening over the Internet.

It's actually hurtful.

2. Not Participating in Cyberbullying

Cyberbullying is much easier to identify from a distance than it is up close.

A student may be a part of a group who wants to play a "prank" on another student online.

One way or another, that can quickly turn into cyberbullying. The perpetrators may even think it's harmless because they're only seeing their actions from their perspective.

But from the victim's perspective, it could be a life-changing, devastating event.

So students may know what cyberbullying looks like, but they may not know what it feels like.

In fact, some good kids can wind up hurting someone simply because they don't grasp the implications of their actions!

Students have to know empathy in order to really understand how that works. This isn't easy - especially because Internet communication tends to dehumanize people since you don't get to hear someone's voice or look them in the eye.

Nevertheless, it's essential to understand so students don't become cyberbullies.

3. Stopping Cyberbullying

Stopping cyberbullying is easy on paper.

Stopping cyberbullying in practice takes courage.

That's because it requires students to stand up for someone or something that isn't seen as popular.

And in middle school, popularity is everything.

Teaching students how to take a stand or understand why they should defend someone who's being victimized can go a long way in turning them into anti-bullying advocates.

As news has shown us, it may even save someone's life.

Step 7. Becoming a Good Digital Citizen

You can wrap up your course or unit about Internet safety with lessons on becoming a good digital citizen.

Digital citizenship is all about knowing how to act online. It requires students to think about how their actions are perceived, how someone may view them, and how they can protect themselves.

It's the perfect end-of-course topic for middle school students who need to learn how to act ethically and responsibly online.

Fortunately, this is one of the easier concepts to introduce as a teacher and understand as a student.

That's because there are plenty of examples available for every part of digital citizenship.

1. Cover Digital Literacy

Digital literacy focuses on how students understand and interpret information online.

That means understanding the machines behind publishing, why people publish information online, how to identify misinformation, and more.

It's a valuable 21st Century skill that students need to know in today's tech-centric era.

After all, the rate of new gadgets and technology isn't slowing down. With that kind of technology here to stay, students need to understand what they're seeing online.

2. Talk about Communication

In a nutshell, people don't talk the same way online as they do in person.

The medium of the Internet may take the anxiety out of social situations, allowing them to express themselves more freely.

It may also make it easier for someone to exaggerate their feelings in the hope that they convey an idea that's not actually as intense as it sounds.

This is crucial to cover so students don't overstate (or misstate) themselves.

It'll especially come in handy in their future careers, too. After all, email is the backbone of corporate communication!

3. Emphasize Empathy

The key to being a good digital citizen is empathy.

This comes down to one big question every student should ask themselves before they post anything online:

" What would I think of someone who posted this? "

This question alone can change someone's actions and - by extension - someone else's life.

Get Started with Internet Safety Using These Lesson Plans

Do you want to start teaching Internet safety to your middle school students?

We found four of the best lesson plans available to get you started.

With these lesson plans, you can create an excellent foundation for a full-fledged class on Internet safety.

You can also take a few parts of them to teach a brief lesson or a week-long unit.

Ultimately, the choice is up to you - but no matter what you need to accomplish, these lesson plans will almost certainly fit in your curriculum.

Check out these Internet safety lesson plans for yourself!

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How to Teach Internet Safety to Middle School Students

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Today, middle school students are constantly connected to the world around them through the Internet - for better or worse. On one hand, this is amazing since it gives students access to the world's largest knowledge database. But it's also scary since middle school students may not grasp the principles of Internet safety.

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Protecting equipment and identity

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What is a digital footprint and why is it important to know about it?

Students learn to protect their own privacy and respect others' privacy. Our digital world is permanent, and with each post, students are building a digital footprint. By encouraging students to self-reflect before they self-reveal, they will consider how what they share online can impact themselves and others. Awareness about one's own digital footprint can also help to support digital literacy.

What to Know

In a world where anything created online can be copied, pasted, and sent to thousands of people in a heartbeat, privacy starts to mean something different than simply guarding personal information. On the positive side, this culture of sharing holds tremendous promise for young people to express themselves, collaborate, and find support for their ideas and interests. However, the ease of online disclosure also poses risks for young people. A decision made in the spur of a moment - a funny picture, a certain post - can resurface years later. Something originally sent to a friend can be sent to a friend's friend, and so on. That's how secrets become headlines and how false information spreads fast and furiously - to classmates, teachers, college admissions officers, future employers, or the public at large.

Why Teach It

Help your students ...

become aware of the "digital footprint" they leave online and reflect on the kind of personal information to share about themselves, depending on the content, context, and audience.

celebrate a "culture of sharing" through digital media while considering some possible harmful effects of over-sharing and Internet privacy.

learn to respect the privacy of others online when tagging, posting, or copying other' personal information.

By guiding your students to self-reflect before they self-reveal, you can help them learn to consciously manage their own privacy online, as well as respect the privacy of others. If students aren't careful about what, how, and to whom they disclose information online, it may be used or interpreted in ways they never intended. Help them understand the public and permanent nature of the Internet so they can begin to build a positive digital presence.

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Digital Footprint & Reputation | Common Sense Education

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What is a digital footprint and why is it important to know about it? Students learn to protect their own privacy and respect others' privacy. Our digital world is permanent, and with each post, students are building a digital footprint.

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Protecting equipment and identity

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How to Model and Explain Digital Security to K-12 Students

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Spread the loveIn her book Reinventing Writing, Vicki Davis outlines the fundamentals of responsible digital citizenship through the "9 key Ps." Putting these practices into daily use in your classroom is a great way to model digital citizenship for your students. Passwords Students need to be shown how to create secure passwords and taught basic password etiquette.

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Physical and Mental Well-being

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Physical and Mental Well-being

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Gaggle is the pioneer in helping K-12 districts manage student safety on school-provided technology. Learn more about our student safety solutions today!

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Physical and Mental Well-being

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The field of digital health and wellness is expanding rapidly to include a wide variety of topics that are of interest to parents. Originally related to healthcare delivery and how technology could be used to improve patient care, digital health must be viewed more broadly to include the psychological well-being of children growing up in the Digital Age.

Digital health and its related technologies empowers families to better track and manage their healthcare, gain access to health-related information, and live more productive lives. Ironically, as technology begins to transform healthcare delivery, the overuse of technology by children and adults produces new health concerns, both physical and psychological.

How to address these health concerns has become an increasingly important topic for researchers. Yet studies cannot keep up with the pace of accelerating changes in technology. In many ways, researchers are swimming upstream, attempting to adapt to constantly changing currents and conditions.

According to a newly published report by the Global Wellness Institute, Wellness in the Age of the Smartphone, "Whether we like it or not, whether we feel confident that we can deal with the change or not, this technological revolution will disrupt everything in a trend that is inescapable. Its scale, speed, breadth and complexity will be unlike anything we've experienced before."

Most studies on the digital health and emotional well-being of children agree there are benefits and pitfalls of smartphone usage. But there is not global agreement on just how technology will change the lives of future generations. In this new 29-page report and review of current research, good information can be gleaned for parents. While there is much uncertainty on how technology and smartphones will impact child and adolescent development, the latest data suggests intelligent ways to promote the digital health and wellness of your children and teens.

The following ways to foster digital health increase children's self-awareness and help them understand how technology impacts their well-being. As they grow to adulthood, they will have the internal resources to both manage their own use of technology and determine how technology can help improve their lives.

12 Ways to Improve Your Child's Digital Health

1. Manage screen time.

When parents manage screen time for kids, they help children discover other healthy ways to find meaning in life. Kids create a balance between interacting with technology and developing real-life relationships with humans.

2. Promote physical activity.

A growing body of research shows that excessive screen time contributes to the inactivity and obesity crisis in today's youth. Learn how nature fosters happiness, and encourage your children to be physically active.

3. Monitor mental wellness.

Researchers have associated the growth of social media and technology use with rising rates of depression, anxiety, and suicide. Parents who are well-informed about childhood trauma and the symptoms of mental illness can act more quickly to help children in need.

4. Practice stress-reduction.

The Global Wellness report says, "the biggest challenges to mental wellness appear to come, not from the technology itself, but from the added pressures and pace of life in the digital age." Children are always accessible and responsive to their peers, and use social media to compare themselves to others. When parents introduce kids to mindfulness meditation and various techniques for stress-reduction and relaxation, they can boost their children's digital health and well-being.

The biggest challenges to mental wellness appear to come, not from technology itself, but from the added pressures and pace of life in the digital age, according to @Global_GWI #parenting. Click To Tweet

5. Foster peer friendships.

It is easy to imagine that social media increases connectivity and friendships for children. However, there is a growing sense of loneliness in today's children and teens. Parents should encourage children to become involved in shared activities that provide social interaction in real time.

6. Use online health resources.

There is now an abundance of digital health resources available online for parents to investigate physical and emotional health symptoms of concern and learn about prevention. One such database is the Mayo Clinic Symptom Checker.

7. Explore wellness apps.

Use digital resources to your family's advantage by exploring wellness and exercise apps that help promote healthier lifestyles for children and parents. Many can be shared, making learning and fitness fun and more challenging.

8. Set rules for bedtime.

There is growing evidence that digital devices in bedrooms deter children and adolescents from the sleep they desperately need. Improve the digital health of your whole family by establishing rules that require devices to charge outside of bedrooms overnight.

9. Talk about distraction and safety.

When smartphones are in use, it takes attention away from other things. Young drivers are at much higher risk of driving while distracted. Children should understand that their health and safety come first, before technology.

10. Discuss the differences between productivity and technology.

Research from the Global Wellness report suggests that advances in technology have not coincided with increases in productivity. In fact, productivity in most developed countries has declined with the advent of smartphones. Some believe that while smartphones enhance our daily lives, they do not necessarily improve our efficiency to get things done. A child's productivity and achievement are still driven by becoming goal setters, and learning how to commit to an outcome while seeking feedback and support.

Advances in #technology have not coincided with increases in productivity, according to @Global_GWI. A child's productivity is still driven by learning to set goals and seek feedback. #Parenting #K12 #EdTech #Edchat Click To Tweet

11. Talk to kids about digital health, ethics, and citizenship.

As children grow into adolescence, families should talk about and set guidelines on the following: What kind of personal information is shared online? How do children communicate online? How do they debate important issues? How do they become good digital citizens? A few resources include the Safekids.com Family Contract for Online Safety Parents' Pledge and Kids' Pledge.

12. Cultivate and nurture the human spirit.

As technology rapidly advances, real world human experiences are declining. Encourage your children to play, create, be curious, and dream. Join tech giant Tristan Harris in his new venture at the Center for Humane Technology to reverse the digital attention crisis and realign technology with humanity's highest calling.

Published: May 16, 2018

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Digital Health and Wellness for 21st Century Families | Roots of Action

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What is digital health and what do parents need to know about it? Digital health empowers families to better track and manage their healthcare, and live more productive lives. But digital health must be viewed more broadly to include the psychological well-being of children growing up in the Digital Age.

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Physical and Mental Well-being

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Digital tools like cell phones and tablets have impacted everyone. Many of these tech tools are positive and empowering: They've increased access to education and information and provided new tools for safety and convenience. But there can be too much of a good thing.

Achieving healthy online/offline balance is more important than ever. But the good news is with a bit of awareness and communication, it's possible for teachers and students to manage technology behavior.

Empower students to be intentional about screen time with these three simple strategies to encourage digital wellness:

Tip 1: Start a discussion

Do your students know the consequences of spending a lot of time online? Too much internet use can result in diminished mental health, lower grades and damaged friendships. They may not be aware of how blue light disrupts their sleep patterns. They may not understand how to practice self-reflection to check in on their own digital health and wellness. The key is education.

Check-in

Students can ask themselves, "Do I feel happy when I'm online?" or try to notice and track when they feel anxious about what they're missing online.

Track it

Students may want to consider their physical health, and track if they're getting enough activity or if they have negative behaviors, such as "zombie-eating" in front of a screen and not noticing when they're full.

Talking about consequences is the first step toward metacognition: the awareness and understanding of one's own thought processes. Students who can understand and name feelings, such as social comparison, or who can notice unhealthy warning signs may be more likely to unplug when needed.

Tip 2: Think positively

Challenge students to identify the positive aspects of both their online and offline time. Many students understand that they feel drawn to social media and an online presence, but they may not be able to immediately name what exactly draws them in. People want to connect; that's not new. And developmentally, it is normal for teens to crave time and connection with peers.

Focus on what's good about tech

Help students explore what ways technology enriches and enhances their lives.

Set time for offline activities

Similarly, encourage students to explore those offline activities and goals that will help them succeed - whether it's studying for a test, training for cross country, getting at least eight hours of sleep, or actually waking up in time to shower before school. The key is to focus on positive ways to accomplish offline goals and still find time to connect online. Helping students find positive solutions for achieving balance can support their self-awareness and reflection.

Tip 3: Build healthy habits

Healthy digital habits are built over time. Scaffold this for your students by providing students with weekly challenges that build norms for healthy digital behavior.

Improve concentration and focus

Have students try setting their phones to "do not disturb" during study time, or put devices on silent during work time. They can even set a timer for 5-10 minutes for a "tech break" during which they're allowed to check phones and social media until the alarm goes off. Challenge students to study for 30-40 minutes before the next tech break.

Encourage better sleep

Students can change the blue light settings on their phone to night mode in the evening, as well as take devices out of their room one hour before bedtime, and instead focus on reading or playing music.

Promote well-being

Students can use mindful breathing when they feel stressed after being on a device. If they have to be online for a long time, they may want to take 10-minute device-free breaks for every 90 minutes of work. Healthy breaks include taking a nap, exercising, daydreaming or even talking to someone over the phone (rather than texting).

Check out this free lesson for even more activities and simple discussion questions.

Technology and smart devices are integrated into our lives. Just as we teach the importance of physical exercise and healthy eating, digital wellness and balance is a critical skill that children must be taught early and often. Help students learn to identify the common signs indicating that their online and offline balance isn't healthy and develop habits to stay on track.
Tracey Beckett is direct of K-12 marketing communications for EVERFI. As a former fourth and fifth grade teacher, she knows how hard teachers work and loves thinking about ways to make their lives and jobs easier. You can often find her listening to the latest Harry Potter podcast or guessing which Hogwarts house you'd probably be sorted into. This is an updated version of a post that originally published on Oct. 21, 2019.

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Digital tools like cell phones and tablets have impacted everyone. Many of these tech tools are positive and empowering: They've increased access to education and information and provided new tools for safety and convenience. But there can be too much of a good thing. Achieving healthy online/offline balance is more important than ever.

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Physical and Mental Well-being

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Digital Health and Wellness | PBS LearningMedia

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Find lessons on Digital Health and Wellness for all grades. Free interactive resources and activities for the classroom and home.

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Physical and Mental Well-being

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Acceptable Use Policies

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We (rightfully) spend significant time and energy teaching kids to be aware of their digital footprints. Stories abound about momentary lapses of judgment leading to loss of employment or scholarships. Students tend to embrace these lessons because they care about reputation. Obviously, we must continue these important lessons; however, we must realize that digital citizenship encompasses other online behavior, too.

I'm talking about teaching kids about copyright.

We should choose to teach copyright not because it is easy, but because it is hard, because the goal of understanding copyright will serve to measure the best of student energies, skills, and citizenship.

It can be hard to get moral compasses to twitch when discussing the intricacies of copyright law, public domain, fair use, and Creative Commons. Those concepts seem abstract and removed from the concerns of adolescents. It can be even harder to break them of the habit of doing a Google image search and grabbing the first relevant and powerful image they see. But remember that John F. Kennedy famously talked about the importance of doing the "hard stuff" in his "moon speech" at Rice Stadium in 1962. He spoke of the importance of getting to the moon, but I think that we can take the spirit of his words and apply them to teaching this particular tough corner of digital citizenship. I'm here to argue that we should choose to teach copyright not because it is easy, but because it is hard, because the goal of understanding copyright will serve to measure the best of student energies, skills, and citizenship.

Because the Common Core calls for us to teach students how to "use technology, including the internet, to produce and publish writing," educators can teach kids about copyright as they teach the Common Core writing standards. Teachers simply need to teach some key concepts, share some tools, and model digital citizenship in terms of copyright explicitly in the classroom. Frankly, it isn't as hard as getting to the moon. With the right resources, our students will be out-of-this-world digital citizens in no time at all.

Teach Concepts

Students need to understand the following concepts: copyright, public domain, fair use, and Creative Commons. Fortunately, teachers can access numerous resources and lessons to help give kids the foundation to make wise choices online.

Common Sense Education has lessons and wonderful animated videos on copyright and fair use.

Creative Commons provides fantastic resources in the form of videos about how copyright and Creative Commons licenses work together.

Teaching Copyright from the Electronic Frontier Foundation offers information on public domain.

Linger and explore those websites for more goodies to share with your students. Stress the fact that all creations are copyrighted, so that students look for Creative Commons licenses instead of the visible absence of a ©.

Share Tools

I have shown students a variety of ways to find Creative Commons-licensed photos using Flickr and Google Image Search. With these tools, students had to create the attributions for each image they used. While I'm glad I took the time to show them how to attribute, I wasn't happy with how much time was devoted to copying, pasting, and formatting all the needed information for attribution.

Fortunately for all of us, the folks from Storyboard That have created an amazing tool for kids to use: Photos for Class. This website uses a filtering system and searches Flickr images for photos that are safe for students to use. In their FAQ, they do claim that some inappropriate images could slip through, but they argue that "if you compare a search using Photos for Class vs. Google images (even with SafeSearch on), the amount of inappropriate content is greatly reduced."

Often kids happen upon a much stronger visual aid because they use images more as metaphors rather than literal representations of ideas.

What I love about this tool is that once kids find an image that will work for their writing, presentation, website, or whatever, they can download it with the proper attribution already present in a watermark. Kids don't have to spend the time crafting the attribution; it's done perfectly for them. This saves time for kids to refine their ability to use keywords to get the exact images they need.

Be aware that students may grow worried they cannot find exactly what they want right away. For instance, if some of my students want to use images of Marvel characters for a particular presentation, but can't find what they want in Photos for Class, I use this as a learning opportunity. I challenge students to think about the purpose of the visual aid. I ask them to think about the idea that they are trying to convey. We come up with different keyword searches. Often kids happen upon a much stronger visual aid because they use images more as metaphors rather than literal representations of ideas.

Model, Model, Model

When you use images in your lessons, make sure you go with images that you have the permission to use. Ensure that the correct attribution is visible. Draw students' attention to the fact that you're a good digital citizen. Perhaps most important, throughout the year point out that you struggled to find the right image but were happy to do the right thing.

At times, this process will be hard because it takes a little more time to find an image that we have permission to use. Acknowledge this fact with your students. If students take the easy route and use copyrighted material, ask them to replace the image with a Creative Commons-licensed image. Never lose sight of the goal. This is about more than images in schoolwork. This is about citizenship and doing the right thing.

Encourage students to think about copyright law and the appropriate ways to use original work responsibly.

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The Right Stuff: Teaching Kids About Copyright | Common Sense Education

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Help kids learn how to find and use other people's creative works legally and ethically.

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Acceptable Use Policies

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About the National Educational Technology Plan

The U.S. Department of Education released the 2024 National Educational Technology Plan (NETP): A Call to Action for Closing the Digital Access, Design and Use Divides. First released in fulfillment of Improving America's Schools Act of 1994, NETP has been updated multiple times since its original release, most recently in 2016. While past NETPs have largely served as surveys of the state of the field, the Department of Education's 2024 NETP frames three key divides limiting the transformational potential of educational technology to support teaching and learning, including:

The Digital Use Divide, addressing opportunities to improve how students use technology to enhance their learning, including dynamic applications of technology to explore, create, and engage in critical analysis of academic content and knowledge;

The Digital Design Divide, addressing opportunities for educators to expand their professional learning and build the capacities necessary to design learning experiences enabled by technology; and

The Digital Access Divide, addressing opportunities for students and educators to gain equitable access to educational technology, including connectivity, devices, and digital content. This also includes accessibility and digital health, safety, and citizenship as key elements of digital access.

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National Educational Technology Plan - Office of Educational Technology

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The 2024 NETP frames key divides limiting the potential of educational technology, including: Digital Use, Digital Design, and Digital Access.

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Acceptable Use Policies

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Each lesson below contains a short animation intended to spark a classroom discussion. Grades K-2 lessons introduce age-appropriate, ethical (and non-legal) concepts of sharing, ownership, and attribution. Grades 3-6 explore copyright explicitly, including related topics of fair use, public domain, and open sharing through Creative Commons. For teachers wanting more background in copyright and fair use, a professional development course is available here. We may also be able to offer a free training in your area. Inquire at: [email protected]

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Elementary School Homepage : Copyright & Creativity

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Each lesson below contains a short animation intended to spark a classroom discussion. Grades K-2 lessons introduce age-appropriate, ethical (and non-legal) concepts of sharing, ownership, and attribution. Grades 3-6 explore copyright explicitly, including related topics of fair use, public domain, and open sharing through Creative Commons.

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Acceptable Use Policies

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Accountability & responsibility in a digital world | Paul Davis | TEDxStMaryCSSchool

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Acceptable Use Policies

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Teaching digital citizenship is all about helping kids think beyond themselves and recognize the ripple effects of their actions. Personal responsibility is important, but understanding their responsibilities to others can help kids unlock new ways to learn and connect with their communities -- and even change those communities for the better.

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Your Rings of Responsibility | Common Sense Education

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How do digital citizens take responsibility for themselves, their communities, and their world? Check out Your Rings of Responsibility, a free digital citizenship lesson plan from Common Sense Education, to get your grade 3 students thinking critically and using technology responsibly to learn, create, and participate.

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Acceptable Use Policies

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Vocabulary

author [ au-thor] ( noun) someone who creates something

information [in-for- mey-shuhn] ( noun) knowledge or facts

digital platform [ dihd-juh-tuhl- plat-form] ( noun) the software that makes up a website that people can use to share and obtain information

genre [ zhahn-ruh] ( noun) a category or type

responsibly [re spawn suh blee] ( adverb) in a way that it sensible and deserving of trust

Series Overview

As technology advances and the social landscape shifts, it is crucial for students to become digitally literate citizens. In this series, elementary students will learn the ins and outs of media literacy, from choosing reliable sources and understanding online searches to navigating online security and participating in digital communities.

Lesson Overview

Teaching children to participate in the digital world is partly about helping them be wise consumers, but it is also about helping them be responsible producers of information. This lesson focuses on what it means to produce digital content and share information using online platforms.

Students will begin by remembering that every website has at least one author, and they will work on seeing themselves as authors and creators too. Then, they will make mock-ups of different formats they could use to share their expertise, knowledge and understanding online. Students will celebrate what it means to develop content for an online platform creatively and sensibly.

Procedure

You Are an Author Too!

1. Write the word author in the middle of your white board or a piece of chart paper, and circle it. Ask students to share any ideas that come to mind when they hear this word. Write their ideas at the ends of lines sticking out of the circle. Then, ask students what changes about their associations when you ask them to think specifically about authors of websites or other online materials. You can pose the following questions and add students' responses to the chart in another color:

What is similar about writing for the internet and writing for print?

What is different about writing for the internet and writing for print?

What makes a good author, in your opinion? Who is your favorite author?

What makes a good internet author, in your opinion?

2. As a class, define the term author, making sure to note that sharing information on the internet makes one an author.

3. Have students talk to neighbors about a time they have been an author or felt like one. Emphasize that an author is someone who shares stories or information with others. Give students a chance to think with their partners about what it means and feels like to create new knowledge and share information with others. If they are struggling to come up with examples, remind them that the writing they have done in school over the course of the year certainly qualifies as authorship!

Different Digital Platforms

1. Give students the "Sharing Information Online" handout. Allow them time to read about the different internet genres described on the handout.

2. Break students into small groups, and give the groups time to discuss each of the questions below. Circulate to make note of their responses, questions and ideas. (Note: If most of your students do not use the internet yet, eliminate the first question.)

Which of these genres are you most familiar with and why?

Which of these genres is best suited to sharing which kind of story or information?

Which safety issues do you have to think about when using different genres?

Which genres tend to appeal to which audiences and why?

Making a Mock-Up

1. Finally, explain to students that they are going to make a mock-up, or prototype, of how they would share information online. You can have students make a mock website about a topic they have been researching in science or social studies, a mock blog in which they share a personal narrative or strong opinion, a mock video (performed as a skit) sharing instructions for doing a particular kind of project or activity, or a mock podcast (performed as a monologue) describing a current event. You can make the mock-up project as simple or complex as time allows. As students work, circulate to talk with students about what changes they would have to make in order to actually put their project on the internet.

2. Host a brief gallery walk or colloquium in which students have a chance to share their work, celebrate themselves as authors and feel excited about the possibility of eventually sharing information using digital platforms.

Do Something

Creating a mock-up is really exciting, but it would be great if your students could get some experience-in a safe and private setting-posting information online. If this is possible within your school or community, try to give students the opportunity. Let them respond to one another's work and reflect on the creative process and how best to give each other constructive and respectful feedback. One free platform you could use is Edmodo. This platform does not require your students to access it with an email address.

Alternatively, ask students to think about ways they know to share their information and knowledge without the internet. Using the mock-ups they created for webpages, help them think about other forums, like school assemblies, posters in the hallway or brochures to hand out. Give students a chance to imagine ways to share their expertise and get comments from others. Later, they will be able to transfer what they learned from this experience to a digital setting.
Alignment to Common Core State Standards CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.4.7
Interpret information presented visually, orally, or quantitatively (e.g., in charts, graphs, diagrams, time lines, animations, or interactive elements on Web pages) and explain how the information contributes to an understanding of the text in which it appears.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.4.1.a
Come to discussions prepared, having read or studied required material; explicitly draw on that preparation and other information known about the topic to explore ideas under discussion.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.4.1.b
Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions and carry out assigned roles.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.4.2.a
Introduce a topic clearly and group related information in paragraphs and sections; include formatting (e.g., headings), illustrations, and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.4.2.d
Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic.

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Teaching Tolerance provides free resources to educators-teachers, administrators, counselors and other practitioners-who work with children from kindergarten through high school. Educators use our materials to supplement the curriculum, to inform their practices, and to create civil and inclusive school communities where children are respected, valued and welcome participants.

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Considering intellectual rights and copyright policies

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Library Home: Digital Citizenship: Digital Law

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Considering intellectual rights and copyright policies

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Help students live better, more responsible digital lives.

The week of Oct. 19-25 is dedicated to raising awareness about digital citizenship. Teachers across the country help students understand how to live better, more responsible digital lives.

Two elements of digital citizenship -- security and online etiquette (especially cyberbullying) -- tend to get the most attention. Throughout October, many schools turn their attention to bullying prevention. Lessons, conversations, and statements of empowerment fill school hallways as students, parents, and communities demonstrate that they won't stand for the pain that cyberbullying can bring. There's no question that for anyone using digital resources, understanding the most appropriate ways to behave and protect information is key. However, l et's not forget about the other nine elements of digital citizenship as detailed by Mike Ribble:

Access -- Understanding and being aware of who doesn't have access to digital resources.

Commerce -- Understanding how to protect financial information.

Communication -- Understanding the appropriate ways to communicate in the digital world.

Health and Wellness -- Understanding how to protect your well-being when using digital resources.

Literacy -- Understanding where information comes from and how to analyze it effectively.

Etiquette -- Understanding how to treat others in digital spaces.

Law -- Understanding the rules and regulations that come with using digital resources.

Rights and Responsibilities -- Understanding what rights you have when using digital resources.

Security -- Understanding how to protect your personal information when using digital resources.

Consider turning students' attention to some of the other elements of digital citizenship and help them become more well-rounded digital citizens.

Focus on Digital Literacy
One of the elements that needs more attention than it currently gets is digital literacy: understanding where our information comes from and how to ensure we get the best information possible from digital resources. As educators, we've all seen students set out on a research project and bring back information that isn't accurate or even correct at all.

Take the time to work with all students to help them understand the best ways to determine the accuracy and reliability of the information they find. This skill will benefit them far beyond the research process. Check out this primer on understanding digital literacy to learn how easy it is to integrate these concepts.

Focus on Digital Law
Many states have laws that protect the rights of victims of cyberbullying or identity theft. And often, lessons of digital citizenship include lessons on helping students understand these parts of the law. However, what's often missing is conversations on plagiarism and, even more important, copyright. While plagiarism is usually covered in digital and information literacy lessons, copyright outside of the written word doesn't get as much attention. In a culture with instant access to music, movies, and games, it's necessary for us all to recognize the rights of the creators.

For younger students, Copyright Kids is a great place to start. For older students, Teaching Copyright has lots of information.

Focus on Digital Health and Wellness
Just as there's a movement to get kids exercising and moving, we should also help students with their emotional health. Part of this focus on digital health and wellness is on the effects that cyberbullying can have on students. In addition, we need to remember what the overuse of technology can do to our health and wellness. This is particularly important for older students, as the effects of Internet addiction and device obsession can severely interfere with their learning. This wiki has lots more resources to investigate.

These are just a few elements of digital citizenship that don't always get enough attention. The Common Sense Scope and Sequence has more resources and lessons to help you set up a well-rounded digital citizenship program.

I've been curating a Collection on Common Sense Education that has additional resources to check out. I'll be adding to it as I uncover more helpful tools for your digital citizenship program. Be sure to check that out and share your own resource suggestions in the comments below.

And if you're interested in learning how you can create a comprehensive digital citizenship program that lasts the entire year, check out my Common Sense webinar over at edWeb.

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The Forgotten Elements of Digital Citizenship | Common Sense Education

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The week of Oct. 19-25 is dedicated to raising awareness about digital citizenship. Teachers across the country help students understand how to live better, more responsible digital lives. Two elements of digital citizenship -- security and online etiquette (especially cyberbullying) -- tend to get the most attention.

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Considering intellectual rights and copyright policies

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ReadWriteThink couldn't publish all of this great content without literacy experts to write and review for us. If you've got lessons plans, videos, activities, or other ideas you'd like to contribute, we'd love to hear from you.

Find the latest in professional publications, learn new techniques and strategies, and find out how you can connect with other literacy professionals.

Teacher Resources by Grade

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Lesson Plan

Grades

6 - 8

Lesson Plan Type

Standard Lesson

Estimated Time

Five 50-minute sessions

Lesson Author

Publisher

Featured Resources From Theory to Practice
OVERVIEW

Looking at how and why copyright law has changed over time can help students better understand recent and current copyright disputes and the many perspectives involved in these ownership issues. In this lesson, students read about the history of copyright law, create a timeline of key developments in the law, and generalize about how and why it has changed. Students are then given a recent copyright topic and assigned a role. They look at the copyright issues from the perspective of the role they have been given and create persuasive arguments to convince others to see the issue from that perspective as well.

This lesson plan was developed as part of a collaborative professional project with the American Library Association Office for Information Technology Policy and the American Association of School Librarians (AASL).
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FEATURED RESOURCES
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Persuasion Meter: Students can use this handout to provide peer feedback on any persuasive speech.

Topics and Roles Outline: This handout give an overview of sample copyright disagreement topics and roles for the persuasive writing assignment.

Persuasion Map: This interactive graphic organizer enables students to map out their arguments for a persuasive essay or debate.

FROM THEORY TO PRACTICE

The U.S. Constitution provides the basis for all copyright law in America in Article I, Section 8, which gives Congress the power to "secur[e] for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries." Over the centuries since that right was established, the practice of intellectual and artistic property rights have evolved in complicated ways, influenced in particular by business desires to protect and extend revenue-producing texts and media.

As the Copyright Kids! page for Parents and Teachers explains, "It is important for anyone who creates and/or uses copyrightable materials-including kids-to understand what the U.S. copyright law permits, what it restricts, and why." This lesson explores the complex rights that protect words, images, and other media in the United States today by asking students to explore current copyright dilemmas in ways that lead to increased understanding of the issues.

Further Reading

Newsome, Cathy. 1997. A Teacher's Guide to Fair Use and Copyright. 27 April 2007. Web. http://home.earthlink.net/~cnew/research.htm
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Copyright Kids. Copyright Society of the USA. 2007.

NCTE Executive Committee, November 2008. Code of Best Practices in Fair Use for Media Literacy Education. Online: http://www.ncte.org/positions/statements/fairusemedialiteracy.

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Copyright Law: From Digital Reprints to Downloads - ReadWriteThink

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ReadWriteThink couldn't publish all of this great content without literacy experts to write and review for us. If you've got lessons plans, videos, activities, or other ideas you'd like to contribute, we'd love to hear from you. Find the latest in professional publications, learn new techniques and strategies, and find out how you can connect with other literacy professionals.

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Considering intellectual rights and copyright policies

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Considering intellectual rights and copyright policies

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There's a lot of misinformation out there about legal rights and responsibilities in the digital era.

This is especially disconcerting when it comes to information being shared with youth. Kids and teens are bombarded with messages from a myriad of sources that using new technology is high-risk behavior. Downloading music is compared to stealing a bicycle - even though many downloads are lawful. Making videos using short clips from other sources is treated as probably illegal - even though many such videos are also lawful.

This misinformation is harmful, because it discourages kids and teens from following their natural inclination to be innovative and inquisitive. The innovators, artists and voters of tomorrow need to know that copyright law restricts many activities but also permits many others. And they need to know the positive steps they can take to protect themselves in the digital sphere. In short, youth don't need more intimidation - what they need is solid, accurate information.

EFF's Teaching Copyright curriculum was created to help teachers present the laws surrounding digital rights in a balanced way.

Teaching Copyright provides lessons and ideas for opening your classroom up to discussion, letting your students express their ideas and concerns, and then guiding your students toward an understanding of the boundaries of copyright law.

In five distinct lessons, students are challenged to:

Reflect on what they already know about copyright law.

See the connection between the history of innovation and the history of copyright law.

Learn about fair use, free speech, and the public domain and how those concepts relate to using materials created by others.

Experience various stakeholders' interests and master the principles of fair use through a mock trial.

Teaching Copyright will require your students to think about their role in the online world and provide them with the legal framework they need to make informed choices about their online behavior.

About

In 2006, California passed a law requiring schools that accept technology funding to educate students about copyright, plagiarism, and the basics of Internet safety. Other states have since considered similar laws. We saw this as an opportunity to help teach students their rights and responsibilities when using technology.

But when we surveyed existing digital education resources related to copyright, we were dismayed to find that much of the available material relied on inaccurate generalizations about technology and law. Rather than presenting unbiased facts and encouraging inquiry, the materials focused on drilling students on the prohibitions of copyright. As avid users of technology ourselves, we could not stand by and let this educational opportunity become an excuse to scare young people away from making full and fair use of the digital technologies that will continue to affect virtually every aspect of their lives.

We decided to fill in the gap by developing an honest, accurate, and balanced curriculum that would help students understand and exercise their digital rights and responsibilities. Working with educators from around the country, we aimed to design a fun and flexible plan that would not just provide information, but also help foster basic skills in research, writing, and critical thinking.

We're proud of the result. The Teaching Copyright curriculum is a detailed, customizable learning plan to help educators raise interesting questions about copyright, technology, and law, such as:

What is legal online?

How is creativity being enabled by new technologies?

What digital rights and responsibilities exist already, and what roles do we play as users of digital technology?

Through the Teaching Copyright curriculum, students and teachers will learn the answers to these questions and come to a greater understanding about the role of technology in our lives.

We want to make these materials useful and relevant to you, the classroom teacher. Let us know if you have any ideas on how we can improve and/or expand upon this curriculum. Send your questions or comments to us at tc@eff.org.

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WelcomeThere's a lot of misinformation out there about legal rights and responsibilities in the digital era.This is especially disconcerting when it comes to information being shared with youth. Kids and teens are bombarded with messages from a myriad of sources that using new technology is high-...

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Considering intellectual rights and copyright policies

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(OLD VERSION) Copyright and Fair Use Animation

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Using technology respectfully and responsibly

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Today's teens spend a lot of time online. Consequently, it is vital that parents teach their kids how to behave and treat others while online. Failing to do so, can lead to kids abusing technology, harassing others or even put them at risk for cyberbullying.

No parent wants to discover that her child is cyberbullying others nor do they want to learn that their child is being victimized. But cyberbullying prevention requires more than just teaching kids to be nice online.

Instead, parents need to have regular conversations with their kids about online safety, cyberbullying and digital etiquette. In fact, equipping kids with digital etiquette skills can go a long way in preventing them from becoming cyberbullies. It also can help them maintain a positive online reputation.

Kids are more likely to behave properly online when they know what is expected of them. So, it is important to invest some time into teaching them about digital etiquette

Treat Others How You Want to Be Treated

Almost everyone is familiar with the "golden rule." But sometimes kids need to be reminded of the importance of good manners, even online. Remind them that it is always best to discuss sensitive or potentially volatile issues with the person directly rather than posting something online or sending a hurtful e-mail. Also, discuss what a healthy friendship looks like and be sure they know this applies to online communication as well.

Keep Messages and Posts Positive and Truthful

Encourage kids to censor their messages and posts to be sure they are not sarcastic, negative or rude. They also should avoid posting anything that is not true such as rumors or gossip. Kids also should know what cyberbullying is and that they should never engage in that type of behavior. Meanwhile, if they are being victimized, make sure they know.

Double-Check Messages Before Hitting Send

Teaching kids to slow down and think about their posts, comments, texts, and e-mails is crucial. They need to realize that once they press send, there is no way to take back their words. Even if they delete a post later, it still can remain available for others to see especially if someone took a screenshot. Encourage them to always read their messages, comments, and posts several times to see if they could be misinterpreted or if they come off sarcastic.

Kids also need to realize that being funny online is very hard to accomplish. The person on the other end cannot see their facial expressions or hear their tone of voice. Sometimes a message that is meant to be funny does not come off that way at all. As a general rule, they should avoid making jokes online.

Do Not Violate a Friend's Confidence

Today's world is saturated with photos, texts and videos that can be posted, copied, forwarded, downloaded and altered in a matter of minutes.

Encourage your kids to ask themselves how they would feel if one of their most embarrassing moments was put on display for the world to see.

Remind your kids to think about what they are about to post. They should ask themselves the following questions: Did my friends tell me this in confidence? Will it embarrass them? Will sharing this information compromise their privacy or stir up drama? If they answer yes to any of those questions, they should keep the information to themselves. After all, that is what a good friend would do. Another good rule of thumb is to always ask permission before posting a picture of someone.

Avoid Digital Drama

Instant messaging, texting, and posting comments online are all "in-the-moment" communication. This is part of the attraction for kids because it keeps them connected to friends when they cannot be there in person. But learning to exit a conversation when things are getting rude or mean is essential.

To do that, kids may have to sign off instant messaging, not respond to a rude text, or refrain from posting a comment on Facebook or Instagram.

Teach kids that no good will come from sending a nasty response or making a negative comment. It is better just to exit the conversation and if need be, discuss the situation in person.

A Word From Verywell Family

Remember, teaching kids how to interact online is an ongoing process and not just a one-time conversation. It also involves more than just listing a set of rules. Teaching digital etiquette requires parents to engage with their kids on a regular basis and use real-life situations as learning experiences. It also requires parents to be aware of what their kids are doing online and to guide them when things seem to be getting off track.

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5 Things Every Kid Needs to Know About Online Communication

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Today's teens spend a lot of time online. Consequently, it is vital that parents teach their kids how to behave and treat others while online. Failing to do so, can lead to kids abusing technology, harassing others or even put them at risk for cyberbullying.

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Using technology respectfully and responsibly

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Digital etiquette, or netiquette as it is sometimes called, is a basic set of rules you should follow to make the Internet a better place for yourself and for others. Just as there are rules of etiquette in real life, face-to-face encounters, there are also rules you should follow while online.

How do you practice good digital etiquette? It's easier than you might think. Simply treat others as you would like to be treated, with courtesy and respect. It is also important to know your audience and to communicate accordingly.

Watch the video below for a brief introduction to digital etiquette.

The rules of digital etiquette vary depending upon the particular technology you are using; however, in general, there are several core principles that apply regardless of the technology being used.

Kent State University identifies nine, which are listed below. You can read more about each rule by clicking here.

1. Avoid language that may come across as strong or offensive.
2. Keep writing to a point and stay on topic.
3. Read first, write later.
4. Review, review, then send.
5. Remember that an online classroom is still a classroom.
6. Know the language of the Internet.
7. Consider the privacy of others.
8. If possible, keep attachments small.
9. Do not send, forward, or post inappropriate material.

Watch the two videos below to learn more about how to behave appropriately when using digital technology.

1. Not texting during class
2. Not answering the phone while you are talking to someone
3. Not using offensive or inflammatory language

1. Using all caps
2. Posting inappropriate messages or media on social networks
3. Cyber bullying

Digital technologies are increasing in number and in importance. Learning how to conduct oneself online is essential to becoming a successful 21st century citizen. Thus, as educators, we have an obligation to teach digital etiquette to our students. To this end, m any schools implement what is known as an acceptable use policy, or AUP. An AUP delineates what is considered acceptable and unacceptable with regard to the use of school technology resources. Does your school have an AUP? If not, consider the example below as you draft your own AUP.

Take the Brain POP Digital Etiquette Quiz by clicking here.

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Digital etiquette, or netiquette as it is sometimes called, is a basic set of rules you should follow to make the Internet a better place for yourself and for others. Just as there are rules of etiquette in real life, face-to-face encounters, there are also rules you should follow while online.

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Using technology respectfully and responsibly

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Vocabulary

community [kuh myoo nih tee] ( noun) a group of people who share something in common or the feeling of fellowship that can develop among a group of people

inclusivity [in cloo sih vuh tee] ( noun) intentionally working to ensure that all people experience a sense of belonging, especially those who might otherwise be left out or marginalized

empathy [ ehm puh thee] ( noun) the ability to understand other people's feelings and sometimes feel alongside them

Series Overview

As technology advances and the social landscape shifts, it is crucial for students to become digitally literate citizens. In this series, elementary students will learn the ins and outs of media literacy, from choosing reliable sources and understanding online searches to navigating online security and participating in digital communities.

Lesson Overview

This lesson focuses on helping young children learn to participate in different kinds of digital communities. Students will solidify and work on what they know about being part of any community. They will think about actions that make different people feel good and bad in communities, and they will learn about what it means to have a community with empathy and inclusivity.

Students will listen to a story that deals with the specific complexities of online communities. They will think about how they can use their general values and strategies for community building and translate them to an online environment. Students will focus on the need to stay alert for bias and hate within a community and get adult help when they see these issues emerge.

Procedure

Being Inclusive and Showing Empathy in Communities

1. Ask students, "What is a community?" Make lists of communities kids belong to. If they need help, get them started by thinking of their classroom or neighborhood as a community. Then, ask, "What are the things we need in a community to feel safe?"

Try to help students think about emotional safety as well as physical safety. Explain to your students that today, you will be thinking about how to be inclusive and how to show empathy in communities.

Ask your students, "What has been a time you have felt included in a community?" List their ideas about what makes a person feel included or not. Explain that being inclusive is making others feel included, welcome or like they belong.

As you talk about inclusivity, ask students to focus on times that they have felt included in a group and times they have felt left out. You can use these experiences to help them start thinking about what it means to include others.

If time allows you write the following prompt on the board: "I can be inclusive by..." Ask students to discuss with a friend and then share out. Write down their ideas as a list. This will get revisited later.

In talking about empathy, try to get students to identify a time they thought about someone else's feelings. You can use examples that you see in students' daily work in your classroom community to get them started. Try to get students to reflect on what they need to do within themselves when considering another person's feelings, as well as what it feels like to know that another person is doing this for them.

If time allows, write the following prompt on the board: "I can show empathy by..." Ask students to discuss with a friend and then share out. Write down their ideas as a list. This will get revisited later.

2. Ask each student to think of a time they felt included in a community or a time that they included someone else. Have them draw a picture representing that story and the concept of being inclusive. Give students a chance to share their pictures and talk about common themes, challenges and questions that come up alongside work around being inclusive.

Communities Online

1. Read the story "Being a Friend Online" to your students. Ask students what they thought about when listening to the story. Then, facilitate discussions of the following questions:

When were the characters being inclusive?

How did the characters show empathy in this story?

What experiences of your own does this story remind you of?

What can kids do to make their communities stronger?

What are some of the different ways iPads, computers and phones can help and harm a feeling of community?

After reading this story, would we add anything to our " I can be inclusive by" or "I can show empathy by" lists?

What Are Digital Communities?

1. Now, your students are ready to think about some of the characteristics that make digital communities specific. First, using In and Out as a jumping off point, ask them to name all of the different online communities they have ever heard of.

2. Chart all of their responses, and make sure they help each other understand what each of these communities actually is. Discuss what is the same and different about the communities kids have mentioned, and ask kids what it means to be inclusive and show empathy in each of the communities that came up.

3. You can revisit the "I can be inclusive by" and "I can show empathy by" lists and see what would be added to these lists based on being a participant in an online community.

If your students are unlikely to have heard of online communities, you can keep this conversation about communities they are normally part of, and mention to them that as they get older, they are likely to see the same issues come up online. The same behaviors and values are important when participating in online communities. For instance, you can focus on being inclusive and showing empathy in your classroom community, in a neighborhood, or on a sports team.

When People Are Not Inclusive and Don't Show Empathy

Break students up into small groups and ask them to make posters showing what kids should do if something does not feel right in a community they are part of. Their posters can include pictures, words, or both. Make sure to leave time for students to share their posters with each other, and you can hang them around your classroom for future reference.

Do Something

Would your school benefit from a set of guidelines for participation in digital communities? Who better to create this than your students? Work with your students to brainstorm sets of rules that might guide participation with empathy and inclusivity. Share sets of guidelines that other schools have created. When you have a list of rules or guidelines, plan an assembly where your students can share these with other classes and teachers in your school.
Alignment to Common Core State Standards CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.1.1
Ask and answer questions about key details in a text.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.1.2
Retell stories, including key details, and demonstrate understanding of their central message or lesson.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.1.3
Describe characters, settings, and major events in a story, using key details.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.1.1
Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about grade 1 topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.1.1.a
Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions (e.g., listening to others with care, speaking one at a time about the topics and texts under discussion).
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.1.1.b
Build on others' talk in conversations by responding to the comments of others through multiple exchanges.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.1.1.c
Ask questions to clear up any confusion about the topics and texts under discussion.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.1.2
Ask and answer questions about key details in a text read aloud or information presented orally or through other media.

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community [kuh myoo nih tee] ( noun) a group of people who share something in common or the feeling of fellowship that can develop among a group of people inclusivity [in cloo sih vuh tee] ( noun) intentionally working to ensure that all people experience a sense of belonging, especially those who might otherwise be left out or marginalized empathy [ ehm puh thee] ( noun) the ability to understand other people's feelings and sometimes feel alongside them As technology advances and the social landscape shifts, it is crucial for students to become digitally literate citizens.

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Using technology respectfully and responsibly

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As a curriculum developer, middle school teachers have told us how difficult it can be to teach empathy skills in a way that their students will understand and relate to.

Because of this, they ask if we have any lessons or activities to teach empathy to middle school students.

Our career readiness curriculum touches on empathy in relation to communication and customer service. However, it may not be the best fit for everyone.

Business&ITCenter21 is a full-fledged curriculum designed to teach dozens of career readiness and 21st Century skills, such as digital citizenship, professionalism, critical thinking, and leadership.

But some teachers are only looking for supplemental lesson plans to teach empathy.
To help you best teach empathy to middle schoolers, we've put together a list of seven popular options:

1. Lesson on Developing Empathy from Teaching Tolerance

2. Collection of lessons on teaching empathy from The Teachers Guild

3. Be Fearless, Be Kind: An Empathy Toolkit from Hasbro & Ashoka

4. Empathy Activities from Preventing Bullying

5. 5 Activities for Building Empathy in Your Students from Brookes Publishing Co.

6. Empathy program from Minneapolis Public Schools

7. 4 Proven Strategies for Teaching Empathy from Edutopia

On this page, we'll get into the details of each resource to help you decide which options could work for you and your students.

First, let's talk about why empathy education is important.

Why Do You Need to Teach Empathy to Middle Schoolers?

You may have noticed that people - especially students - spend a lot of time in front of screens these days.

This is problematic for two big reasons:

1. The Internet allows and encourages individuals to be compassionless

2. Too much screen time can damage developing brains

First, with smartphones, tablets, televisions, laptops, smartwatches, and other tech, it's kind of hard to find a time when you're not looking at something connected to the Internet anymore.

This is what researcher Dr. Adrian F. Ward calls "supernormal" in a research study of the same name published through the University of Colorado, Boulder. The new normal includes the transfer of information at breakneck speeds that simply wasn't present in previous generations of humanity.

In essence, the Internet provides an avenue for individuals to change or present themselves via social media, information consumption, public announcements, and more.

That allows individuals to communicate with one another in real-time without the use of vocal tone or face-to-face contact - two key elements in positive conversation - which makes it significantly harder to use empathy when communicating.

(If you'd like an example of this, just look at anyone's Twitter feed or a YouTube video's comment section.)

This means it's possible for students to grow up making snap judgments about someone's statements.

That makes it easier for these behaviors to bleed into interpersonal relationships where someone doesn't behave empathically because they've never had to consider others' feelings in a serious way.

Second, to make matters more interesting, no one really know how Internet-connected devices impacted developing brains until 2012. It's more than just behavior - screens actually change teens' brains.

Dr. Fuchun Lin and Yan Zhou conducted brain scans of adolescents and teens who were considered "addicted" to the Internet. While Internet "addiction" is not widely accepted as an actual addiction, it led Lin and Zhou to some interesting discoveries.

Most notably, teens who were considered "addicted" literally lost some of their brains.

The gray matter of the insula - the part of your brain responsible for empathy - was greatly reduced in individuals who spent excessive amounts of time in front of screens.

Researchers noticed that these same teens exhibited compromised white matter, reduced cortical thickness, impaired cognitive functioning, cravings for screen-related activities, and impaired dopamine function.

Incidentally, many of these symptoms overlap with those of actual long-term drug addicts.
With these two ideas in mind - compassionless conversation and physical brain changes - it's crucial to teach empathy at every level of a student's development.
Now that you're motivated to teach empathy, let's lighten the mood with some empathy lesson plans!

1. Developing Empathy (Teaching Tolerance)

Teaching Tolerance seeks to improve the world by informing today's developing minds about compassion, acceptance, and empathy.

That's why they have a great lesson for middle schoolers called Developing Empathy.

In this lesson plan, students will learn about empathy, practice it with one another, and incorporate empathic ideas like active listening.

They'll learn vocabulary, pair up with partners, and discuss their feelings on different ideas you pitch.

This lesson plan is brief compared to some of the others on our list, but it's a great starting point for students to understand empathy and how to use it.

2. Empathy in Your Classroom (The Teachers Guild)

Empathy in Your Classroom is a collection of lesson ideas from the Teachers Guild, published via Oakland University.

In it, you'll find 11 concepts for empathy lessons complete with grade levels, instructions, and links to learn more.

These lessons have all been developed and refined by the teachers who submitted them to the Teachers Guild, making them excellent starting places if you're teaching empathy for the first time.

Regardless, with such a wide variety of perspectives and ideas, you're sure to find at least one lesson in this document that will fit into your curriculum.

3. Be Fearless, Be Kind: An Empathy Toolkit (Hasbro & Ashoka)

Be Fearless, Be Kind is a collaborative campaign between Hasbro and Ashoka that focuses on the social life aspect of empathy.

In this document, the publishers discuss a variety of helpful resources and measurements that you can use to help students understand empathy at different points.

One of these resources is a scale represented as a staircase that shows how students can practice and build upon empathy as a skill.

Another is a fun chart that lets students pick out how they feel when they're feeling it.

They'll learn about self-control, responsiveness, relationship-building, and how to become what the publishers call a "changemaker."

Essentially, this collaborative project helps students understand empathy from just about every angle.

With this information as your base, you may be able to develop an entire quarter or semester of an empathy curriculum!

4. Empathy Activities (Preventing Bullying)

Empathy Activities from Preventing Bullying shows empathy to students through the lenses of feelings, comparisons, kindness, and helpfulness.

This is ideal for younger students, but it can also be helpful for students struggling with empathy in middle school.

The basic information shown in these activities is so simple that it may come across as common sense.

But that's the point of teaching empathy. What may be common sense to you or someone else could be completely alien to young students who have grown up interacting primarily over the Internet.

The ideal outcome of these activities is to create a bully-free environment in a classroom and, hopefully, a school.

5. 5 Activities for Building Empathy in Your Students (Brookes Publishing Co.)

5 Activities for Building Empathy in Your Students is a collection of empathy-related classroom interactions that give students an understanding of emotions and the actions that can come from those emotions.

By using emotions as the base, these activities piggyback on one another to build empathy-related skills like active listening, showing empathy, understanding someone's feelings, and even the opposite of empathy.

This last activity is unique in that few (if any) other lessons address what empathy doesn't look like.

Brookes Publishing approaches this by talking about:

1. Trying to solve a problem when comforting someone

2. Offering unsolicited advice

3. Dismissing feelings

4. Using sarcasm

When students can avoid exhibiting these four qualities, Brookes Publishing contends that they're much more likely to be conscientious and show empathy to others.

6. Start Empathy: Diversity and Respect (Minneapolis Public Schools)

Start Empathy is a program developed by Minneapolis Public Schools to teach students about understanding, respecting, tolerating, and accepting those who think, act, and look differently than themselves.

The program's second week of instruction focuses on diversity and respect by offering a variety of lessons for students in different grade ranges:

1. K-2

2. 3-5

3. Middle school

4. High school

These lessons are hand-tailored to these grade levels to talk about teasing (kindergarten), gender (3-5), use of the word "gay" (middle school), and group favoritism (high school).

All of the individual lessons come from Teaching Tolerance (Tolerance.org), which is another excellent resource that we've already mentioned in our list.

Still, the way that Minneapolis Public Schools lays out these lessons is helpful for first-time empathy teachers.

If you've ever wondered what you should teach to a specific grade range, this is an excellent document to guide your decision-making.

7. 4 Proven Strategies for Teaching Empathy (Edutopia)

Edutopia has a series of four strategies and behaviors that you can use in the classroom to teach empathy.

These strategies include:

1. Modeling: Being the role model of the classroom for empathy

2. Point of view: Showing how different ideas look from different perspectives

3. Literature: Illustrating point of view through well-known stories

4. Listening: Following the HEAR steps to absorb what someone says

(For reference, the HEAR steps are Halt, Engage, Anticipate, and Replay.)

Altogether, this resource is less concerned with what you teach and more concerned with how you teach it.

The key is to be the role model for empathy in this scenario, empowering you to lead by example and give your students an aspiration for their own empathic behavior.

Start Teaching Empathy and Other Soft Skills

At the end of the day, there is no single "best" resource for teaching empathy to middle school students. It all depends on the needs of you, your course, and your students!

Each item listed in this post can be a great supplement to your curriculum.

However, empathy is just one aspect of communication your middle school students should learn.

If you're looking for resources to teach other communication skills, click below:

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Top 7 Best Empathy Lesson Plans for Middle School

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As a curriculum developer, middle school teachers have told us how difficult it can be to teach empathy skills in a way that their students will understand and relate to. Because of this, they ask if we have any lessons or activities to teach empathy to middle school students.

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Using technology respectfully and responsibly

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This infographic from Microsoft describes the middle-school digital culture as one of stalkers, bullies, haters and drama queens. It includes an EXCELLENT evaluation quiz to ask oneself before posting online.

1) Am I sure this is a good idea?
2) Can this get me in trouble?
3) Could it hurt my reputation?
4) Could it jeopardize my chances at colleges or jobs?
5) Will I be embarrassed if the whole school sees it?
6) Will my parents get mad?

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Digital Citizenship for Middle School " Tech Tips " Surfnetkids

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This infographic from Microsoft describes the middle-school digital culture as one of stalkers, bullies, haters and drama queens. It includes an EXCELLENT evaluation quiz to ask oneself before posting online. 1) Am I sure this is a good idea? 2) Can this get me in trouble? 3) Could it hurt my reputation?

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Using technology respectfully and responsibly

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Posted by jglassman on

by Dr. Mike Ribble, Ed.D.
http://www.digitalcitizenship.net
@digcitizen

With Digital Citizen week behind us, how can we continue this discussion with students throughout the year? It is important that we constantly remind them about being safe online and reviewing digital etiquette. Inserting powerful messages and concrete examples about being good digital citizens is key.

Children need to recognize that it's people who make good and bad choices, not the digital tools we use. When we press enter we are making a choice, not our computers. It is important to remind students on an ongoing basis how to behave online. I write about the "Five Be's" for being a good digital citizen, and a good citizen in general:

1. BE We Not Me. Know that we are better together than we are by ourselves. The digital world is about positive interactions.

2. BE an Example. Model good behavior. Be an example of character online and off.

3. BE Curious. Ask questions, search for answers, and teach/learn from each other.

4. BE a Citizen. Recognize our differences, but be willing to find common ground. Find your voice in a digital world .

5. . Focus on how others may receive your message. Take your time when sharing ideas. Use the THINK model by asking if your message is BE Empathetic True, Helpful, Inspiring, Necessary and Kind.

We want to help everyone, especially kids, make the right choices not only during Digital Citizenship Week but all year. The @DigCitKids group provides a community for like-minded kids to gather online and share their stories and teach each other peer-to-peer, thereby promoting and extending the Be We Not Me concept described above. To show support for building student-centered activism in this arena, BrainPOP and other leaders in the Digital Citizenship movement will join The Digital Citizenship Institute in participating in the 3rd Annual Digital Citizenship Summit , where these ideas and others will be discussed.

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What Type of Digital Citizens Do We Want Students to Be? | BrainPOP Educators

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With Digital Citizen week behind us, how can we continue this discussion with students throughout the year? It is important that we constantly remind them about being safe online and reviewing digital etiquette. Inserting powerful messages and concrete examples about being good digital citizens is key.

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Using technology appropriately and safely

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Vocabulary

source [sawrs] (noun) someone or something that provides information

bias [ bahy-uh s] ( noun) judging something or someone unfairly

reliable [ri- lahy- uh-b uh l] (adjective) something or someone you can trust; containing true information

evaluate [ih- val-yoo-eyt] (verb) to think about how true and correct information is

online [ on-lahyn] (adjective) found on the internet

reasoning [ ree- zuh-ning] (noun) the act of thinking through

Series Overview

As technology advances and the social landscape shifts, it is crucial for students to become digitally literate citizens. In this series, elementary students will learn the ins and outs of media literacy, from choosing reliable sources and understanding online searches to navigating online security and participating in digital communities. More lessons in this series are listed under "Related Resources."

Lesson Overview

This lesson addresses the importance of locating and verifying reliable sources when working with online information. Students will compare and contrast two different sources on the same subject and think about what makes one more reliable than another. They will list some questions they can ask themselves to figure out what makes a source reliable.

Students will also zero in on the significance of evaluating sources for fairness and bias. They will act out reactions to sources presented online and try thinking about what their own reactions mean. Students will begin thinking about the concept of questioning or talking back to sources that seem unreliable, biased or unfair to them.

This lesson is aimed at a young audience and operates on the assumption that many students in the class are not yet reading and writing independently.

Procedure

Compare and Contrast

1. Explain to your students that, while people use online sources to find information about different topics, only some of the information they find online is reliable. Much of it might not be.

To help students understand the idea of reliability, ask them to think about the following scenarios, one at a time.

Who would be a good person to ask if your bike was broken and you needed help fixing it? Why? What makes this person a reliable source for fixing a bike?

If you had a really bad stomachache and your parents weren't sure what medicine might help you, where might they look for information or who might they ask? Why? What makes this person or source reliable for helping you feel better?

Where would you go or whom would you ask if you wanted to learn more about buildings in your neighborhood? What kinds of information might different people be able to give you? What makes some sources reliable for learning about buildings?

2. Tell students that you are going to have them look at two different webpages about fixing kids' bikes. Project or hand out screenshots of the following two pages:

Ask students to think about the following questions:

What do you see or notice first on each webpage?

What is the same about the pages?

What is different about the pages?

How would you decide which page to use if you wanted to fix a bike?

3. Have students work in partnerships or small groups to complete the Choosing Reliable Sources Venn diagram worksheetcomparing and contrasting the sources they have reviewed. Where the circles don't overlap, they should identify examples of how the webpages are different. Where the circles overlap, they should identify examples of how the pages are alike. Encourage students to think about the information offered through photographs and other images as well as text. If your students are unaccustomed to working with Venn diagrams, you can do this activity as a whole group.

Questions You Have

Bring your students back together, and ask them to list some questions that came up while they were working on their Venn diagrams. Jot down your students' questions, and explain that it is always important to think about what makes a source reliable for a particular purpose.
Alignment to Common Core State Standards
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.1.1
Ask and answer questions about key details in a text.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.1.2
Identify the main topic and retell key details of a text.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.1.7
Use the illustrations and details in a text to describe its key ideas.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.1.8
Identify the reasons an author gives to support points in a text.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.1.9
Identify basic similarities in and differences between two texts on the same topic (e.g., in illustrations, descriptions, or procedures).

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This lesson, part of the Digital Literacy series, addresses the importance of locating and verifying reliable sources when working with online information. This lesson is aimed at a young audience and operates on the assumption that many students in the class are not yet reading and writing independently.

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Using technology appropriately and safely

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Using technology appropriately and safely

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Did you know that Google has a school assembly program about digital safety that they are taking on the road? It's called the Good to Know School Roadshow, but in addition to the assembly program for schools, they have a lot of online safety resources as well. Here's rundown of what they offer.

The Google Safety Center offers two portals: one called "For Everyone" and the other "For Families." As you'd expect, much of the discussion is about using Google tools safely, but many of the tips, such as password safety, are more widely applicable as well.

The Good to Know School Roadshow has five tips for staying safe on the web:

1. Think before you share
2. Protect your stuff
3. Know and use your settings
4. Avoid scams
5. Be positive

For teachers, there is Digital Literacy and Citizenship Curriculum that has lesson plans for three classes: Become an Online Sleuth, Manage your Digital Footprint, and Identify Tricks and Scams Online.

Want more Google videos about online safety and security? There's a YouTube channel for that!

Google also has another website (created with partners such as Common Sense Media and the National Cosumers League) that also explores safety: ThinkB4U.

But wait, there's more, and they are all listed in this Learn More page.

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Digital Citizenship Resources from Google " Tech Tips " Surfnetkids

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Did you know that Google has a school assembly program about digital safety that they are taking on the road? It's called the Good to Know School Roadshow, but in addition to the assembly program for schools, they have a lot of online safety resources as well. Here's rundown of what they offer.

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Using technology appropriately and safely

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Find lessons on Digital Literacy for all grades. Free interactive resources and activities for the classroom and home.

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Using technology appropriately and safely

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Using technology appropriately and safely

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Using technology to stay informed

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Vocabulary

charged [chahrjd] ( adj) filled with excitement, tension or emotion

tone [tohn] ( noun) the general attitude communicated in a piece of writing

bias [ bahy-uh s] ( noun) prejudice; favoring one person or point of view more than others

point of view [point uhv vyoo] ( noun) a particular way of considering a matter; the position from which an event or topic is observed

implicit [im- plis-it] ( adj) suggested or assumed but not obvious or explicitly stated
Sources: Google Dictionary, dictionary.com, en.oxforddictionaries.com
Series Overview

As technology advances and the social landscape shifts, it is crucial for students to become digitally literate citizens. In this series, students will learn the ins and outs of media literacy, from choosing reliable sources and understanding online searches to navigating online security and participating in digital communities. More lessons in this series are listed below under "Related Resources."

Lesson Overview

This lesson addresses the importance of locating and verifying reliable sources when working with online information. Students will compare and contrast different sources on the same topic and think about what makes one source more reliable than another. They will then work collaboratively to develop a checklist of questions for source evaluation.

Students will also zero in on the significance of evaluating sources for bias. They will learn to identify the author's or designer's purpose in online information and use this skill to search out biased viewpoints. Students will react to sources presented online and identify common reasoning errors in reactions to digital information.

Procedure

1. Give students one news story about an event. Put students into groups, and ask them to collect a list of facts from the article using the exact words the author used in the article.

2. Give students the second article about the same event, ensuring that this one has a different tone. Ask the same groups to make a list of facts from the article, again using the exact words the author used in the article.

3. For the whole class, model creating a t-chart with words from each article that depict the same fact or event. For example, you might write murdered in one column and killed in the other. Ask students to complete their own t-charts independently.

4. As a class, define and discuss tone and charged as these ideas apply to word choice. Then, ask students to discuss in their groups what biases they identify in the two articles based on the tone and charge of the words. Allow them to use the Evaluating Bias in a Newscast handout to record their observations.

5. Pose two questions to the class: (1) How do we figure out what really happened? (2) Why is it important to be aware of both stories? Discuss as a group or have students write their responses to each question.

6. Tell students they will now practice writing their own "charged" article based on a given scenario that is relevant to current events. Together, review the Creating a Biased News Story handout, which they can use to guide their process.

7. Finally, have students share their pieces with each other. Ask them to highlight the charged words and identify the bias in each other's work and explain how the bias is expressed.

Alignment to Common Core State Standards CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.4
Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including vocabulary specific to domains related to history/social studies.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.R.6
Assess how point of view or purpose shapes the content and style of a text.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.1
Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.W.2
Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.W.4
Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.6
Identify aspects of a text that reveal an author's point of view or purpose (e.g., loaded language, inclusion or avoidance of particular facts).

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This lesson, part of the Digital Literacy series, focuses on teaching students to identify how writers can reveal their biases through their word choice and tone. Students will identify "charged" words that communicate a point of view. Students will understand how writers communicate a point of view implicitly by writing their own charged news stories.

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Using technology to stay informed

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This lesson is designed to help students develop an effective and professional digital communication style, adaptable across the workplace, including in emails and presentations.

By the end of the lesson students will be able to:

Reflect on the advantages and disadvantages of different ways of communicating at work

Understand how to write a cover email as part of a job application

Identify how and why presentations are used in work and when looking for a job

Recognise a selection of digital tools that can be used to collaborate, build and share presentations

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Explaining digital communication at work | Barclays Lifeskills

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This lesson is designed to help students develop an effective and professional digital communication style, adaptable across the workplace, including in emails and presentations.

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Using technology to stay informed

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Using technology to stay informed

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User population: The target audience is 5th to 6th grade students, who will experience an increase in the technology available to them at school and in the library.

User accommodations: The lesson can take place in the library or in the classroom. Students will need access to a desk, table, or other writing surface. They will need something to write with, and they should be arranged in groups of 2 to 3 people. Students should be arranged so that all can clearly hear and see the instructor. Students with physical disabilities will be accommodated with preferential seating. Students with hearing impairments will also be provided with a copy of the lesson notes in advance of the lesson.

The instructor will briefly introduce herself (if necessary).

The instructor will then outline the goals of the lesson, and provide lesson notes to all students.

Student Instructions

Students will be seated in groups of 2 to 3, depending on the size of the class. Each student should take and keep a copy of all notes and materials from the lesson.

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Cyberbullying: A Lesson in Digital Communication - Teacher-Created Lesson Plan | Common Sense Education

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User population: The target audience is 5th to 6th grade students, who will experience an increase in the technology available to them at school and in the library. User accommodations: The lesson can take place in the library or in the classroom. Students will need access to a desk, table, or other writing surface.

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Using technology to stay informed

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Digital Communication Quick Guide - Learn Digital Communication in simple and easy steps starting from basic to advanced concepts with examples including Analog to Digital, Pulse Code Modulation, Sampling, Quantization, Differential PCM, Delta Modulation, Techniques, Line Codes, Data Encoding Techniques, Pulse Shaping, Digital Modulation Techniques, Amplitude, Frequency, Phase, Quadrature, Differential Phase Shift Keying, M-ary Encoding, Information Theory, Source, Channel Coding Theorem, Error Control Coding, Spread Spectrum Modulation.

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Using technology to stay informed

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Posted by jglassman on
by Dr. Mike Ribble, Ed.D.
http://www.digitalcitizenship.net
@digcitizen
The integration of digital technologies in schools is expanding at ever-increasing speeds. As a result, educators are seeking resources to help them use these technologies in the most effective ways to enhance learning in their classroom. Digital Citizenship is one classification of resources that can help bring focus to how students use these new technologies. Digital Citizenship Week (October 14-18, 2019) provides an opportunity to recognize the changes that are happening in our classrooms and to our students.

Digital citizenship principles are most effective if integrated across the curriculum not just during Digital Citizenship Week, but all year round. It's also important that students recognize how the concepts of Digital Citizenship relate to their everyday lives. One way to organize and incorporate Digital Citizenship education is through reinforcing its principles of Respect, Educate and Protect (REP) and the elements embedded in each of these themes. Organizations like BrainPOP provide resources to support the integration of REP principles in the regular classroom. Here is some background and ideas to help you get started:

Respect

Digital Etiquette refers to electronic standards of conduct or procedures and has to do with the process of thinking about others when using digital devices. Teachers can include Digital Etiquette as part of the classroom rules or academic goals. Whether in the classroom or online, being aware of others is an important idea for everyone.

Digital Access is about the equitable distribution of technology and online resources. Teachers and administrators need to be aware of their community and who may or may not have access, not only in school but at home as well. Educators need to provide options for lessons and data collection such as free access in the community or provide resources for the home.

Digital Law refers to the electronic responsibility for actions and deeds and has to do with the creation of rules and policy that address issues related to the online world. Just as in the real world, the online world has had to create structure to protect those using these digital devices from harm. Support for issues such as cyberbullying and sexting are available from School Resource Officers and other school counsel. Administrators need to come up with positive approaches to these issues in their schools and districts.

Educate

Digital Communication is the electronic exchange of information. All users need to define how they will share their thoughts so that others understand the message. For students struggling to understand their place in the world, technology can help them find their own voices and express themselves.

Digital Literacy is the process of teaching and learning about technology and the use of technology. The better educated or "digitally literate," students are, the more likely they are to make good decisions online, like supporting others instead of making negative comments. Digital literacy includes the discussion of media literacy and the ability to discern good information from poor, such as "fake news" from real.

Digital Commerce is the electronic buying and selling of goods and focuses on the tools and safeguards in place to assist those buying, selling, banking, or using money in any way in the digital space. Career and technical education use the tools of technology to show students the path for their future.

Protect

Digital Rights and Responsibility are those requirements and freedoms extended to everyone in a digital world. This area of Digital Citizenship is about helping students understand that when they are provided opportunities, such as the access to the Internet and use of online products, they need to be diligent in helping others as well, such as informing adults of potential problems. Educators must help students understand that protecting others both online and in the real world are essential skills to have.

Digital Security is the electronic precautions to guarantee safety. Viruses, worms and other bots can be passed along from one system to another just like an illness. When using devices in school or at home, understanding and being aware of attacks and how to prevent them are important skills for today and into the future.

Digital Health and Welfare refers to the physical and psychological well-being in a digital world. Technology provides many opportunities and enjoyment, but knowing how to segment use with the needs of ourselves and others is key to a healthy, balanced life. Educators, especially in 1:1 schools or classrooms, need to ask the question of how much screen time is appropriate for students and when using digital devices becomes a distraction from the learning process. Common Sense Media has developed a on this topic.

Respect, Protect, and Educate are key principles in both the digital and real world. Recognizing similarities and differences helps us better understand the world on both sides of the device. Those in education as well as the larger community need to help each other learn how to use technology in the most appropriate manner possible. Hopefully, one day we may find that who we are online is the same as we are in real life.
For more ideas about how educators can use BrainPOP resources to celebrate Digital Citizenship Week in their own states and districts, listen to our archived webinar with October 2017's CBE of the Month Sara Hunter

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Digital Citizenship: Respect, Protect, Educate | BrainPOP Educators

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by Dr. Mike Ribble, Ed.D. http://www.digitalcitizenship.net @digcitizen The integration of digital technologies in schools is expanding at ever-increasing speeds. As a result, educators are seeking resources to help them use these technologies in the most effective ways to enhance learning in their classroom. Digital Citizenship is one classification of resources that can help bring focus...

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Becoming intelligent consumers digitally

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Becoming intelligent consumers digitally

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Sources and acknowledgements

The content and activities for parents and caregivers are based on and adapted, with permission, from Money as You Grow. We are grateful to Beth Kobliner and all those who made Money as You Grow possible.

Money as You Grow was recommended as an initiative by the President's Advisory Council on Financial Capability , chaired by John W. Rogers and vice-chaired by Amy Rosen. The initiative, developed by Beth Kobliner, chair of the Council's Money as You Grow working group, offered essential, age-appropriate financial lessons-with corresponding activities-that kids need to know as they grow. Written in down-to-earth language for children and their families, Money as You Grow helped equip kids with the knowledge they need to live fiscally fit lives. The lessons in Money as You Grow were based on more than a year of research, and drawn from dozens of standards, curricula, and academic studies.

The CFPB researched the way children develop the abilities and attributes that contribute to their financial well-being in adulthood. Additional research identified milestones for developing financial capability, and ways to measure it. With support from the Corporation for Enterprise Development and researchers from University of Wisconsin-Madison and University of Maryland, Baltimore County, we developed a framework that connects Money as You Grow activities to children's financial developmental stages. With that framework in mind, we have updated and adapted the Money as You Grow activities and content.

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Money as You Grow | Consumer Financial Protection Bureau

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The content and activities for parents and caregivers are based on and adapted, with permission, from Money as You Grow. We are grateful to Beth Kobliner and all those who made Money as You Grow possible. Money as You Grow was recommended as an initiative by the President's Advisory Council on Financial Capability , chaired by John W.

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Becoming intelligent consumers digitally

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Video Transcription

Download PDF

Hi, everyone, and welcome to today's lesson. My name is Gino Sangiuliano, and the topic we'll be covering is Digital Commerce. So let's get started.

Digital commerce is one of the nine elements that falls on the umbrella term Digital Citizenship. What Digital Citizenship is, the acceptable, appropriate, and responsible use of technology. The elements are Digital Access, Digital Commerce, the topic of today's lesson, Digital Literacy, Digital Etiquette, Digital Law, Digital Rights, and Responsibilities, Digital Help, and finally, Digital Security.

I remember the first time I got a glimpse of Digital Commerce. My wife and I were on a trip to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio. It was in the early 2000s, and one of the exhibits tracked the history of music recordings, and how music was sold, and I saw my childhood flashed before my eyes. I was reminded of the old 45s with the scratchy sound and the dusty needle.

My sister used to have 8-track tapes. Then, I would have the traditional cassette tapes, and when they would get tangled up, I remember spending hours winding them up with a pencil. And finally, when I entered around college age, CDs were in vogue, and I thought they were the greatest invention ever.

What struck me was that the last piece in this procession of technology was something I wasn't familiar with at all. It was an MP3 player. And the whole notion of downloading a song was completely knew. It was the first time, in my lifetime, that I remember that one could purchase something with a digital transaction and not really have anything tangible to hold onto, like an album, or a cassette, or a CD, and I remember that being quite surprising to me, which brings us to what we're going to talk about today, Digital Commerce.

What does it mean? Well, it's buying and selling goods electronically, but it's also protecting one's financial information online. As Digital Commerce becomes part of our daily lives, and almost an afterthought, there are a few things that need to be recognized. For example, there are some negatives. Many transactions conducted online can be illegal, many are immoral, some can even be dangerous, but it's not all bad. Conducting business online can be extremely convenient, safe, and offer many benefits to consumers.

There are numerous ways that students are participating in Digital Commerce every day. For example, students are raising awareness and donating funds to charitable organizations through online sites. They're able to choose and order their lunches through school websites. They can purchase tickets to school events online. They can subscribe to different games and activities. They can also publish and sell original content online. And finally, they can register for classes in different programs through websites.

The bottom line is that teachers and students alike need to continually acquire new skills, new habits, and develop new attitudes towards online transactions. As our society continues to move in the direction of digital commerce, it is our responsibility as teachers to model and instruct students on this ever-evolving practice. Let's summarize.

We reviewed the nine elements of Digital Citizenship. We focused on Digital Commerce, and defined the term. We talked about what users need to know in today's world, and what Digital Commerce looks like to today's student. And we talked about how it's important to engage responsibly in these practices. I would like to leave you with this final thought. As a Digital Consumer, think about how many different passwords and usernames you currently have. The answer may surprise you.

As you reflect on how this new information can be applied, you may want to explore the additional resources section that accompany this video presentation. This is where you'll find links to resources chosen to help you deepen your learning and explore ways to apply your newly acquired skills. Thanks again for watching. Have a great day.

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We explain Digital Commerce with video tutorials and quizzes, using our Many Ways(TM) approach from multiple teachers. In this lesson, you will learn about the 9 elements of digital citizenship. Specifically, the Digital Commerce element of digital citizenship, why Digital Commerce matters, and what Digital Commerce looks like.

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Becoming intelligent consumers digitally

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With how popular online shopping has become it is no surprise that people have decided to worry about making purchases only to find out later that it was a part of an online scam or fraud. But the good news is that most online scams or frauds are not centered on the venues that allow you to make purchases. However, you still need to be on the look-out for them. In fact one of the most popular online frauds has to do with auction sites, which requires you to make a purchase. Basically what happens on this type of fraud is that you place a bid on an item: you end up winning the bid so you pay the money that you owe. The only problem is that once you have paid the money you never receive the merchandise that you have purchased. The good news is that there are things you can do to ensure that you are not dealing with an online scam or fraud when making purchases online. And PayPal, the company used on eBay, does have some security measures in place, as well as reimbursement policies for fraudulent transactions.

Difficulty rating: Easy to moderate

The first thing you need to do to make purchases online is to do some basic research. What you are going to want to do is to find out about all of the popular online scams and frauds and what they look like. The thing about online scams or frauds is that many times they will resemble the more popular ones, which just means that they have been slightly modified.

The next thing that you are going to want to do is to make sure that you are making purchases through a secure website. Basically what you are going to want to look for is the https in the address bar when you are making your final purchases. If they are asking for personal information and the https or the closed lock symbol is not there, you do not want to enter in your personal information because this means the site is not secure and anybody can access your information after you have entered it or while you are entering it.

If you are on an auction website and are planning on making a purchase, you do face the risk of some online fraud, like what was talked about in the first paragraph of this article. But one thing that you can do is to take some steps to make sure that you are not taken advantage of. If you are bidding on an item you are going to want to check out the sellers reputation and history before you even make the bid, if they have many complaints or a bad reputation, then you want to go elsewhere to bid.

Something else that you can do is to pay for the item with PayPal or a credit card that protects you from fraud. This way you will not lose your money if the person does happen to be a fake seller. But you should also report it to the auction site because they will also do everything they can to help get your money back because it is their reputation on the line as well.

If you are just making regular online purchases then you are going to want to check the company out with the Better Business Bureau to make sure that they are legit; there is even a division of the Better Business Bureau that deals strictly with online companies. But if you don't check them out before you make a purchase you might find that the website is gone the day after you made the purchase. You should also call any numbers they have to find out if they work and you should also try to communicate by email to make sure that the email address is valid.

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Safe Online Purchasing Practices " Tech Tips " Surfnetkids

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With how popular online shopping has become it is no surprise that people have decided to worry about making purchases only to find out later that it was a part of an online scam or fraud. But the good news is that most online scams or frauds are not centered on the venues that allow you to make purchases.

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Becoming intelligent consumers digitally

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Find lessons on Digital Commerce for all grades. Free interactive resources and activities for the classroom and home.

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Becoming intelligent consumers digitally

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Vocabulary

advertisement [ ad ver tayz mehnt] (noun) a notice that promotes a particular product, event or service to the public or a subset of the public

bias (verb) to judge something or someone unfairly

consumer [kuhn soo mer] (noun) a person who purchases or can purchase products and services to use

stereotype [ steh ree oh tayp] (noun) a fixed and oversimplified idea about a particular group of people and how they behave

Series Overview

As technology advances and the social landscape shifts, it is crucial for students to become digitally literate citizens. In this series, elementary students will learn the ins and outs of media literacy, from choosing reliable sources and understanding online searches to navigating online security and participating in digital communities.

Lesson Overview

As children use digital media with increasing frequency, advertisers who work with digital platforms continue to understand kids as an ideal target audience. Among other things, this means it is important to help children learn to read online ads sensibly and critically.

This lesson starts by showing children some of the kinds of advertisements they might run into online and helping them analyze these ads with a critical eye. Your students will think about the purpose behind the ads as well as the way they affect young consumers.

Then, kids will think about the different kinds of stereotypes and biases that are conveyed via the ads they see in an online environment. Students will make their own manifestos about how they will read and respond to the consumer market they see in digital environments in the future.

Procedure

Kids Are Consumers

1. Begin by asking your students to think about a time they felt influenced by an advertisement or an ad made them want to do something. You can explain that advertisements include commercials, signs in stores and previews before movies. Maybe the ad made them want to buy something, go somewhere or try a new activity. Maybe the ad made them feel angry or excited. Ask students to write in journals about a time an ad had an influence on them, and give anyone who wants to a chance to share their reflection and narrative. Use the following questions to scaffold students' reflective writing:

What is the ad you are writing about? Where and when did you see it? What was it advertising?

What did this ad make you think about? Why?

How did this ad make you feel? Why?

2. Show students the "Ads on the Internet" handout. Explain that the handout shows a few ads or websites containing ads from sites that kids frequent a lot. Break kids into groups and ask them to discuss the following questions with regard to each of the images on the handout:

What do you see in this image? What is being advertised? How do you know?

What do you think the advertisers are trying to make you feel and think?

What are the advertisers doing to make sure kids like the ad?

What other ads does this one remind you of?

What questions does this ad raise for you?

Circulate and make note of general themes from the small group discussions. If your time is limited-or if this kind of questioning is very new to students-give each group only one ad to think about, instead of the whole set of images.

3. Bring the groups back together and ask them to share out the most salient themes and questions from their discussions. Chart commonalities as students talk.

Stereotypes in Advertisements

1. Next, explain that sometimes advertisements use stereotypes. Some stereotypes kids might find in online advertisements include racial stereotypes, gender stereotypes, ability stereotypes or stereotypes about kids.

If the concept of a stereotype is new to your students, begin by providing a definition of the term. Students might need a few examples of stereotypes in order to process the concept. You can explain that a stereotype could be "all girls like pink" or "all African Americans are good at basketball."

Ask students to think of examples of stereotypes they have seen in advertising on digital media or-if they have little experience with that-elsewhere. For students who are new to the concept of stereotypes, offer them examples instead of asking them to generate them. For instance, you might share that advertisements sometimes perpetuate the stereotypes "all boys are rough" or "all moms love to cook." Ask students to think of examples of these or other stereotypes in advertisements they have seen.

2. Return to the "Ads on the Internet" handout. Have kids work with partners to identify two to three different stereotypes about kids that these ads perpetuate. They might find the stereotypes "kids always love video games" or "kids will not eat healthy unless you bribe them to." Give your students a chance to articulate how these stereotypes about their age group make them feel.

Critical Consumer Manifesto

1. Finally, explain to your students that as they use the internet, it is their job to be critical consumers. This means reading advertisements carefully, recognizing the purpose and slant of their authors and remaining alert to stereotypes and bias.

2. As a class, develop a critical consumer manifesto with tenets students agree to follow when they see advertisements on the internet. Their manifesto should include a list of five to 10 promises they agree as a group to try their best to follow when they see ads online. For instance, students may agree to think twice before deciding that they want something, to try to stay alert to stereotypes in advertisements, to look for the different ads on websites they are using, etc. Try to let the ideas for this manifesto come from kids directly, but offer guidance as needed.

Do Something

Kids might find themselves getting really angry about some of the stereotyping they see online. They can develop their voices by letting companies know how ads targeting children feel to real kid audiences. Encourage students to write letters or editorials describing the way they think kids might be affected by the digital economy, and why. Once everyone has a letter, send them as a bundle to a local newspaper or website. Make sure to keep kids apprised of any responses you receive. If you do not get a response, you can also make a display of their letters in the hallway of your school so that others can learn from them.
Alignment to Common Core State Standards CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.4.4
Determine the meaning of general academic and domain-specific words or phrases in a text relevant to a grade 4 topic or subject area.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.4.5
Describe the overall structure (e.g., chronology, comparison, cause/effect, problem/solution) of events, ideas, concepts, or information in a text or part of a text.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.4.7
Interpret information presented visually, orally, or quantitatively (e.g., in charts, graphs, diagrams, time lines, animations, or interactive elements on Web pages) and explain how the information contributes to an understanding of the text in which it appears.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.4.1.a
Come to discussions prepared, having read or studied required material; explicitly draw on that preparation and other information known about the topic to explore ideas under discussion.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.4.1.b
Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions and carry out assigned roles.

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As children use digital media with increasing frequency, advertisers who work with digital platforms continue to understand kids as an ideal target audience. Among other things, this means it is important to help children learn to read online ads sensibly and critically.

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Interacting with others in the digital realm

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Funding Digital Learning - Office of Educational Technology

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They also should consider all possibilities for creative funding of these programs. Leaders should consider technology an ongoing, line-item expense from the very beginning of planning technology implementation. U.S. Department of Education Funds Other Federal Funds

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Interacting with others in the digital realm

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Dear DLTtDD,

By now, most if not all public school districts have had to consider making a rapid transition to remote learning. Although there are many considerations to take into account throughout this process, helping to ensure that all students and families have reliable Internet access is likely at or near the top of most school leaders' minds. Given that each community faces a diverse set of needs, we've outlined four strategies districts might implement to bridge gaps in connectivity. We also highlight a few limitations of low-cost Internet programs that are important to keep in mind.
Strategies
Graphic provided by The Office of Educational Technology
1. Highlight Free or Low-Cost Internet Programs for Low-Income Families
Before the current crisis, several ISPs offered various low-cost Internet programs for low-income families. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, many have updated their low-cost programs to help students, teachers, and families stay connected. Individuals from low-income backgrounds now qualify for additional limited time offers on Internet services and devices, such as two months of free service, increased speeds, and the removal of data caps. You can find an updated list of some free and low-cost Internet plans on the National Digital Inclusion Alliance (NDIA) website. Families and school personnel may want to contact local service providers for the most updated information on such offers. It is important to ensure that families and school personnel are aware of all of the terms of the offers, so that no one is caught by surprise after a limited time offer expires.
Provide Information About Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Lifeline Subsidy
The FCC's Lifeline Programprovides eligible low-income subscribers up to $9.25 monthly for their home Internet, home phone, or cell phone plan. Please note that households may receive a Lifeline discount on either a wireline or a wireless service but may not receive a discount on both services at the same time. FCC rules also limit Lifeline service to one subscription per household, but there are instances where multiple subscribers share the same residential address while still considered independent economic households (for example, multiple subscribers living in a shelter may share the same address).

Some low-cost Internet programs are designed for the Lifeline subsidy to cover most or all of the service fee. Customers looking to combine a Lifeline subsidy with another low-cost offer should check with their service provider for eligibility.

To ensure students and families are aware of these low-cost offerings, schools and districts can share information about local options through their websites and other school communication channels. For example, the Rhode Island Department of Education created a COVID-19 Internet Connectivity Guide for Families detailing what each local ISP and mobile carrier is doing to help people get Internet access. Similarly, Georgia's Broadband Office created a COVID-19 resource page with a map of public WiFi locations and information on mobile internet offerings. Other State Educational Agencies may want to provide similar information.
2. Identify Locally-Available Low-Cost Internet Programs
Some families may have inadequate coverage in their communities, so it is important to investigate the availability of programs being recommended to families. Families can quickly determine their eligibility for low-cost Internet service options using the EveryoneOn search tool. The database can be accessed by entering a home zip code and selecting the circumstances that apply, such as qualifying for public assistance programs or having a student in the household. After checking all that apply, the tool will populate all applicable Internet and device offers for the family.
3. Cover the Monthly Cost of Low-Cost Internet Programs for Eligible Families
To help mitigate some of the limitations outlined above, school districts may choose to explore whether they can cover the monthly cost of low-cost Internet programs for eligible families. Families may want to contact their school districts to see if such coverage is being offered or might be considered.

San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) and Portland Public Schools (PPS) plan to cover the monthly cost of a locally-available low-cost Internet program for eligible families. The districts will distribute promotional codes to families that can be used to sign up for free service directly with the company. SFUSD budgeted $1 million from a general fund to cover the costs for one year, while the non-profit Fund for Portland Public Schools will pay for 4 months of service for 2,000 PPS households. More information on these two initiatives can be found here.
4. Set up a Hotline for the Community
Many districts have created support hotlines to help field students' and families' COVID-related questions and concerns. Hotlines are an excellent option for community members with little to no Internet access, and can even help families sign up for low-cost programs. Below are some examples of how hotlines have been utilized:

Miami-Dade County Public Schools created multiple hotlines to help target different types of questions including those around remote learning, mental health services, and unstable housing.

Los Angeles' Community College District opted for a general COVID line with additional information about the County's public health lines.

The Public Service Commission of Wisconsin launched an Internet & Phone Hotline for citizens having trouble finding and signing up for low-cost Internet programs.

If thinking about establishing a hotline, consider disseminating the hotline phone numbers via calls or texts to families in addition to posting them on webpages to ensure they reach those without connectivity.
Limitations
It's important to note that many low-cost Internet programs have application requirements that may present challenges for some families. These may include:

Photo identification or SSN

Participation in government assistance programs

Proof of income

No outstanding debt with the service provider

Age restrictions for students in household

Application and offer expiration dates

In response to the current crisis, many low-cost Internet programs are temporarily waiving maximums (or caps) on the use of data which can limit the ability of students to fully engage in online learning - especially in homes with multiple children needing to access content online. Typically, once a family has used their allotted data, speeds may slow down unless additional overage fees are paid. Some ISPs are also temporarily waiving the requirement that households have no outstanding debt with the service provider, which can be a barrier for low-income families. Finally, many ISPs are also temporarily offering free service for a limited time (e.g., first 60 days free). Families should check these offers carefully so there are no surprises.

When recommending low-cost Internet programs as part of a remote learning strategy, it is important to understand what monthly payments will look like once the current free or lower-cost offers expire and make sure families are aware of these potential expenses.
Final Thoughts
School districts across the country are finding innovative ways to keep students learning, despite unequal access to high-speed and affordable Internet. As a trusted source of information and resources for students and families, school districts have the opportunity to create awareness around free and low-cost Internet options.

Home Internet access for all students is essential to avoid widening opportunity gaps. The strategies outlined above can serve as starting points to ensure families stay connected during the current crisis, but it is also important that schools and districts consider identifying longer-term, sustainable connectivity solutions.

We plan to highlight additional solutions (both immediate, and longer-term) in upcoming posts, so drop us a note at tech@ed.gov.

Sincerely,

The OET Team
Please note: The questions highlighted in the Dear OET series are real questions from real people that have been edited for brevity and to respect privacy.

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Dear OET: Our students and families don't have a reliable way to get online; how can we help?

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Dear DLTtDD, By now, most if not all public school districts have had to consider making a rapid transition to remote learning. Although there are many considerations to take into account throughout this process, helping to ensure that all students and families have reliable Internet access is likely at or near the top of most school leaders' minds.

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Interacting with others in the digital realm

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Beautiful and easy to use newsletters | Smore

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Create beautiful school newsletters, updates, and announcements.

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Interacting with others in the digital realm

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The New America Foundation released an interesting, well written policy paper on Feb.1, 2011 specifically mentioning the Wireless Minneapolis Project:

Minneapolis has served as a leader in digital inclusion issues through its municipal wireless partnership with US Internet. Wireless Minneapolis created a Digital Inclusion Fund (to distribute a percentage of the wireless revenue to the community) and also provides tech-support, content management tools, a community portal and free website hosting for neighborhood associations. These resources, which are managed and run by the communities themselves, go a long way towards providing crucial communications services and information for underserved communities.

Full article: From the Digital Divide to Digital Excellence

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Catherine Settanni's Digital Inclusion Blog

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The New America Foundation released an interesting, well written policy paper on Feb.1, 2011 specifically mentioning the Wireless Minneapolis Project: Minneapolis has served as a leader in digital inclusion issues through its municipal wireless partnership with US Internet.

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Interacting with others in the digital realm

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The latest Tweets from digcitkids (@digcitkids). Digital Citizenship 4 kids by kids. Student run #digcit ambassador program & monthly challenges. Tweets by @CurranCentral #bethatKINDofkid #DigCitKids #stuvoice

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Interacting with others in the digital realm

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Find lessons on Digital Access for all grades. Free interactive resources and activities for the classroom and home.