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R- Respect yourself and others.
E- Educating yourself and others.
P- Protecting yourself and others.
REP demonstrates the main benefits and ideas that are coming from Digital Citizenship.

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Digital citizenship is more important than ever

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We help educators around the world use technology to solve tough problems.

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"It's not about technology, it is about finding the right way to use it"-Katie Rolheseir 

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"It's not about technology, it is about finding the right way to use it"-Katie Rolheseir 

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Her philosophy is that technology is at its most powerful when users deeply understand it and use it in ways that enhance their individual learning, and creating digital citizenship is the way to achieve this. The benefits that can come from digital citizenship are the creation of more engaged students, and even turning teachers into digital citizens.

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For Digital Learning Specialist Kerry Gallagher, it's not just about technology, it's all about finding the right ways to use it. Her philosophy is that technology is at its most powerful when users deeply understand it and use it in ways that enhance their individual learning, and creating digital citizenship is the way to achieve this.

Kerry and her colleague Julie Cremin recently began introducing the idea of digital citizenship to St. John Prep's teachers and students, realizing that though it will be a long learning curve, it's essential to helping teachers and students learn how to navigate in an increasingly technological world.

Digital citizenship means learning how to use technology in ways that are appropriate, responsible and intelligent. Kerry and Julie factor in topics such as effective communication, personal branding, technology etiquette, privacy & safety, and acting as a responsible contributor & consumer of media.

"There's just so much more they can do to demonstrate their learning with technology, and every student feels like they can contribute in a unique way."

"Instead of calling out students who are distracted by taking their device away, teach them how they can manage the entertainment part of technology with the academic or professional part of it," Kerry explains.

"If we don't teach them how to manage this now, they won't know how to manage this later on in life. It's a territory that makes teachers uncomfortable because a lot of them didn't grow up with technology, so they aren't sure what it looks like in the classroom. We're encouraging teachers to get to a point where their students can self-regulate when technology is appropriate and when it isn't appropriate. It takes work to get there, but we're determined to make that journey with our teachers and students."

The Benefits of Being a Digital Citizen

Examples that support Kerry's push toward digital citizenship include her observations that technology has helped students who are shy or more introverted come out of their shell and communicate more effectively. She has also observed that group projects are greatly simplified from what they used to be - and are even more enjoyable.

"We've all been in classes with introverted students who would never raise their hands, but they have brilliant ideas that tech allows them to express. They're much more comfortable with text messages than raising their hand. Also, group projects used to be difficult for students to manage, and now they're a much more pleasant experience. It's clear who's doing what when you collaborate online, and it's easy to separate out each student's role in the project and they don't have to go over to each other's houses all the time the way they used to."

Turning Teachers into Digital Citizens

One of the ways Kerry and Julie are helping their school with digital citizenship is by encouraging teachers to explore and personalize their own education technology. For example, while all teachers at St. John's Prep are trained on Showbie, many use it in different ways, tailoring it to their teaching style, grade level and subject matter.

"Not every teacher is using Showbie the same way, and that's perfectly ok. Some are using it to push resources out to kids, some are simply collecting and giving feedback. I have world language teachers who are using it primarily for audio assessments in the form of voice notes. It's pretty incredible that they're using the same app for all these different purposes."

Additionally, Kerry and Julie say that even previously tech-shy teachers are reaching out to them with ideas on how they can use technology in their classroom.

"There are teachers who a year or so ago would have never wanted to use technology this way because they liked the model they were using, and technology seemed like a distraction. Now they're thinking of trying out new things and looking for support, so we're definitely turning a corner. You just have find the right fit for that teacher and their students."

Creating More Engaged Students

Kerry admits she's also been surprised by her students' excitement over trying out new technology in classrooms, and how they'll tell her about apps that she would have never known about.

"If a student has an app that they like and want to use it as an alternative to what I suggested, I'm always curious to know more about it. I do research about its privacy and ask the student if they've used it before. If the student wants to use the app because they could do something that wasn't possible before, and if it makes them more excited about the project, who am I to say no?"

Ultimately, Kerry wants to educate teachers and students to use technology so that they can learn and collaborate more, in addition to streamlining classwork by going paperless. With Kerry's philosophy in mind, one gets the impression that she's not far off from helping to usher in one of the first generations of digital citizens in the classroom.

"I think the pedagogy is that paperless technology provides students and teachers with an opportunity to collaborate in ways they never could before. On paper, students can demonstrate learning by writing, reading, colouring and drawing, but if they're not limited by paper they can record their voice talking, create music, create a video, or even develop an animation - there's just so much more they can do to demonstrate their learning with technology, and every student feels like they can contribute in a unique way."

You can follow Kerry on Twitter and check out her blog here.

About Kerry Gallagher

Kerry is a Digital Learning Specialist at St John's Prep in Danvers, MA. It is a 1:1 iPad school serving 1,500 students from grades 6-12. She is also the Director of K-12 Education for ConnectSafely, a Silicon Valley based non-profit dedicated to educating users of connected technology about safety, privacy, and security.

As Showbie's community journalist, Katie is eager to explore the latest information in education and classroom technology. When she isn't scribing her next story for Showbie, she's researching the next big thing in schools around the world. Email tips and ideas to katie@showbie.com

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The Importance of Digital Citizenship in Today's Classrooms - Showbie

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For Digital Learning Specialist Kerry Gallagher, it's not just about technology, it's all about finding the right ways to use it. Her philosophy is that technology is at its most powerful when users deeply understand it and use it in ways that enhance their individual learning, and creating digital citizenship is the way to achieve this.

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Digital Citizenship is crucial to teach to Primary Students

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Digital Citizenship is crucial to teach to Primary Students

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Teaching digital leadership to your students allows them to gain knowledge on how to stay safe on the internet and why not to cyberbully, helps you be a better learner, gain more knowledge, and learn respect.
I believe it is crucial to teach this to kids at a young age so that they know how to stay safe on the internet in multiple aspects, and I agree that it gives them even more knowledge because of the multiple articles available.

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So, how do you teach your students digital citizenship? Just watch this video, I found it on Twitter, see how young kids are learning digital citizenship. I guess this is a great way to teach and learn Digital Citizenship.

Addressing the 21st century skill of digital citizenship is important; to help students to learn, communicate and collaborate safely and responsibly. Being a best digital citizen in the community includes having email etiquette, reporting and preventing cyber bullying, learning how to protect private information, etc.

Kathie Kanavel- Coordinator for Educational Tech, Santa Clara Unified School District, says, " Digital citizenship is really important for 21st century skills, because being a 21st century citizen means that you can collaborate and communicate, and you need to do that not only the people you face with but also those that you encounter in digital world."

School are now shifting to BYOD (bring your own device) as a main move for tech integration in the classroom. So, when students are so close to the tech, they must know or examine the impact of their online activity. Here are few crucial reasons why school should make teaching digital citizenship to their students the first step in the tech integration process.

Due to the fact that a lot of young kids embrace technology every day without examining the consequence of implementation, we must bring digital citizenship lesson in the curriculum. Students continue to use devices whether the device has been embraced in their curriculum or not. They are in touch with technology even after the surveillance of teacher i.e after school. Therefore, there is a need to teach them digital citizenship.

Today, with digitalization, employers judge prospective students or employees for their social media profile. So, it is important to teach students how to create online personas that project positive and constructive image.

Cyber-bullying is another reason for teaching digital citizenship. We can only prevent cyber-bullying by educating students about digital citizenship. Lack of awareness about digital citizenship can lead to the cyber-bullying which has grave consequences at times.

Information Search and Analysis is an important aspect of Digital Citizenship. There are lots of resources available over the Internet and not all is authentic. Digital citizenship teaches students how to look out, select, and streamline information and how to choose a real and authentic source of information.

Related

If you wish to adopt the Digital Citizenship and Internet Maturity curriculum in your school, visit the website to know more.

Teaching digital citizenship to primary students is crucial. So if you are a primary teacher then here are some tips that might help you while teaching digital citizenship to your kids.

Stay informed and safe:

Whatever students do keep their parents inform.

Ensure that their parents understand what their kids are doing.

Include parents as well in their kid online activities.

Things only get posted after teacher's approval of it.

Be Respectful

Talk to your students about compassion, respect and being kind over the Internet. Make the student understand leave comment that they wanted to receive in their blogs. Help them to understand how to just focus on good things and not on bad things and how to make ensure that only their "good work" online.

Be a good learner

In all your classes make your student understand that web is a place to learn and gain things. Keep their focus only on good place over the web where they can learn good things.

Today, the engagement of students with technology is more in this digital world, and most of them do not make right choice, in fact they don't really know what they are doing and what is its affect. Therefore, digital citizenship lessons are mandatory to teach.

Looking for Digital Citizenship Resources?????? Click here.

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Why is Digital Citizenship Important? Even for Youngest Kids

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So, how do you teach your students digital citizenship? Just watch this video, I found it on Twitter, see how young kids are learning digital citizenship. I guess this is a great way to teach and learn Digital Citizenship. Addressing the 21st century skill of digital citizenship is important; to help students to learn, communicate and collaborate safely and responsibly.

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Summary of Digital Citizenship and Why it is Important

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Summary of Digital Citizenship and Why it is Important

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Digital Citizens are known as people that are using information on the internet to engage and inform themselves. Digital Citizenship is important because with how advanced technology is and how involved it is in our life, we have to be able to collaborate and communicate online. Digital Citizenship is using technology respectfully, and for the way it is suppose to be used. This teaches students to not bully, and to be smart and safe online.