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Why I think teaching digital citizenship is important.

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Why I think teaching digital citizenship is important.

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I think digital citizenship is important because kids need to remember that everything they do on the internet has an effect. Everything they search, click on, and add to the internet has an impact. It's also important to remember that with the citizenship comes the footprints that we leave behind.

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This first website has a video about Garfield the cat teaching these kids how to make decisions when it comes to the internet and how to avoid being a cyber bully. There are three lessons available and three more they are working on. There are four different pay options with different availability.

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This website is a great resource for parents to read and understand and also finding a way to inform children about the importance of these things. As technology comes more and more apparent in classrooms and in children's life outside the classroom.

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Digital citizenship is important for those that participate in online activity, because it sets the standard of how you should act online. There have been many cases of cyberbullying, and a good way to minimize conflict on the internet is to be a good digital citizen. Just because internet activities take place behind a computer doesn't mean that there aren't guidelines to follow. Below we will share with you 9 digital citizenship facts that will help guide you on your path to becoming the best digital citizen possible.

There are many people that still sign in on sites that aren't secure and due to these security issues their personal accounts are hacked. When you are on sites that require you to enter personal information, you should always look at the address bar of your window to make sure that the site is secure.

We share everything online and rarely think of information being sensitive. For example, when you go on vacation you are probably posting about it on Facebook and putting pics up on Instagram. You think you are sharing the experience with family and friends, but you have informed the world that you aren't home. These houses known to be vacant through the vacation posts are targeted and robbed by unsavory individuals.

When posting online in any community you will interact with people that do not share your opinions or beliefs. It can feel like the right thing to do is to voice your opinion no matter what the tone, but the more negative you are the more of a conflict that you will have. Before responding to someone you are supposed to take a moment and put yourself in their shoes. Remember, everything you post stays online and will follow you forever.

Technology is fueling our lives and if you do not educate yourself on the changes in the industry you will fall behind. This is important for those that incorporate technology into their lesson plans. By you keeping up with digital communities, you can pass this information onto your classroom which in turn causes your students to share this insight with one another.

It has become common practice for people to post things without acknowledging the original creator. If you post someone's content and do not give them credit you are essentially stealing their work. Avoid this issue by giving credit to the creator or by only posting your own content.

If you had an issue at home with someone in real life, where you felt you were in danger, you would contact the authorities. This same mentality should be applied to problems that occur online, and you should take the necessary steps to report harassment. Each online community has protocol that you can use to report instances of online harassment and abuse.

It is common to get upset at someone's comments in an online community, and you might immediately start to form your response. The more upset you are the higher the possibility is you will cause conflict for yourself. Before replying to a comment that you find offensive, take time to breathe and compose your thoughts. If this is not a post that you want to have associated with you for the rest of your life, then find something else to say.

Every social media site you are on has specific rules and terms of use. When you are online you want to make sure that you are familiar with the rules of the community so that you can meet their standards. You can generally find community rules in the "About Me" section of the website.

There are individuals that sit online for the sole purpose of making your life miserable. These individuals, also known as "Trolls", will blatantly make comments to hurt your feelings, and no matter how you respond that will keep attacking you. The best thing that you can do with a troll is to ignore them because they feed off the negative energy.

We hope you find the 9 digital citizenship facts to be effective in shaping your online presence and your students. Let us know if you found this information helpful, and how you implemented these tips into your classrooms!

***Learn more about the importance of teaching digital citizenship to your students.***

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Digital citizenship is important for those that participate in online activity, because it sets the standard of how you should act online. There have been many cases of cyberbullying, and a good way to minimize conflict on the internet is to be a good digital citizen.

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This resource is great for in classroom learning as it has a video, PowerPoint, and fun graphics that kids can easily understand. This link also has other links for learning opportunities and fun resources for kids to gain more from the amount of knowledge that they need to consume.

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Digital Citizenship is a concept which helps us understand what all technology users should know to use technology As in any society, it is expected that digital citizens act in a certain way according to accepted norms, rules, and laws. Most of today's students are entirely comfortable with technology, but are they using it appropriately? Do they understand their appropriately and responsibly.

Today, billions of people all over the planet interact using various technologies. This interaction has created a digital society that affords its citizens opportunities for education, employment, entertainment, and social interaction.

roles and responsibilities in digital society? ​

Watch Our Connected Culture

Had a bad experience online? Need to talk? Has something happened online that makes you feel uncomfortable, scared or sad? can also visit

Talking to friends, family or a teacher can help. It can also help to talk to an expert about what's happening. If you want to talk about a problem at school you can speak to your Year Advisor or the School Counsellor.
You Kids Helpline or call them on 1800 55 1800.
This service is free and private.

Digital Citizenship Teaching and Learning Program

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References and further Reading

Common Sense Media. (2010) Connected Culture Student Intro Video -- Our Connected Culture. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0XQj1anI-E&feature=youtu.be

Common Sense Media (2017). What is Digital Citizenship. Video. Retrieved from www.commonsense.org/education/video/digital-citizenship

Common Sense Media. (2016). What is Digital Citizenship? Commonsense.org. Retrieved from ww.commonsense.org/education/video

Common Sense Media (2013) Digital Citizenship Poster for Elementary School Classrooms. Retrieved from:
http://www.edudemic.com/printable-digital-citizenship-poster/

Cybersmart (2014) Commonwealth of Australia. Retrieved from: http://www.cybersmart.gov.au/

Heick, T. (2013). Definition Of Digital Citzenship. TeachThought. Retrieved from: http://www.teachthought.com/technology/the-definition-of-digital-citzenship/

Knorr, C. (2010) Be a Good Digital Citizen: Tips for Teens and Parents. Retrieved from: https://www.commonsensemedia.org/blog/be-a-good-digital-citizen-tips-for-teens-and-parents

MacMeekin, M. (2013). Digital Citizenship. An Ethical Island. Retrieved from https://anethicalisland.wordpress.com/2013/04/22/digital-citizenship/

Miller, S. (2017). . Retrieved from How Do You Teach Digital Citizenship?. Padlet.com https://padlet.com/shannonmmiller/digitalcitizenshipliteracy

NetSafe (2010) Digital Citizenship in New Zealand Schools Overview. Retrieved from:
http://www.netsafe.org.nz/Doc_Library/Digital_Citizenship_in_New_Zealand_Schools_Overview.pdf

Oxley, C. (2012, August 12). Developing a digital citizenship program [Slideshow]. Retrieved from http://www.slideshare.net/cathryno/developing-a-digital-citizenship-program.

Ribble, M. (2014). Digital Citizenship. Retrieved from http://www.digitalcitizenship.net

Ribble, M. & Bailey, G. (2014) Digital Citizenship in Schools, Eugene, Oregon, International Society for Technology in Education

Thinkuknow. (n.d) Frequently asked questions: Parents, Instagram. Retrieved from:
http://www.thinkuknow.org.au/userfiles/file/Parent_Instagram(14).pdf

Thinkuknow. (n.d.) How-to social networking. Retrieved from: http://www.thinkuknow.org.au/kids/howtosn.asp#fbprivacy

Watanabe Crockett, L. (2017). A Look at 6 Digital Citizenship Myths That Must Be Dispelled. Global Digital Citizen Foundation. Retrieved from https://globaldigitalcitizen.org/6-digital-citizenship-myths-dispelled?mc_cid=5e898274ca&mc_eid=df4e4432ba

Image credit

Costello, C. (2014). All good digital citizens school girl image remixed by C. Costello from: ClipartFest. (2014). C lipart girl at school. ClipartFest. Retrieved from https://clipartfest.com/download/108b4368803dca464bd1e0183f09d788e8bd10e1.html
and Common Sense Media. (2013). Digital Citizenship Poster for Elementary Classrooms. Common Sense Media. Retrieved from https://www.commonsensemedia.org/educators/elementary_poster
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Cathy Costello teacher librarian virtual library Cathy Costello teacher librarian virtual library Cathy Costello library Cathy Costello virtual library Cathy Costello librarian

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Digital citizenship can be defined as engaging in appropriate and responsible behaviour when using technology. It encompasses digital literacy, ethics, etiquette, online safety, norms, rights, culture and more. A digital citizen is one who knows what i