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Students put themselves into the shoes of the Digital Citizen characters, who play superheroes that are able to solve digital dilemmas in responsible ways.

(To view subtitles in Spanish and English, click on the white box at the bottom right of the video.)

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Super Digital Citizen | Common Sense Education

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Super Digital Citizen is a video from Common Sense Education. Use this video to help your students learn and thrive in our connected world.

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Students sing along with the Digital Citizens about the amazing possibilities that come with using technology and take a pledge to be safe, responsible, and respectful when traveling through the online world.

(To view subtitles, click on the white box at the bottom right of the video.)

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We the Digital Citizens | Common Sense Education

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We the Digital Citizens is a video from Common Sense Education. Use this video to help your students learn and thrive in our connected world.

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What do screen time usage, internet safety, and plagiarism have in common? These topics all fall under the umbrella of digital citizenship.

We live in a world that is connected and, in some ways, defined by technology. To succeed in academics, and eventually in their career, all students need to learn how to navigate the digital world safely and responsibly. As an educator, you can help by teaching digital citizenship in your class.

Read on to discover what digital citizenship is and how it can help your students use technology in healthier ways. Then, find five tips and activities for teaching digital citizenship to young students.

What is Digital Citizenship?

The Internet as we know it now began to take shape in the early 1990s, and since then the digital world has become increasingly integrated in our daily lives.[13] Whether they're surfing the web on a computer or playing games on their parent's smartphone, many children use technology on a regular basis. That's why teaching digital ethics is so important: to make sure students know how to use the Internet responsibly.

A broad definition of digital citizenship is the ability to use technology and the Internet in an appropriate manner. As technology continues to advance, so does the potential to abuse it (intentionally or otherwise).[8] Digital citizenship skills give students the right tools to engage with the digital world in ways that promote healthy online communities.

Because digital citizenship is such a wide-ranging topic, it can encompass a variety of concepts and actions. A few examples of digital citizenship include:

Learning to type, use a mouse, and other computer skills

Avoiding harassment or hateful speech while conversing with others online

Encouraging yourself and others not to illegally download content or otherwise disrespect digital property

Exploring the 9 Elements of Digital Citizenship

Students live in a world where digital resources are everywhere, which is why the importance of including technology in education extends to all aspects of a student's life. The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) outlines nine elements of digital citizenship to help students navigate online resources: [9]

Digital access

Digital etiquette

Digital commerce

Digital rights and responsibilities

Digital literacy

Digital law

Digital communication

Digital health and wellness

Digital security

These nine elements form a guide for teaching students what they need to know to be safe and informed digital citizens.

Digital Access

Digital access involves the ability to connect with others or access information using technology. As a teacher, you can instruct students on how to find valuable and safe information on the Internet. You can also help children from disadvantaged communities use computers or other resources at school to increase their digital access.

Digital Etiquette

Digital etiquette is just what it sounds like: treating other Internet users with respect and avoiding inappropriate behavior. For elementary students, one of the most important digital etiquette principles is understanding the consequences of cyberbullying.

Digital Commerce

Digital commerce refers to buying and selling electronics responsibly. For the most part, elementary students do not need to learn or practice this element of digital citizenship. For middle or high school students, however, discussions around digital commerce can help them learn how to be better consumers or consider career paths related to digital sales.

Digital Rights and Responsibilities

Digital rights and responsibilities refers to the privileges that all students have while using the Internet, like freedom of speech.[10] It also involves a student's duty to make sure that these rights remain available for everyone by treating other users fairly and respecting their privacy.

Digital Literacy

The definition of digital literacy is the ability to learn how to use technology and access information online.[12] A few examples of digital literacy include knowing how to use a mouse or how to find answers on a search engine.

Not all students start school with the same technological ability.[4] Teaching Internet skills in class can help bridge gaps in digital literacy.

Digital Law

Digital law encompasses the rules or guidelines set within an organization for using the Internet.[10] In your classroom, you could talk about preventing plagiarism or putting phones away in class to teach digital law.

Digital Communication

The options that students have for communicating online are greater than ever. Text, email, social media, and online games are all ways that children might digitally interact with others.[11] For this reason, it's important to teach your students how to communicate safely and effectively online.

Digital Health and Wellness

This element of digital citizenship involves teaching students how to protect their psychological and physical well-being while using the Internet.[12] This could include practicing how to sit correctly in a chair while using the computer and avoiding too much screen time.

Digital Security

The ninth element of digital citizenship-digital security-involves teaching students how to take steps to stay safe online. Although the Internet can be an excellent resource, students need to know how to avoid viruses, scams, or strangers online. Internet safety lessons for children could include anything from why privacy online is important to what to do if they encounter a cyberbully or stranger.

Why Teach Digital Citizenship with Technology in the Classroom?

The benefits of digital citizenship for kids extend far beyond the individual.[8] When we help students develop healthy practices on the Internet, we're also creating a better space for everyone they interact with. If your students use technology in class, digital citizenship curriculum is one of the best ways to help everyone make the most of their time online.

Because technology is so prevalent in schools, teachers often have to worry about how to prevent cyberbullying, cell phones disrupting class, and plagiarism.[1] Teaching digital citizenship can be one of the best ways to decrease these and other inappropriate behaviors at school.[14] As they become good digital citizens, students can use the Internet with a greater sense of self-awareness and better understand how to best use technology.

Teaching digital literacy and other citizenship skills can also help bridge digital equity gaps (or the "digital divide") between students.[3] Not all students have the same level of access to technology at home. Students from under-resourced or marginalized communities often have fewer digital experiences in comparison to their peers.[4] When digital literacy is a core part of their education, the technological resources and lessons in school can help these students catch up with their classmates.

5 Digital Citizenship Activities and Tips for Elementary Students

For many children, technology is a part of their daily lives before they even begin school. That's why it's part of an educator's duty to teach digital citizenship so students learn to interact in healthy ways with the online part of their world.

Use these digital citizenship game and lesson ideas to help elementary students develop essential skills for the wise and effective use of technology:

Digital safety is important for everyone, but especially for young students. Teach your students internet safety tips, like how to keep personal information private or avoid talking with strangers online.[5]

The earlier students learn know to use a keyboard and mouse, the better! Use your school's technology lab to play typing games or teach students how to use a computer.

Show students the variety of free resources they can use online, like Wikipedia or Google. Teach them not only how to access these resources but also how to use them safely.

Cyberbullying can affect anyone, even elementary students. Brainstorm with your students how they can be respectful on the Internet and what to do if someone is bullying them.[6]

To avoid plagiarism, teach older elementary students how to cite information that they find online.[7]

Sources:

Ribble, M.S., Bailey, G.D., and Ross, T.W. Digital Citizenship: Addressing Appropriate Technology Behavior. Learning & Leading with Technology, September 2004, 32(1), pp. 6-9.[1]

Lenhart, A., Madden, M., Smith, A., Purcell, K., Zickuhr, K., and Rainie, L. Teens, Kindness and Cruelty on Social Network Sites: How American Teens Navigate the New World of "Digital Citizenship." Pew Internet & American Life Project, November 2011, pp. 1-86.[2]

Shelley, M., Thrane, L., Shulman, S., Lang, E., Beisser, S., Larson, T., and Mutiti, J. Digital Citizenship: Parameters of the Digital Divide. Social Science Computer Review, 2004, 22(2), pp. 256-269.[3]

Robinson, L., Cotten, S.R., Ono, H., Quan-Haase, A., Mesch, G., Chen, W., Schulz, J., Hale, T.M., and Stern, M.J. Digital inequalities and why they matter. Information, Communication, & Society. 2015, 18(5), pp. 569-582.[4]

Code.org and Common Sense Media. Digital Citizenship. Retrieved from code.org: https://code.org/curriculum/course3/20/Teacher.pdf.[5,6]

Hunter Library Services. Plagiarism and Copyright. Retrieved from libguides.com: https://huntertafe.libguides.com/digitalcitizenship/plagiarism.[7]

Farmer, L. Teaching Digital Citizenship. Selected Topics in Education and Educational Technology, January 2010, pp. 387-392.[8]

Ribble, M. Essential elements of digital citizenship. Retrieved from iste.org: https://www.iste.org/explore/ISTE-blog/Essential-elements-of-digital-citizenship.[9]

Ribble, M. Passport to Digital Citizenship: Journey Toward Appropriate Technology Use at School and at Home. Learning & Leading with Technology, December 2008, 36(4), pp. 14-17.[10]

Tan, T. Educating Digital Citizens. Leadership, September 2011, 41(1), pp. 30-32.[11]

Hollandsworth, R., Dowdy, L., and Donovan, J. Digital Citizenship in K-12: It Takes a Village. TechTrends, July 2011, 55(4), pp. 37-47.[12]

GCF Global. Internet 101: What is the Internet? Retrieved from just.edu.jo: www.just.edu.jo/~mqais/cis99/PDF/Internet.pdf.[13]

Reykdal, C. Cyberbullying and Digital/Internet Safety. Retrieved from www.k12.wa.us: https://www.k12.wa.us/student-success/health-safety/school-safety-center/z-index/cyberbullying-and-digitalinternet-safety.[14]

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How to Teach Your Students the 9 Elements of Digital Citizenship - Waterford.org

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Discover what digital citizenship is and how it can help your students. Then, find five tips and activities for teaching digital citizenship in schools.

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Digital Citizenship: Elements, Lessons, and Importance

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Educators can help students make the best choices online with a solid understanding of what digital citizenship is and why it is important.

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According to Digital Citizenship, digital citizenship is "how we should act when we are using digital tools, interacting with others online, and what should be taught to help the next generation be better stewards of this technology." For schools and teachers, it is what and how we teach our students to interact with the online world. Devices like tablets and laptops are in many school districts, so teachers have the perfect opportunity to educate students about the digital world around them and how to be a good digital citizen.

9 Elements of Digital Citizenship

There are 9 elements to address when discussing and teaching digital citizenship. These are pillars of knowledge that teachers, administrators, parents, and students need to be aware of as technology becomes more and more available to students.

1. Access refers to the amount of access students have to technology. Not every child will have a personal device or internet at home, so schools should be aware of this as they require students to use more technology.

2. Commerce refers to the buying and selling of items online. These could be actual items or expertise through courses. This is an important aspect to share with parents and students because it can affect their future job choices.

3. Community and Collaboration includes digital relationships. Teaching students how to appropriately interact on the internet is a huge part of digital citizenship.

4. Etiquette covers the rules of conduct when interacting with the digital world. Knowing the rules before jumping online helps students be more aware of their digital footprint.

5. Fluency or literacy refers to the process of using technology and its benefits. Students make better decisions when they are online if they are digitally fluent. This also refers to fact-checking and being able to determine fact from fiction when reading an online source.

6. Health and Welfare looks at the physical and psychological side of technology. Is there such a thing as too much screen time? This aspect also covers cyber bullying and helping students be aware of what they say and post online.

7. Law consists of the responsibility of using technology. Laws are there to protect the people who use devices like smartphones, laptops, and tablets. These laws also govern topics like cyberbullying and sexting topics.

8. Rights and Responsibilities refers to the freedoms that people have in the digital world as well as the real world. Everyone is entitled to their own ideas and opinions, but helping students use technology responsibly is a huge part of digital citizenship so that they can have continued access to it.

9. Security and Privacy consists of not only protecting technology from viruses and other "bugs" that threaten the use of a piece of technology, but also protecting personal information. Teaching students to discern fraudulent websites and users is a huge key to keeping them safe.

These 9 elements cover all aspects of digital citizenship. Teaching these different aspects to students, and even parents, can help everyone have a positive and safe interaction with the digital world.

Why is digital citizenship important?

Children now have access to personal devices before they leave elementary school. Schools are also giving students technology to use or requiring them to bring their own device to use for school purposes. It is important to teach students how to use their technology appropriately so that it doesn't have a negative impact on their future.

There are consequences to all of our actions, including digital ones. Students need to know and understand these so they can make good choices. The use of social media has skyrocketed. Students now live their lives digitally. Some of them post about every aspect of their lives directly to social media using Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and even Tik Tok, which is a short video involving music that they can record.

Employers now check social media sites, including Facebook, to see what kind of person they are hiring during the interview process. Teaching children today the do's and don'ts of posting information and photographs online is beneficial for their future.

Cyberbullying is using technology to badger another person via social media, texting, and personal messages like direct messages (DM) and email. While bullying has been an issue in schools for a long time, cyberbullying is on the rise. Many children find it easier to be cruel to others digitally because there is a disconnect in the relationship with that person. The bully doesn't have to look at the victim anymore. They can post a message and be done with it. Teaching students how to handle cyberbullying and how to avoid it is crucial to their mental well-being and safety.

Digital Citizenship for Students

Digital citizenship for students is all about teaching them how to be good stewards of the digital world. As probably the highest priority is teaching them to protect themselves. This means showing them the difference between their personal and public life. Teach them what an appropriate photo to post is. How to respond to a friend when they are angry, and it's probably not posting on social media about it. Not everything that happens to them needs to be published online, so teaching them what should and shouldn't be posted is very beneficial.

Students also need to learn about digital relationships. The internet is a great place to meet new people. Students can interact with favorite authors and follow their favorite celebrities. It can also be a dangerous world where people who seek to harm them can exist. Children are usually trusting, so teaching them how to discern good relationships versus bad relationships online is very important, even from a young age.

A great acronym for students to use and even see posted in classrooms and hallways around school is "THINK". Before they post something online, whether it is information, a photo, or a post of any kind, they should ask themselves if it is true, helpful, inspiring, necessary, and kind. If the answer to any of the questions is no, then they probably shouldn't post or share the information. Is it kind to post about how a friend hurt your feelings? Is it necessary for someone to ask where you live? Is it inspiring to post a motivational picture? Many students think with their emotions, so if teachers and other staff can help them stop and think about their actions before the student does something rash, it can be very beneficial to the student. That's why signs like the image can be posted all through the school to remind students to make wise choices in what they share with the digital world.

Digital Citizenship for Teachers

Digital citizenship for teachers starts with the teachers themselves. They need to be educated on what digital citizenship is, why it is important, and how to address it with students and parents. Having professional development over digital citizenship to make sure all staff is knowledgeable about this topic is a great place to start.

Another asset to use and even educate is parents. Many times parents aren't even aware of how to teach their children how to be good stewards of the digital world and information. Schools can host informational nights where parents can learn more about it and how to help their children at home. This is also a great way to get families on board with teaching digital citizenship to students. If the parents find the information important as well as the staff at school, students are more likely to see its importance, too.

Digital Citizenship Lessons

Teachers can implement daily lessons on how to interact with technology appropriately. These lessons can be simple and shouldn't take up a lot of class time. The first option is to integrate more technology so that students have to engage with it. This would involve using something like a learning management system (LMS). An LMS can be used to set up a space where students can practice numerous digital skills. Maybe they have to write a blog where they can learn about good information to include online as well as writing skills. They could write emails to each other. They could post photos or create an album. An LMS is a very useful tool to have in schools to build knowledge of technology as well as digital citizenship.

Gamification can also be a useful way to teach digital citizenship. Minecraft is a beloved video game for all different age groups, even adults. Minecraft: Education Edition is now available for classroom use. Teachers can use a fun tech tool to help accomplish learning tasks while students enjoy the game-based medium.

While an LMS and gamification are great tools, there are just basic skills that students need to know.

How to create and save strong passwords

How to address cyberbullying

How to determine if a website is safe to visit

How to protect from identity theft

How to use a search engine most effectively

How to avoid plagiarism

There are many websites that offer ideas for lessons and curriculum. Common Sense has free digital citizen lessons for each grade level.

Do you have ideas of how to teach digital citizenship to your students? Please share with us on Twitter @Schoology

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Digital Citizenship: Elements, Lessons, and Importance

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According to Digital Citizenship, digital citizenship is "how we should act when we are using digital tools, interacting with others online, and what should be taught to help the next generation be better stewards of this technology." For schools and teachers, it is what and how we teach our students to interact with the online world.

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The New York State K12 Computer Science (CS) and Digital Fluency Learning Standards are currently in use in some schools and are expected to be implemented in all schools in the 2024/2025 school year. These standards include Digital Citizenship, Digital Fluency, and Computer Science. The Digital Fluency Standards are aligning to the Empire State Information Fluency Continuum to help teachers integrate information, digital literacy, and media literacy skills in every classroom and at all grade levels.

Digital Citizenship covers appropriate online behavior, responsible use of social networking sites, and cyberbullying. Students must be educated annually in this topic to meet the state standards as well as the federal eRate funding requirement.

Curriculum

You may provide instruction using any of the approved curricular materials below.

Free Options

Fee Options

BrainPOP: FAMIS Vendor ID: BRA550283

BrainPOP Jr. Curriculum consists of lesson ideas, quizzes, games, and activities for students in grades K-3

BrainPOP Digital Citizenship Curriculum consists of topics, learning pathways, and support resources for teachers and students grades 3 and up.

i-Safe: FAMIS Vendor ID: ISA821845
Standards-based, Common Core ready digital learning content for students in grades K-12.

Certification

When schools have educated students about appropriate online behavior, including responsible use of social networking sites and cyberbullying prevention, school principals need to certify compliance by completing this Cyber Safety Certification Form. This link was also emailed to Principals on November 22, 2021 and posted in Principals Digest on 10/8/21.

Learning Opportunities

Visit the Digital Citizenship Calendar. There you'll find Digital Citizenship classes from:

Be Internet Awesome (by Google)

BrainPOP

Common Sense Education

EverFi

Teaching Digital Citizenship Through an Inquiry Lens (by Library Services Team)

You can visit our # NYCSchoolsTech certification page for opportunities from Common Sense Education and EverFi. Check out digital citizenship professional development opportunities from Common Sense Education. They offer free live events, interactive workshops, self-paced training, and collaborative learning cohorts with practical takeaways and ready-to-implement teaching strategies.

Note: All Common Sense Education professional development sessions provide continuing education hours and count towards earning recognition as a Common Sense Educator.

Social Media

Learn more about the Social Media Guidelines for staff and students.

Resources

Important Dates

Below are dates (listed chronologically) where you might want to focus on cyber safety and digital citizenship:

National Bullying Prevention Month October 2021

#BlueUp: October 4, 2021

Make friends with someone you don't know: Week of October 4, 2021

Challenge others to be kind: Week of October 4, 2021

Stand up for others week: Week of October 11, 2021

Start the week off with conversations with your peers: Week of October 25, 2021

Digital Inclusion Week: October 4 - 8, 2021

National Coming Out Day: October 11, 2021

Digital Citizenship Week: October 18 - 22, 2021

Media Literacy Week: October 25 - 30, 2021

Hour of Code - December 6 - 12, 2021

CS Education Week: December 6 - 12, 2021

Safer Internet Day: February 8, 2022

Respect for All Week: February 14 -18, 2022

Digital Learning Day: February 22, 2022

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The New York State K12 Computer Science (CS) and Digital Fluency Learning Standards are currently in use in some schools and are expected to be implemented in all schools in the 2024/2025 school year. These standards include Digital Citizenship, Digital Fluency, and Computer Science.

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Digital citizenship shouldn't be a long list of don'ts. It should be about the do's that help create thoughtful, empathetic digital citizens who can wrestle with the important ethical questions at the intersection of technology and humanity. Those do's include:

Using technology to make your community better.

Engaging respectfully online with people who have different beliefs than you.

Using technology to make your voice heard by public leaders and shape public policy.

Determining the validity of online sources of information.

Digital citizenship goes beyond conversations about personal responsibility. It's about being active citizens who see possibilities instead of problems, and opportunities instead of risks as they curate a positive and effective digital footprint.

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Digital citizenship shouldn't be a long list of don'ts. It should be about the do's that help create thoughtful, empathetic digital citizens who can wrestle with the important ethical questions at the intersection of technology and humanity. Those do's include: Using technology to make your community better.

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Edutopia is a free source of information, inspiration, and practical strategies for learning and teaching in preK-12 education. We are published by the George Lucas Educational Foundation, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization.

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As a career readiness curriculum developer, we often hear from teachers who have questions about a variety of topics they are required to teach.

From soft skills to 21st Century skills, you have a lot of areas to include. And one of the most important ones is digital citizenship.

However, even with the increased focus on teaching this subject, there isn't much direction for career readiness instructors about what they are actually supposed to cover.
In this article, you'll discover answers to the most common questions teachers ask about digital citizenship:

1. What is digital citizenship?

2. What concepts does digital citizenship include?

3. How can you teach digital citizenship?

You'll also learn where you can find digital citizenship lessons to teach these crucial concepts and skills!

What Is Digital Citizenship?
Digital citizenship refers to the responsible use of technology by anyone who uses computers, the Internet, and digital devices to engage with society on any level.
As the rate of technological advancement continues to increase, the world as a whole is becoming more dependent on the Internet for day-to-day activities. That makes this a crucial topic to teach today's students.

Good digital citizenship for students engages them and shows them how to connect with one another, empathize with each other, and create lasting relationships through digital tools.

Bad digital citizenship, on the other hand, entails cyberbullying, irresponsible social media usage, and a general lack of knowledge about how to safely use the Internet.

Fortunately, almost all of the requirements to be a good digital citizen can be taught in the classroom.

What Concepts Does Digital Citizenship Include?
If you want to teach this subject, you'll want to focus on seven key concepts:

1. Empathy

2. How the Internet works

3. Understanding user data

4. Practicing digital literacy

5. Acknowledging the digital divide

6. Practicing digital wellness

7. Securing digital devices

These seven topics may sound complex, but they're surprisingly simple once you start planning.

1. Empathy

When you want to teach students how to be good digital citizens, teaching empathy is a great starting point.

This is because empathy is crucial to understanding how people talk and behave online.

Because Internet use relies largely on text-based communications, it's impossible to hear someone's vocal tone, see their facial expressions, or understand other non-verbal cues that you get when you're speaking to someone face-to-face.

As a result, it's incredibly easy for Internet users to make quick, harsh judgments about someone's statements online.

That means Internet users (including your students) can trade quick verbal or text-based blows that are intended to hurt someone's feelings instead of carrying on a typical conversation that you may hear over a phone call or face to face.

In the worst cases, this kind of behavior can devolve into cyberbullying, which has been documented as an especially bad problem for younger Internet users.

This is why teaching empathy has the potential to make an enormous difference in your students' lives.

How Do You Teach Empathy?

Teaching empathy is a challenge. After all, how do you teach something that many still consider to be an inborn factor of someone's psyche and attitude?

In fact, empathy is as simple to teach as any other concept.

Graduate Programs for Educators, for instance, has an article detailing several helpful strategies you can use to teach empathy in your classroom.

With these strategies in your repertoire of lessons, you'll be off to a strong start in teaching your students how to empathize with others online!

However, this is just the start.

After you teach empathy, you have to teach students how the Internet works.

2. How the Internet Works
The Internet is an incredible network of interconnected servers and computers that direct web browser requests through a network of wired and wireless connections.
While that's a vague explanation, the fact is that the Internet has gotten so large and complex that it's a challenge to be any more specific about it!

Fortunately, you can view a simplified explanation of the Internet in this infographic from WebFX.

So why is this important for students to understand?

The Internet is so fast and responsive that it's almost mind-blowing to consider all of the processes that have to happen behind the scenes just for someone to check their email.

But only a small percentage of people in the world - including students -actually understandwhat those processes are. Even fewer understand how those processes work!

When you show students that the Internet works via a sophisticated interconnection of digital tools, you set the stage to help them understand the next key elements of being good digital citizens.

How Do You Teach How the Internet Works?

Study.com has a great lesson on how the Internet works, and it's specifically designed for younger students.

This lesson focuses on networking (digital machines all linked together by the Internet) and hardware (the actual machines themselves).

It also includes concepts such as communication, central processing units, hard drives, computers, and more.

With this lesson, you can show students the basics of how the Internet functions so that they can increase their digital literacy!

3. Understanding User Data
User data is one of the most complex and concerning concepts in the digital age.
Just about every company with a website collects data on the people who visit it. That data may be as simple as the pages that someone views, and it could be as complex as someone's home address.

Most of the websites on the Internet use this information for marketing purposes. It helps them understand their customers a little bit better, and it helps companies connect with people in a meaningful way.

However, other websites use this opportunity maliciously. They may "mine" someone's web browser for their search history. They might also attach a "cookie," or unique identifier, to someone's web browser to see the other websites they visit.

Then, many of these companies take this data, package it together, and sell it to the highest bidder.

While almost every country has laws dictating that companies can't collect data on individuals younger than 18 (or 13 in some places), the fact of the matter is that it happens anyway.

As a result, your students need to know about personal data - and they need to know how they can protect themselves!

How Do You Teach Students About User Data?

Teaching user data is hard because very few outlets actuallyaddressuser data in the first place. In fact, it's such a new phenomenon - and its use is typically a closely-guarded secret - that many teachers may not evenknowabout it, much less be in a position to teach students.

Fortunately, you can teach students about user data by focusing on your students'digital footprints.

A "digital footprint" is the mark that someone's web browser leaves on the Internet.

Whenever you go to any website, you're tracked by some software that sees your "footprint." Then, when you return, that same software matches up your previous footprint with your current website visit. The result is that websites know who you are, how many times you've visited their website, and what you've done while visiting.

Some organizations - like Facebook and Google - may even track your Internet behavior outside of their websites.

Whether it's legal, ethical, or practical is unfortunately not currently debated in mainstream society.

However, that's all the more reason to teach your students that they're almost always being watchedwhen they're using the Internet.

4. Practicing Digital Literacy
Digital literacy is the practice of reading information online and understanding what it means, where it originated, and whether it's accurate.
As a result, digital literacy is one of the hardest concepts to teach to students. It's also one of the most important qualities for students to become good digital citizens!

After all, how can they practice good digital citizenship if they can't discern accurate information from misinformation online?

A solid digital literacy curriculum includes learning about ethics, protecting yourself online, and even preventing cyberbullying.

It's a lot to pack into a single subject - but it's essential for students in 21st Century classrooms.

How Do You Practice Digital Literacy?

Teaching digital literacy requires a lot of planning, finesse, and review to ensure your students understand what they need to know about the digital world.

Fortunately, companies from around the world offer digital literacy curriculum likelessons, activities, and assessments.

Still, if you're looking for the summary version of digital literacy, you can wrap it up in three concepts.

Clickbait

Clickbait refers to any text, headline, video title, etc. that's deliberately written to pique someone's interest and get them to click.

Generally speaking, clickbait is written by organizations that want to get people to their website so they can show ads and earn revenue. It's also used by malicious website owners who want to infect individuals' computers with malware.

In short, the rule of thumb is not to click a link or a video with a title that makes someone feel outrage. This is a hard urge to fight, but it can make the difference between good digital citizenship for students or having their computers infected with viruses!

Even worse, your students could click an article that delivers fake news to them.

Fake News

Fake news is a relatively new phenomenon. It refers to any media outlet publishing severely biased or intentionally false information.

Fake news is most often used with clickbait titles to get readers and alter people's opinions with ineffective claims or outright lies. It's also a key part of any information literacy curriculum.

In essence, if students ever read something that sounds incredibly skewed to one ideology over another, it's fake news. The same goes for any piece that's written by admittedly biased entertainment sources, tabloids, gossip websites, rumor mills, or social media posts.

As a general rule, if your students ever see an unflattering image of someone with text plastered at the top and / or bottom, you can safely assume it's fake news and best left ignored.

Empathy

It may look a little funny to talk about this again, but empathy is actually a big part of teaching digital literacyanddigital citizenship for students.

This is because a successful digital literacy curriculum requires students to think beneath the face-value text that they're reading online. Instead, they need empathy to truly understand the information they're absorbing.

This makes students question a writer's motivations behind something they see posted on social media. It may also prompt students to reach out with words of comfort to someone who they see in distress online.

Regardless of how it's applied, there's no wrong way to go when you're teaching empathy.

Incidentally, empathy is also key to the next element of digital citizenship for students.

5. Acknowledging the Digital Divide
The digital divide is the disparity between those who have access to modern digital tools (like computers and the Internet) and those who don't.
This is important to recognize because the Internet is still very much aluxuryin the world, even in the United States!

Access to computers and the Internet is still restricted by finance in every part of the world, meaning that those in poverty don't have the same level of access as those who have disposable income.

While Americans may think that this mostly applies to individuals living in third-world countries, the truth is far grimmer. Only 75.23% of Americans have Internet access, with a full 24.77% living without access.

In addition, 20% of Americans live in the Midwest where Internet access is most scarce, meaning that the infrastructure exists for a fair amount of Americans in that 24.77% who don't use the Internet.

Unfortunately, that means the remaining Americans in that percentage simply can't afford Internet access.

Some schools will have a disproportionately high quantity of those students. Others may have none at all.

But if your students aren't aware of the digital divide, then they may end up assuming that all students have equal access to the Internet - which is patently false.

At the same time, you don't want to ask students who don't have home Internet access to identify themselves to illustrate this point. That's embarrassing, and it could end up having a negative impact on your classroom.

So how can you introduce students to such a strange topic without isolating students in your class?

How Do You Acknowledge the Digital Divide?

The International Publisher of Information Science and Technology Researchsupplies dozens of different resources you can use to learn more about the digital divide.

Some of these resources are appropriate for the classroom. Others may only work for older students in high school.

The key is to find the information you need - even if it's just informing your students that some people are fortunate enough to have more than others - and bring it to the forefront of your class.

6. Practicing Digital Wellness
Digital wellness is the practice of refraining from indulging in the Internet and digital media for reasonable amounts of time.
In other words, it's the practice of knowing when to "take a break" from screens.

Digital wellness is important because too much screen time can have adverse effects on students.

Adrian F. Ward of the University of Colorado performed a full study on this topic and discovered that screen time can impact transactive memory, empathy, and even grey matter development in young minds.

So, strangely enough, the best way to practice digital wellness is to leave digital devices for a few hours every day!

How Do You Practice Digital Wellness?

When you teach digital wellness, you can use a combination of health information, psychology, neurology, and current events to illustrate why it's important to take time away from devices.

Teaching moderation, the importance of exercise,and even nutritioncan all play a big role in helping students understand why it's important to practice digital wellness.

7. Securing Digital Devices
The final element of becoming a good digital citizen is securing digital devices.
This is the perfect capstone to your digital citizenship curriculum because it takes everything students have learned and applies it to real-life scenarios.

You've shown students how the importance of empathy. You've shown them how the Internet works. You've even shown them why they need to use digital devices in moderation.

What's left in this equation? Well, students need to know how they can secure their computers, smartphones, and more.

You could fill an entire semester just talking about network security - which some schools do.

So how do you teachthis?

How Do You Teach Digital Device Security?

The Tech Edvocate has a great how-to article on the ways you can teach digital security to K-12 students. You can read this article and translate it to a point-by-point syllabus almost verbatim and you'll have several successful digital citizenship lessons.

However, they miss a few things that you should talk about.

First, there's smartphone security. Ensure your students know how to lock and change their smartphone codes or identification patterns.

If they use facial recognition, ensure they don't post similar photos of their faces online.

(Yes, this can work. Facial recognition software is unfortunately imperfect.)

Second, teach students about VPNs.You can read a bit about VPNs from Privacy Affairs, which provides an article talking about what VPNs are and how to set them up.

Basically, VPNs place a protective shell around your students' data as it travels throughout the Internet. Not even Internet service providers (ISPs) can crack it, although the VPN provider can still decode what you're doing.

The principles of VPNs are based around security, privacy, and the idea that companies aren't entitled to steal your online data.

When you and your students use one, you're adding an extra layer of protection to your online presence that can make the difference between a carefree life online and identity theft.

Finally, you can talk about antivirus software. Antivirus software comes in many forms and names, but it all does the same general task - keeping your possessions and information safe from those who would steal it.

All of this information acts like an extra padlock that you attach to a treasure chest. The more locks your students have on their personal information, the harder it is for anyone to steal it!

With all of this in mind, there's one final question we still have to answer.

There's so much here, and there's so much that you can teach your students with the right digital citizenship curriculum.

So where do you even start?

How Can You Teach Digital Citizenship?

Overall, there's no best way to teach digital citizenship. Some teachers pull digital citizenship lessons and activities from various places to build their course, while others prefer using a comprehensive digital citizenship curriculum.

If you're looking for a few supplemental resources, check out this list of digital citizenship lessons for middle school.
But If you're interested in a more robust digital citizenship curriculum, consider iCEV.
iCEV is a comprehensive CTE curriculum system designed to prepare students for career success. You can use iCEV to teach digital citizenship, digital responsibility, career development, professionalism, and much more.

To learn more about iCEV and if it's right for your program, check out the Middle School Digital Literacy and Career Exploration Curriculum page :

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What Is Digital Citizenship & How Do You Teach It?

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Have you heard the term digital citizenship? Discover what it means and how you can teach it to help your students succeed!

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Common Sense Education provides educators and students with the resources they need to harness the power of technology for learning and life. Find a free K-12 Digital Citizenship curriculum, reviews of popular EdTech apps, and resources for protecting student privacy.