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It is important to teach our students to become digital citizens so they can use the internet in a safe and responsible manor. We are building upon their online communication and collaboration skills. With teaching digital citizenship hopefully we can teach our students to use the internet in a way that is helpful, not harmful.

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Technology Solutions That Drive Education

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Now that we have technology in our classrooms, communities and homes, parents and educators are likely asking themselves, "How do we help children effectively use digital tools?"

As technology leaders, our goal should be to help our students become their best selves online. Digital citizenship is the answer.

The discussion surrounding digital citizenship has been growing, but not everyone can agree on its definition. Some see it as online safety, and others think it's a way to address cyberbullying. Some people even define it as knowledge in a digital age. It is all of these things.

When we teach digital citizenship in schools, we are teaching students to be appropriate and use technology responsibly. Digital citizenship is not about replacing who we are in the real world but about expanding the possibilities of who we might become when we know and understand how to harness the power of our digital tools.

To start teaching digital citizenship, remember three simple maxims: Be safe, be savvy and be social. Here are some tips for getting a digital citizenship conversation started with K-12 students and how technology can be used to promote effective outcomes:
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Be Safe: Protect Yourself and Others

Almost everyone has found opportunities online that they enjoy on a regular basis, whether playing games or keeping up with friends and relatives. Students need to balance online hours with connecting to people in the real world. Digital devices are tools, and we decide when they are best used.

It's exciting to learn, explore and create online but we also need to teach children that digital tools wield a significant amount of power and they should be wary and watchful for potential issues. When they encounter these issues online, such as a stranger trying to steal personally identifiable information, it is important for them to notify an adult.

Securing data is equally important. Social media, software and apps all have settings that can keep data protected. Of course, every digital citizenship program should begin with a secure network. Network management systems can directly support the program by granting rights to certain apps and sites. Web filters and firewalls provide another layer of protection and can be integrated into the network management system. IT leaders also should use secure browser settings, spam filters and anti-virus software.

Be Savvy: Educate Yourself and Others

In its broadest terms, literacy is the ability to read and write. But in digital communication, literacy takes on other forms. It's important that students understand the nuances of each iteration. Hiller Spires, a professor of literacy and technology at North Carolina State University, notes that literacy is critical for all users, as it helps us find, consume, create and share content.

Digital tools, spread across a variety of platforms, provide new ways to communicate and share with those near and far. From email and social media to collaboration tools such as G Suite for Education and cloud storage, students today need a solid understanding of which solution is best for a given situation and also need to know how to use it effectively. Educators throughout school districts often rely on tools like Microsoft OneNote and Google Drive to create feedback loops with students and allow them to access their work wherever they are.

Digital literacy can also help us determine what is true versus what may not be accurate. While of course this is important when it comes to learning about and understanding world events, the ability to distinguish fallacy from fact is equally important in daily life.

For example, when making an online purchase, it is crucial for users to understand how to find what they want and then know how to protect themselves as they complete the transaction. And anyone involved with making purchases online needs to be aware that e-commerce is an evolving process - think bitcoin and blockchain. A good digital citizen spends and manages money responsibly, ISTE states in its "Citizenship in the Digital Age" infographic.

Be Social: Respect Yourself and Others

Thanks to improved access to digital technology, people who previously may have been left behind in a global learning experience are now able to participate. School districts should both applaud and embrace these opportunities, taking advantage of what technology offers challenged students, from those learning a second language to those with physical or behavioral disabilities.

Because of this expanding audience, it is important to practice and teach consideration of others. Where once this was hard to do digitally, teachers now can employ cutting-edge Cisco and EMC network communications equipment and other telepresence solutions to open the world up to the classroom. When we're a global participant online, it's easier to acknowledge others' cultures, as we hope they will consider ours.

Treating others with respect and empathy are key elements of digital citizenship. Some states and countries now require that digital citizenship lessons be taught within schools and communities. Rules, policies and laws help to frame the direction of courses to help everyone be better online users.

Remember, the internet never forgets. It's our job to teach today's students how to manage their digital footprint. It is our responsibility to help all technology users become the best digital citizens they can be.

Learn how to set digital citizenship lessons according to grade level at edtechmag.com/k12/digitallessons.

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The Top 3 Elements of Student Digital Citizenship

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Students should learn to be safe, social and savvy online.

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Lessons On Digital Citizenship From Charlie Brown | Marialice Curran | TEDxYouth@BHS

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Why do we do what we do? It's an age-old question. From getting too close to a fire to getting online excessively, our decisions aren't always good for us.

There is a model for understanding that irrational, sometimes frustrating, human behavior. It's prevention science, which looks at risk factors that influence unhealthy behaviors and protective factors that mitigate or prevent those behaviors.

What prevention science looks like in action

Prevention science is a multidisciplinary science that includes behavioral science, genetics, adolescent health, public health, neuroscience, social science and more. It also includes digital citizenship. If there's a human involved, prevention science can help.

Let me show prevention science in practice. Repeated studies from various outlets report that most youth exposure to online sexual content occurs accidentally. Most students, particularly girls, do not seek it out. Thus, a risk factor for exposure to negative online behavior are accidents. And if I want to prevent exposure in students, one way is to decrease those accidents.

This is particularly effective with young children, who may not have their own devices but borrow them from an older family member or friend. Digital Respons-Ability, an organization I founded, educates people on how to become empowered digital citizens.

When we teach young children about online safety, we teach children to always ask permission before using a device. One game we play with young children is a version of the old schoolyard game "Mother May I?" Through the giggles and the wiggles, we reinforce the concept of asking for permission.

Preventing problems early keeps bad habits from becoming entrenched

Prevention science is not a 100 percent fail-safe mechanism. Students, even young children, are going to be inadvertently exposed to online sexual content. However, if I can instill a new habit of children asking permission to use internet-connected devices, I can reduce the possibility of exposure.

Helping just one student is important, but digital citizenship is a big global issue. How do we make a bigger impact? Diana Fishbein, a neuroscientist and the director of the National Prevention Science Coalition to Improve Lives (NPSC), sees prevention science as a scalable model.

"If we want to have impact on what it is that we study, prevention has the most value," Fishbein says. "If we can prevent the problems early, we don't have to worry about what happens when they become entrenched in the individual or in the fabric of society."

The NPSC has created a translational model to help academics and practitioners from various fields.

Bringing together research from many fields

This translational model helps guide and inform research and practices to globalize and influence policy and public opinion. "This emerging body of transdisciplinary research has extraordinary potential for preventing behavior disorders and promoting resilience," Fishbien says.

A translational model seeks to bring together research from many fields. Digital citizenship, like other fields, is often taught in silos: an individual teacher, media specialist, parent, tech director. These individuals may work by themselves, on a small team or in a single school, which can be a problem, according to Fishbien. "Research silos, communication challenges across disciplines and narrow funding streams create barriers to integration."

Digital citizenship, with the newness of technology and the field, is both in the discovery science (T0) phase and a step beyond to T1 with program development. More research and integration is needed. I'm working with my company to spread research and practices, but we are just a few drops. To truly make long-lasting behavioral, cultural and even political change, it takes a river.
Some questions to think about:

What about our current digital citizenship programs and interventions work?

What are the incentives that drive positive online behavioral changes?

How can we take evidence-based prevention principles and infuse them in a digital environment?

How can we better track and evaluate behavioral change in our digital citizenship programs?

Can we link our digital citizenship programs to a behavioral risk factor?

How can we better collaborate out of our educational silos?

What are some disciplines that should be part of the digital citizenship conversation?

Where can you start to implement prevention science in your organization? Here are four ways to begin:

1. Familiarize yourself with risk factors in youth.

The Centers for Disease Control has lists of risk and protective factors in areas of suicide, violence and substance abuse.

2. Critically examine your existing programs.

Do they address any risk factors? Are they addressing the person or the tech tool?

3. Familiarize yourself with evidence-based programs.

BluePrints is a healthy youth development program that can be a model for implementing a program of your own.

4. Share your work!

Everyone benefits from more research and practices. ISTE's Digital Citizenship PLN is one avenue for sharing.

Carrie Rogers-Whitehead researches and practices digital citizenship with her company Digital Respons-Ability. Her research will be appearing in her forthcoming book by Rowman and Littlefield "Digital Citizenship: Teaching and Practice from the Field."

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Digital citizenship starts with the person not the tool!

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Why do we do what we do? It's an age-old question. From getting too close to a fire to getting online excessively, our decisions aren't always good for us. There is a model for understanding that irrational, sometimes frustrating, human behavior.

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Interactive lessons and activities for all students!

Use digital citizenship lesson plans to address timely topics and prepare students to take ownership of their digital lives. Browse lessons by grade and topic below, or see an overview of the curriculum.
We've got more new lessons! Explore all lesson plans or check our lesson collections!

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DigCit Curriculum | Common Sense Education

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Research-backed digital citizenship lesson plans help schools navigate timely topics, such as cyberbullying, online safety, privacy, and media literacy.