Bringing Citizenship to the Digital Natives in Your Classroom

You have heard it before—digital citizens intuitively know how to operate in the fast-paced super-highway of tech gadgets, online tools, and all-things digital. Some adults even throw their hands up and walk away, assuming that kids have all, or at least more of, the answers than the older generations around them. However, if you slow down to really scrutinize and poke around the flimsy walls of this philosophy, it comes crumbling down.

Think of it like driving a car. As a child, you probably grew up having access to a car, or at least seeing them around and being familiar with their basics. You were a “car-native.” You may have even be able to operate the car—push the gas pedal down, turn the blinkers and lights on—but you didn't necessarily have the wisdom needed to know how far in advance to brake, nor an understanding of all the traffic rules.

Just like the highway, the world of social media, e-mail, and online profiles is one that has boundaries. Boundaries that, in our youth, are not readily visible. As teachers, we can support students in understanding and abiding by the rules that will keep them, and those they interact with, safe.

Teaching in a 1:1 environment amplifies the need for rules and regulations surrounding the use of technology—but it doesn't necessarily change the rules. Here are some great sites that offer tools, tips, and training in digital citizenship—everything you know to evolve the digital world from an unruly wilderness into a humming, productive community.

ISTE

Many years ago, ISTE developed NETS, a set of straightforward standards that educators worldwide used to increase students' digital literacy. Now termed the “ISTE Standards,” the site breaks up the standards for different audiences, including teachers, parents, students, administrators, coaches, and computer science educators.

Partnership for 21st Century Skills

This organization recently published “Reimagining Citizenship for the 21st Century.” It gives a compelling overview of the why’s for digital citizenship, and also offers some concrete examples of how schools are integrating this new topic into instruction.

Lesson Planet

In addition to articles (such as this one) that focus on digital citizenship, Lesson Planet offers a full video course to help break down digital citizenship instruction into bite-sized concepts. Seven printable handouts also help facilitate the conversation with your class (and parents). There’s also a whole host of digital citizenship lesson plans that call out Common Core connections. While there’s a fee to join Lesson Planet, you can take advantage of a 10-day free trial which would provide more than enough time for gathering resources and watching videos.  

Common Sense Media

A resource for educators and parents alike, this group put together a K-12 Digital Literacy Curriculum, complete with unit assessment rubrics. They also have a host of printable handouts, as well as articles and videos that demonstrate real, live classrooms digital citizenship efforts.

Sometimes the hype around digital natives obscures the more fundamental aspect of technology—it is simply a tool. And while younger generations may be great at operating the devices in their hands, they do not always have the maturity or foresight to understand the broader implications of what they are doing with those devices.