This week I read Digital Citizenship in Schools by Mike Ribble and Gerald Bailey. The authors provide a frame work for teachers to successfully design, implement, and provide instruction for students and professional development for teachers but, although parental and community participation are mentioned, the authors do not provide insight on how to engage and educate the school community located outside of the scholastic setting.
Prior to reading this text, I posted my views on the recent United Nations session that resulted in the declaration that access to high-speed Internet is a basic human right. The UN's decision ties directly to the first of nine essential elements of digital citizenship, digital access, identified by authors Ribble and Bailey. Unlike the UN document, which focuses more on the lack of Internet access in developing nations, the author's address the lack of digital access within the United States. Although there are areas, often the very rural and isolated pockets, in the US that lack access to the Internet, their concern focuses more on the myth that computers are available to all. According to a 2009 Nielsen survey just over 80% of American households reported ownership of a computer with approximately 20% indicating they accessed the Internet via dial-up. Additionally, it has been noted that Latino and African-American ethnic families lag behind Caucasian and Asian families in access to both computers and Internet.
Considering that the remaining nine essential elements: digital commerce, communication, literacy, etiquette, law, rights and responsibilities, health and wellness, and security, all require digital access, makes it unacceptable that ANY student within the United States should remain shut-off from using and developing the digital skills required for successful participation within the global community. Once access is ensured for all students, including those traditionally marginalized because of special needs and public education's standardized testing concerns related to socio-economic status or ethnicity, students need to be taught HOW to use the Internet effectively and equitably within the collaborative and participatory nature of the Web 2.0 environment.
In a 2009 presentation, Stephen Balkam, CEO, Family Online Safety Institute indicated that online safety requires users who are fully active and engaged with one another in respectful and responsible ways that promote the ideals of digital citizenship. Ribble and Bailey effectively provide the framework for instructing students to develop and aspire to a high level of digital citizenry which will allow for the development of increased global citizenship via the use of Internet technologies.
Just this week I began using some of the suggestions in the Ribble and Bailey book with my students. In one particular class, I have 8 students with special needs and while only 3 of those students have computers in their home, they all have access to technology in my classroom. We began focusing on the communication and etiquette tenants of "nine essential elements." Students were asked to write a reflection about a novel recently completed in class. Though students usually complain about any writing assignment, they were all excited. This was the perfect opportunity for teaching a lesson on "digital etiquette." Though the book provides numerous lesson ideas to teach the nine elements of digital citizenship, it is important for teachers to note that several opportunities arise to embed these elements within lesson objectives that utilize technology for various assignments.
ReplyDeleteTo continue Colleen's thought I think while teachers need to plan lessons on how to be a better digital citizen they also have many opportunities to model appropriate digital citizenship throughout the day. By drawing the students' attention to how the teacher is practicing good digital citizenship the teacher can show students that everyone, no better of age, needs to remember the 9 elements.
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