When center college trainer Kim Lepre was invited to evaluation this Digital Citizenship Initiative, she anticipated the standard reminders about on-line security. However she was pleasantly shocked to search out a lot extra to assist get her college students pondering and speaking about their digital lives in new methods. Accessible as a part of Verizon’s Digital Wellness sources by way of a partnership with Discovery Schooling, the initiative presents versatile sources that assist college students discover what it actually means to be accountable on-line.
On this Instructor Decide, Kim shares how this system sparked significant conversations in her classroom and gave college students an opportunity to apply sensible decision-making within the digital world.
What have been your preliminary ideas in regards to the Digital Citizenship Initiative?
At first, I anticipated a reasonably typical digital security lesson—reminders to “watch out on-line.” However as soon as my college students truly tried the teachings, I noticed how interactive and discussion-based they’re.
After reviewing the supplies, what stood out to you most in regards to the initiative?
What stood out was how naturally my college students engaged with it. They weren’t simply listening to me, they have been analyzing posts, debating dangers, and even competing to give you the most secure however nonetheless participating variations of a social publish. For me because the trainer, the most important win was that it didn’t really feel like I used to be pulling tooth to get them to take part.
How did you introduce the subject of digital citizenship to your college students?
I launched it throughout our advisory block, and it labored completely as a mixture of brief video plus hands-on exercise. It hooked the youngsters straight away, and it gave us a typical language for speaking about on-line security. I may additionally see it working as a fast plug-in lesson throughout ELA or social research once we speak about viewers and duty.
Which elements of the Digital Citizenship Initiative do you assume would resonate most along with your college students? Why?
The post-makeover exercise was their favourite. They loved the problem of taking one thing dangerous and remodeling it right into a protected however nonetheless enjoyable publish (stuffed with Gen Alpha slang). It felt related to them as a result of they’re already posting on social media each day.
It ties immediately into our ongoing conversations about being accountable on-line. We speak quite a bit about how phrases and actions matter in particular person, and this program helps lengthen that to college students’ digital lives. It reinforces the concept that each publish, remark, or share is a selection that displays who they’re, and that accountable on-line habits is simply as necessary as accountable habits within the classroom.
What do you assume college students may achieve from collaborating on this initiative?
I respect that it frames college students as problem-solvers. As a substitute of simply obeying guidelines as instructed, college students labored by way of actual situations and made safer selections on their very own. Additionally, not all college students are allowed on social media, so I appreciated that this confirmed them the way to responsibly use it.
It makes the idea of a digital footprint tangible. As a substitute of listening to “watch out,” they see precisely how small selections—like a location tag or picture element—can have lasting results.
How may these supplies lengthen to assist dad and mom and households at dwelling?
The teachings are easy sufficient that youngsters can take them dwelling and clarify what they realized. A couple of college students talked about speaking to their dad and mom about cookies or app permissions after class.
What recommendation would you give to different academics who’re contemplating utilizing the Digital Citizenship Initiative of their lecture rooms?
Don’t overthink it. Simply strive it out with one video or one exercise. The supplies are versatile sufficient to suit into any class interval. Plus, it’s straightforward to choose and select which of them match into your pacing or the grade you train.
You might use these classes at a mother or father night time or throughout a group tech occasion. Our college has hosted comparable occasions round on-line security and psychological well being, so this is able to match proper in.
What do you respect most in regards to the initiative’s method to instructing digital duty?
It treats college students as able to making sensible selections. The supplies should not fear-based or punitive. It demonstrates sensible methods, which makes them take extra possession over their on-line habits.
Why do you assume packages like this are necessary in at the moment’s lecture rooms?
Prefer it or not, digital areas are the place youngsters spend a lot of their time, even when it’s behind their dad and mom’ backs. Simply as we train them the way to work in teams or resolve conflicts face-to-face, we’ve to equip them with the abilities to do the identical on-line.
Watch Kim’s video evaluation of the Digital Citizenship Initiative beneath.
