GUIDE
To Digital Citizenship
“Staying safe online”
So What Is
Digital Citizenship?
Digital citizenship is usually defined as the "norms of behavior with regard to technology use."
Digital Citizenship is a key component of the technology and media literacy. We should not only teach our students how to be good citizens in the real physical world but how they can be good netizens of the online world as well. Today's learning requires a lot of use of technology and most important of all, our students are using technology on a daily basis - text messaging, blogging, Facebooking, Twittering, watching videos, gaming and networking. They live in two different, but interconnected worlds. What they do online can have severe repercussions on their real life if not properly instructed on digital safety issues and this is where digital citizenship fits in.
Digital citizenship can be defined as "the norms of appropriate, responsible behavior with regard to technology use." It is the combination of technical and social skills that enable a person to be successful and safe in the information age. Just like literacy and numeracy initiatives which provide people with the skills to "participate in the work force, digital literacy has become an essential skill to be a confident, connected, and actively involved life long learner."
Characteristic of a digital citizen
Here is a set of characteristics that makes a digital citizen:
-
Confident and capable of using Information Communication Technologies ( ICT )
-
Use technology to participate in educational, cultural, and economic activities
-
Uses and develops critical thinking skills in cyberspace
-
Use ICT to relate to others in positive, meaningful ways
-
Respects the concepts of privacy and freedom of speech in a digital world
-
Contributes and actively promotes the values of digital citizenship
In The News:
Teens charged with child pornografy becasue thy had naked pictures on their phones.
Teacher fired for derogatory comments about her students and peers on social media.