Final Blog Post

As a history teacher, one of my objectives is to teach my students citizenship and civic responsibility, basically how to become a responsible citizen in our society. Since our society is becoming a digital society, my job has extended to teaching students how to become digital citizens.

By incorporating the nine elements created by Ribble and Bailey, digital citizenship can become a reality in my classroom and at my school. As I was working on my digital citizenship plan for my school district, I realized that my school district's AUP is good but could be better. It did not cover all nine elements, only a few, so I added the elements that were missing. I would also make it a point to include helpful web sites that I came across in this course to give reference to anyone accessing the policy.

At my school, I would provide a copy of the nine elements and their definitions to all of my colleagues. I would also provide them with sample lessons that they could use in their classrooms as suggested by Ribble and Bailey. (2007) According to Ribble and Bailey, "all members of the school community need to be awakened to the importance of digital citizenship and its connections to current policies and future practices." (Ribble and Bailey, 2007) Everyone has to do their part in order to ensure that all users of technology use it effectively and appropriately, making the Internet and our new digital society a safe place for all.

Blog Post #7 - Digital Security

Students can protect themselves and their technology by learning how to install virus protection software, executing firewalls and making backups. (Ribble and Bailey, 2007) Students also need to learn to protect user names and passwords either by memorizing them or writing them in a safe place that no one has access to. Teachers and parents need to make students aware of the importance of protecting personal information, such as date of birth, social security number, user names, passwords, etc. It is never okay to give out their user name and password. If they suspect their information has been compromised they need to change it immediately. Stolen user names and passwords can be used to access a person's account to send threatening emails without risk of getting caught. According to Ribble and Bailey, "protecting our identity and personal information using anti-virus software is the same thing as using locks to protect our families and possessions." (2007)

Some effects of compromised information could be: identity theft, loss of saved information/files, access to personal email, etc. Students also need to be made aware of meeting unsavory characters on the Internet, not everyone is who they say they are. There are predators out there who use the Internet to prey on innocent and naive victims.

Some other guidelines for students to follow would be to use care when reading emails with attachments, use strong passwords and be careful when downloading and installing programs. (Referenced from http://www.cert.org/homeusers/HomeComputerSecurity/)


All in all, "digital security goes beyond protecting equipment. It includes protecting ourselves and others from outside influences that might cause harm." (Ribble and Bailey, 2007)

Blog Post #6 - Digital Law

Ribble and Bailey define digital law as the legal rights and restrictions governing technology use. However, students don't always use technology the way it was intended, the most common misuse that I have seen is when students copy and paste information into their papers, powperpoint presentations, etc. and don't cite their sources. They don't know how to put the information into their own words, so they 'borrow' other people's ideas. They don't realize that it's illegal for them to take credit for someone else's work. They really don't see the harm in it. They need to realize that it's better to paraphrase and perhaps use direct quotes at times, as long as they give credit to the original author.

I think that students infringe on other people's rights when they take credit for someone else's work or when they download copyrighted music from file-sharing websites. Also, when they post inappropriate pictures and publish inflammatory remarks on the Internet. Many times students don't realize the ramifications of their actions. That is why it is up to teachers to make sure that students are aware of the laws regarding technology. Ignorance cannot be an excuse anymore. It is not enough to say, "Well, I didn't know you couldn't do that." I would make it a point to have the students access the website b4ucopy.com, anytime they were conducting research for a paper or presentation. It has several helpful tips and is very user friendly.

According to Ribble and Bailey, "administrators need to provide teachers and students with resources and guidance on what is legal and illegal; they also need to determine whether their technology rules and policies are supported legally." (2007)

"Digital citizenship helps all technology users become more aware of the legal ramifications of technology use." (Ribble and Bailey, 2007)

Blog Post #5 - Digital Etiquette

I don't think students are always aware of others when using technology, especially when using cell phones. Students tend to use their phones at inappropriate times (at the movies, in class) whether it’s talking or texting.  I also think students forget that there are other people around who probably aren't interested in their conversation, which is why they talk louder than usual. 

As far as realizing how students' use of technology affects others; I think they're clueless. I don't think they realize how harmful it can be to post pictures of their friends engaging in inappropriate activities. It doesn't matter if the person who posted the pictures meant no harm; the damage is already done. You can't change it, even if the pictures are removed, they are never completely gone forever. In the case of cyberbullying and posting negative comments and/or pictures of an individual to the point of harassment can cause irreversible damage. This constant abuse through inappropriate emails and texts can affect a person's life, their school, and their community to the point of becoming suicidal. It is more common to be bullied at school, but cases of cyberbullying are increasing. I think students believe it's harder for them to get caught and  easier to write something inappropriate about someone online rather than to tell them to their face.

According to Ribble and Bailey, "by training ourselves to think about how technology might affect others, we can start to make better decisions." (2007) I think that's why it is so important to make students aware of the standards of conduct expected of them. They need to ask themselves; who will read my posts, emails, texts, etc.? and what will happen if I make these comments, feelings, etc. public? By doing so, they will eventually become responsible digital citizens.

Blog Post #4 - Digital Literacy

Technology is supposed to make our lives easier, so why not take advantage of all it has to offer. We just need to learn when and how to use it. I truly believe that with some guidance, students should use technology to access information to learn new concepts. I also believe that "teachers must first have a good understanding of how technology works" (Lindsay and Davis, 2010) before they can attempt to lead by example. According to Ribble and Bailey, "even when digital technologies are readily available, too often teachers have not been taught how to use the technology and have no idea what they could do with it in their classroom." (2007) Some issues to address would be to learn the digital basics, evaluate online resources and look at online learning modes and distance education. (Ribble and Bailey, 2007)

One way students could use digital technology would be to access online classes. Some students don't do well sitting in a classroom all day; an online school, if available, may be a better option and prevent them from dropping out. As far as conducting research, using Skype to communicate with other students in foreign countries to learn about their cultures for a project or paper would also be helpful; you couldn't ask for a better primary source. An electronic pen pal could also be another option, rather than writing letters, students could email back and forth. When creating presentations, some websites offer free options, like glogster, prezi.com, photostory, etc.  These are just a few ideas for students to think about when attempting to use technology to its fullest potential. There is basically a website for almost anything that you could think of, so why not use them, as long as they are used responsibly.

Blog #3: Digital Communication

With regards to using technology appropriately, I think I do, for the most part. I email on a daily basis especially at school; it is my main form of communication during the day to other teachers, administrators, parents, etc. It is easier to "shoot" someone a quick email than to get my cell phone out, find their number, call and most of the time I wind up leaving a message anyway. I try to keep emails short and to the point. I also read over my emails carefully to make sure they are appropriate before I hit send. I also text often out of convenience, but never in front of my students. I try to model for them the proper way to use technology.

When it comes to digital communication, students should observe the following guidelines:
1. When to silence their phones, not just at school, but other places as well, like the library, movies, church, etc.
2. Take into consideration other people around them, not everyone wants to hear how so and so broke up with so and so.
3. Choose appropriate ring tones, avoid anything offensive.
4.  Monitor the volume of their voice while on their phone, especially in public.
5. Sometimes texting is better than calling.
6. How to post appropriate comments on blogs, social networks, etc.
7. When emailing, use courteous language and proper punctuation, avoid using slang especially when contacting a teacher or any adult.
7. Be wary of pictures taken on cell phones; oftentimes these pictures wind up on the Internet and could come back to haunt them.
8. Observe any rules that have been posted regarding cell phone use and obey them.

By following these guidelines, students are one step closer to becoming responsible citizens in this digital society.

Blog #2 Digital Commerce

 I think many students are aware of the opportunities to purchase items online, but few are aware of the risks and problems associated with online buying. Students should be made aware of the risks and potential problems, since they can be long-term and life altering.

According to Ribble and Bailey, digital commerce plays a large role in students' lives, so they need to understand all sides of these online transactions. (2007) They also add that if  "teachers hope to prepare students for the rest of their lives, digital commerce is an important issue that needs to be addressed."  Teachers can point out some basic things for students making online purchases to look for; one would be symbols, like a closed padlock or an unbroken key, which indicate that a website is secure. These symbols mean that personal information should be safe from identity theft. Also look for an "s" after the "http" which also means the website is secure. (Referenced from http://www.privacyrights.org/fs/fs23-shopping.html) It is also important to know who you are buying from; are they a reputable company? Patrons should also familiarize themselves with company policies and keep records of purchases. It is vital to learn to spot "unscrupulous marketers and fraudsters"; this will prevent patrons from falling victim to any type of scam or con. (Referenced from http://privacy.getnetwise.org/shopping/tips/)

Teachers needs to be concerned with online purchasing, since students are becoming digital consumers. Oftentimes, students will use the Internet to research items they want to buy; they need to learn how to find the best deal and the proper steps to take before, during, and after online purchases. "If teachers are to help prepare their students to be good citizens, they need to prepare them for interacting in a digital economy." (Ribble and Bailey, 2007)

Blog #1 Define Digital Citizenship

In the readings, I have come across many definitions of digital citizenship. According to Ribble and Bailey, digital citizen is many things:
- it is a way of life
- it reinforces positive aspects of technology so that everyone benefits in this digital world
- it is how individuals behave as members of this digital society
- it establishes the norms of appropriate and responsible behavior with regard to technology use
- made up of nine elements
- aims to teach everyone what technology users must undertand in order to use digital technologies effectively and appropriately.
 digital citizenship as the ability to practice and advocate online behavior that demonstrates legal, ethical, safe, and responsible uses of information and communication technologies." (2010) However, Greenhow has stated that digital citizenship is difficult to define, since there is no universal idea of digital citizenship yet. Digital citizenship can mean different things to different people.

According to Greenhow, "the 2007 NETS•S defines

I think digital citizenship is basically the standards that everyone should follow to ensure that technology is being used effectively and appropriately. Everyone should act in a responsible manner to prevent abuse and misuse of technology. It it up to parents and teachers to ensure that children and students are being responsible citizens in this new digital society; it's the same as teaching children how to be responsible citizens in general. We teach children the idea of civic responsibility which includes obeying the law, voting, paying your taxes, etc. For the most part, children are taught how to be contributing members of society and how to avoid becoming a burden. Children also need to be aware of consequences for misuse and abuse of technology just like there are consequences for breaking a school rule or a law.

I think my definition correlates with what AASL and NETS have stated as far the importance of teaching  digital citizenship and what is appropriate and why. It is not just for children but for adults as well. Adults, parents and educators have to model what is expected of children and students. "Teaching the new citizenship goes beyond simply expressing rules and policies. We must help our students understand that digital technology makes them, in a very real sense, citizens of the world." (Ribble and Bailey, 2007)