Due to technology and the online world’s growing importance, it is crucial for students to learn these skills. A big part of this education is teaching these young learners about the importance of digital citizenship. The concept of a digital citizen is described as “a person who has the knowledge and skills to effectively use digital technologies to communicate with others, participate in society and create and consume digital content” (“Digital Citizenship”, 2020, par. 1). This definition is important because it shows how citizenship is not merely a legal matter, but is a far more complex combination of ability, interaction with content and personal knowledge (Heick, 2018). These skills are continuing to grow in significance as our need for the internet and technology increases. Teaching digital citizenship in schools will be crucial for student’s understanding and accountability (Palmerston, 2018).
An important aspect of digital citizenship is user responsibility. In his article, Chris Zook states that “digital citizenship refers to the responsible use of technology by anyone who uses computers, the Internet, and digital devices to engage with society on any level” (2019, par. 8). In teaching students, this responsibility and safety are crucial aspects of navigating the online world. Social media is a huge part of everyday life now, and so educating students of all ages about the cautions and pitfalls of this online platform will be important. Cyberbullying and irresponsible usage are unfortunately common, but are examples of bad digital citizenship (Zook, 2019). The usage of the internet is becoming nearly impossible to avoid in today’s society, therefore it is important to provide examples of good digital citizenship in the classroom to aid in student experiences.
There are also many benefits to digital citizenship which can teach students empathy, compassion and improve our human connections (Zook, 2019; Pedersen, Nørgaard & Köppe, 2018). For example, to teach students about their participation in the online community, treating other people and places with respect is a learning intention which can be applied to everyday life (Hieck, 2018; Nørgaard & Köppe, 2018). Both respect and empathy are important life skills to teach students and applying these to their internet interacts can help promote safe and positive usage. The internet provides an opportunity to communicate and learn about people or places regardless of space and time. This aspect of social interaction allows an opportunity for inclusion and connection with others. For students, this can be a chance to find communities where theyfit in and feel valued. This creation of vast spaces of belonging is important as society becomes more diverse and digitally mediated (Pedersen, Nørgaard & Köppe, 2018).
As a future educator, I have to weigh the positives and negatives of online citizenship to see where it will fit within my classroom. I believe that teaching children about what positive or good usage looks like is important to forming good habits at a young age; therefore, hopefully to help guide their future online behaviour. I also think that sometimes it is too easy to be overly bold and say things that you don’t mean on social media or other online platforms. For this reason, I full heartedly believe that both empathy and respect are crucial skills to teach children for both real life and online interactions. I also think that teacher and parent monitoring is crucial to forming good habits and distancing students from from bad digital citizenship and behaviour (Palmerston, 2018).
Safety and respect will be at the forefront of my teaching on these subjects. We are at a point in our society where these online technology skills will be crucial to new learners, but as educators we also have to be cautious and set positive examples for our students. We need to ensure we are doing our best to create compassionate and respectful future citizens.
References:
Digital Citizenship: What is it. (2020). Digital Technologies Hub. https://www.digitaltechnologieshub.edu.au/teachers/topics/digital-citizenship. 2020.
Heick, T. (2018, Dec. 13). The Definition of Digital Citizenship. Teach Thought: We Grow Teachers.https://www.teachthought.com/the-future-of-learning/the-definition-of-digital-citzenship/.
Palmerston, N. (2018). Exploring the Influence of Parental Involvement and Socioeconomic Status on Teen Digital Citizenship: A Path Modeling Approach. Journal of Educational Technology & Society, 21(1), pp. 186-199. https://search-proquest-com.prxy.lib.unbc.ca/docview/2147873154?pq-origsite=summon.
Pedersen, A. Y., Nørgaard, R. T., & Köppe, C. (2018). Patterns of Inclusion: Fostering Digital Citizenship through Hybrid Education. Educational Technology & Society, 21(1), pp.  225–236. https://go-gale-com.prxy.lib.unbc.ca/ps/i.do?p=CIC&u=unorthbc&id=GALE%7CA524180842&v=2.1&it=r&sid=summon.
Zook, C. (2019, Dec. 10). What Is Digital Citizenship & How Do You Teach It. Applied Educational Systems. https://www.teachthought.com/the-future-of-learning/the-definition-of-digital-citzenship/.
