By Mike Ribble
Technology has chang ed our lives.
In fewer than 30 years, we have
gone from barely hearing about
cell phones, laptops, and MP3 players
to almost not being able to live without
them. Many of us can’t get away from
our e-mail, instant messaging, or the
Internet, even on vacation, because we
now have mobile devices that we carry
with us all the time. Some of us feel
lost without our cell phones, laptops,
or MP3 players to the point of being
almost unable to function. With all
this technology, do we eve r stop to ask,
“Am I using this technology appropriately?” or does this thought even
enter our minds? If we do think about
it, are we teaching students to become
more responsible with their behavior,
and does this carry over when they
go home? Do we have a “common
language” that we can use to talk to
students and parents about appropriate
technology behavior?
At NECC 2007, ISTE started its
NETS Refresh Project, beginning with
student standards (NETS•S). One of
the updates to NETS•S that came out
of this refresh was a change in the
wording of the standard on social,
ethical, legal, and human issues to
digital citizenship. So what is digital
citizenship? According to the new
NETS•S, it is:
Students understand human,
cultural, and societal iss ues related to technology and practice
legal and ethical behavior. In this
students will:
Journey Toward Appropriate Technology Use at School and at Home
1. Advocate and practice safe,
legal, and responsible use of
information and technology
2. Exhibit a positive attitude
toward using technology that
supports collaboration, learning, and productivity
3. Demonstrate personal responsibility for lifelong learning,
4. Exhibit leadership for digital
citizenship.
Passport to Digital Citizenship
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