The way we provide a common understanding among all groups will
allow all of us to be included in the conversation about how we should
be looking at technology within this rapidly changing society.
the technologies in the school as well
as out in society. Kids should have the
opportunity to analyze and explore
why they should use technologies in a
certain way. Teachers need to create an
atmosphere where their students can
ask questions about why these behaviors are inappropriate.
Beginning the discussion on digital
citizenship in our schools and providing a process for implementing it is a
good start, but there is a missing component to this equation. We need to
bring parents and community members into this discussion as well. Too
o en when dealing with technology,
there is a disconnect between what is
happening in the schools and what is
being done at home or in the community. We see and hear about students
who have to “gear down” when they
are in schools because there is such
a di erence between their use of technology at home and at school. Perhaps
they have more freedom at home
because their parents are not aware of
the issues within digital citizenship.
The importance of digital citizenship cannot be underestimated. At
NECC 2008 the NETS refresh continued for teachers and added digital
citizenship to the NETS•T. The way
we provide a common understanding
among all groups will allow all of us to
be included in the conversation about
how we should be looking at technology within this rapidly changing
society. Some are further ahead than
others, but we all need to have a universal understanding of the issues that
are occurring in our schools, home,
and society.
There needs to be a common language between our schools and homes
that clearly outlines what we expect
our children (as well as ourselves) to
know and follow. Digital citizenship
can begin to bridge these groups so
that when we talk about how we expect our students to act, we have some
common ground on which to begin.
Digital citizenship is not a culmination of how to work with technology
but a beginning of a process. If we
start this journey at the same place,
both educators and parents can work
together to prepare our children to
become global digital citizens.
Mike Ribble has been working
on the concept of digital citizenship for the past ve years.
His rst book, Digital Citizenship in Schools, provides
many resources for teachers
and administrators. His next
book, Raising a Digital Child, will be the rst in
ISTE’s new imprint, HomePage Books, targeted
to parents.
