What is Digital Citizenship?
There are 9 themes of digital citizenship, what theme do you believe is the most important and why?
How can Digital Citizenship help teachers?
Why are some sites blocked at schools? What does that show the students?
How can you as a future educator begin the process of teaching your students how to use technology more appropriately?
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Digital Citizenship is a concept that helps teachers and parents understand what it is their child needs to know about how to use technology effectively and appropriately.
ReplyDeleteThe 9 themes of Digital Citizenship are Digital Literacy, Communication, Etiquette, Law, Commerce, Rights and Responsibilities, Access, Security and Health and Wellness. I think that the most important theme of Digital Citizenship is Rights and Responsibilities because it is important for both a child and an adult to know what their responsibilities are to learning about technology and also about their rights as that learner. Technology can easily be abused and it is the responsibility of the user to not to do so and the responsibility of the teacher to teach them how to use it properly.
Some sites are blocked in schools because they contain pornographic materials and non-school appropriate games and other materials. This shows the students that there are bad things out there and that the school is trying to protect them from accidentally viewing these types of sites. It is easy to type something in wrong and find yourself on a site that you did not want to see. Also, this shows the students that when they are in school, school work is all that they should be doing. Non-school appropriate games and other materials should not be played or viewed while in class because your attention should be focused on learning.
As a teacher, I can begin the process of teaching my students how to use technology more appropriately by showing them sites that are appropriate and encouraging them to use the internet for school use. I could assign projects where they need to go on a “scavenger hunt” around a site so that they could become acquainted with the internet and its many uses. It is my responsibility as a teacher, I believe, to show my students how to be show responsibility with technology but also to let them know that they have certain rights.
Digital Citizenship is a process where all users of technology can learn what is acceptable use. It provides a framework in which all users can begin to ask what they should be doing with respect to technology. It is an attempt to provide a consistent message to students, teachers, parents and all users alike about what they need to do to be productive users of digital technologies. (http://digitalcitizenship.pbworks.com/)
ReplyDeleteIn simpler terms, digital citizenship is just the assumed responsibility that persons using technology will use it in an appropriate manner.
Nine Themes of Digital Citizenship:
1. Digital Etiquette
2. Digital Communication
3. Digital Literacy
4. Digital Access
5. Digital Commerce
6. Digital Law
7. Digital Rights & Responsibilities
8. Digital Health & Wellness
9. Digital Security (self-protection)
I think Digital Access is a very important theme of Digital Divide because of the fact that it is focusing on the right that everyone should have access to internet regardless of where they live, work, etc.
The internet is taking over. If someone has to access to internet their life, whether it be personable (communication) or work life may be hindered without it. Many employers e-mail their employees with every important information regarding work, if an employee doesn't have internet access because of the area he lives he will be hindered dramatically.
"To become productive citizens, we need to be committed to equal digital access." This quote says it all, and it really shows the importance internet is having within all different areas of the world today.
Filtering and blocking only serve to produce distrust among our students. Filtering and blocking suggest one thing: you are not to be trusted. (http://www.isteconnects.org/2009/06/04/what-does-internet-blocking-suggest-to-students/)
When I was in high school I remember many site being blocked, regardless of content. Of course social network sites were blocked because the teacher didn't want the students to be on their Myspace or Facebook page while the teacher is instructing but also pages that had no inappropriate content were sometimes blocked. I remember being on Google and looking up specific words dealing with school and clicking on the link and not being able to get to the site because it was blocked. Although, the content was not inappropriate there was something on that site that my school felt as if students shouldn't be seeing. When this happens it only makes us students more curious as to why we cannot view it. Not allowing access to certain sites because of the content is shows is a very controversial subject. Yes, there are some inappropriate sites on the internet but if they are on the internet why can't we view them? Shielding children away from things like this will only make the subject that more appealing. If a student does come across a site that has content such as drugs, sex, profanity instead of saying, "CLICK OUT OF THAT SITE IMMEDIATELY!!" Why don't we just discuss it? We are teachers, and that is what we should be doing, EDUCATING the students.
These are two great posts Heather and Sara!!
ReplyDeleteHeather, I really liked the idea of having a scavenger hunt for an activity to use in your classroom to help children navigate and become familar with the web.
Sara, I remember in my high school many sites were blocked regardless of the content as well. I have the same thoughts and I think as future educators we should think of discussing these inappropriate sites when they come up in discussion as opposed to just telling the student to click out of the site with no explanation as to why they can't be on the site.
Can anyone else come up with other ways to teach children how to use the web appropriately?
Sara, I agree with you about the ditgital access being very important. I also like your point about if a student clicks on a site that has drugs, sex, and profanity, why do teachers make the student click out of the website instead of discussing the topic. As future educators, we need to think about this topic. Can anyone explain why a teacher might just tell the student to click out of the site, instead of discuss the topic?
ReplyDeleteHeather, I love the idea of the scavenger hunt on the internet.
The 9 themes of digital citizenship are: Digital Etiquette, Digital Communication, Digital Literacy, Digital Access, Digital Commerce,Digital Law, Digital Rights & Responsibilities, Digital Health & Wellness, Digital Security.
ReplyDeleteI believe that the most important theme is digital access because that deals with the electronic participation of everybody in society.It also mentions how everybody, no matter who they are should have fair access to techonology. I agree with sarah's post when she quoted "To become productive citizens, we need to be committed to equal digital access".
When having technology being used in the schools, and the advancements made with the internet, it can be very easy for students to go to sites in which can be inappropriate. The schools answer to deal with this is to block the sites, which can have pros and cons. Because sites are being blocked it creates a sense of distrust among the students, as well as sites that are informational, but not recognized may become blocked therefore not allowing students to gain the information that site may have offered. I do believe that sites such as facebook or myspace should be blocked because those will become a distraction from the work with the students. I think the schools shouldn't be as strict as to what sites are blocked because I remember when I had to search the internet, most sites were blocked on the topics in which were assigned. How do we expect our students to be able to use the internet, and find information from different sources if most a lot of the sites are being blocked?
I think that the problem with "discussing" the content of a site is that often times, the teacher is unable to watch every student at once. In a computer lab, there are about 20 computers (so far as I have observed) and it is nearly impossible to see each students screen the whole time. If sites are not blocked, who knows what the children will be doing or seeing. There are some programs that allow the teacher to see the computer screens in the classroom on their own computer so they could be monitored this way. What happens when a Kindergartener accidentally clicks on a site and see's pornographic material? The student will get very upset, the parents will be outraged that this was allowed to happen and the school will be at fault. In the older grades, the children are aware of this material so they might not be scared. They might act the complete opposite. They could be sitting in computer class watching pornographic materials without the teacher knowing. It's easy to click "exit" when the teacher walks by; we are all aware of this! If this type of material is not blocked, the schools (aka Us as Teachers) will be held responsible for what our students see. Yes, we could talk about it but that is often not enough to appease the parents and prevent lawsuits.
ReplyDeleteAlso, often times it is not the "site" that is blocked. The filtering programs bloc sites above a certain bandwidth. If a site is too big, it simply will not fit through. Yes, this does mean that sites that are completely school approporaite will be blocked. Not necessarily by choice; it's just the way the filtering software works. It is designed this way to prevent unwanted sites from getting through so it is beyond the teachers control what sites are and are not allowed.
Heather, good argument. I agree with you. I have to say that I am in the middle of discussing and also blocking sites. If the students were old, I would discuss the topic depending on the material shown, but I agree if the student is in kindgarten, I would not discuss that topic and would block the sites. Heather thank you for your input.
ReplyDeleteGood points, however what age is it appropriate to discuss the sites that are blocked? How do you think the students parents will react if you are discussing a site a child came across? Sometimes it is a good thing that they are blocked, however if you are researching a topic and can't see any content there is a problem.
ReplyDeleteDigital citizenship is a set of norms of responsible and appropriate behavior in regards to technology use. It is an important concept in the education world because of how reliant society is on technology. To be a digital citizen is to assume responsibility and to show appropriate etiquette.
ReplyDeleteThere are nine themes of digital citizenship that include digital etiquette, digital communication, digital literacy, digital access, digital commerce, digital law, digital rights and responsibilities, digital health and wellness, and digital security. In my own opinion, I believe that digital rights and responsibilities is the most important because without a basic set of rights and rules, the world of technology would be chaotic and it would be riskier to use in schools. One of the articles pointed out that digital citizens have the rights to privacy and free speech and how these basic rights have to be discussed and understood in the digital world. It's important for students to understand that they have rights concerning their internet use and that every right brings along a responsibility.
Digital citizenship can help teachers because it gives them a framework to explain and show to students. It is also something they can relate to the concept of citizenship in social studies. It's also important so that teachers can not only protect students from the harmful areas of the internet, but so that they can show students how to assume responsibility.
Some websites are blocked at schools because they are seen as inappropriate or unnecessary for the school environment. Schools block students from visiting sites that can be harmful to students. However, some schools block sites that they don't want students going on because they are seen as distractions such as games. From my own experience, I can remember going to the computer lab in high school and being disappointed that I couldn't go check my MySpace. I understood the harms of letting kids go on their MySpaces at school, but I couldn't understand why we couldn't go onto fun game websites. The teachers said it was because they didn't want us playing games when we were supposed to be doing work. However, why not when they're finished? I think that in the elementary grades, some sites that can potentially be blocked are not harmful at all. This shows students that they aren't trusted and can also make them think that they aren't allowed to have fun online.
As a future educator, I can begin the process of teaching students how to properly navigate the internet in a few different ways. As I mentioned earlier, it relates to the social studies concept of citizenship, so that can be tied together. I think its important for teachers to tell students that they are trusted, but that it is important to protect them from potentially harmful websites. I think it is necessary for students to understand why they aren't allowed to go on websites, and not to just shut them out of discussion like Sara pointed out as well.
Digital Citizenship is a process that helps students, teachers, and parents what to do so that they can be productive users of digital technologies.
ReplyDeleteThe nine themes of digital citizenship are digital access, digital commerce, digital communication, digital literacy, digital etiquette, digital law, digital rights and responsibilities, digital health and wellness, and digital security (self-protection). I believe digit security is the most important because there is so much information that people put up on the internet, it is important that people know how to protect their information.
Some sites are blocked from students for a number of security reasons. Students downloading unauthorized software, the treat of viruses destroying sensitive school data, and network vulnerabilities are an ever-increasing concern for schools. This shows students that while they are at school they should only be doing school work. It also shows them that they computers need to be respected.
Digital citizenship is a process where all users can learn what the acceptable uses of technology are, providing a way in which users can ask what they should be doing with respect to technology.
ReplyDeleteThere are 9 elements of digital citizenship- digital access, digital commerce, digital communication, digital literacy, digital etiquette, digital law, digital rights and responsibilities, digital health and wellness, and digital security. I believe digital access is the most important element because it emphasizes the fact that everyone should be able to access the internet and all forms of technology regardless of who they are. I believe everyone should have equal access to technology and be able to explore the internet. There was a point made in one article that I found very interesting - "Digital exclusion of any kind does not enhance the growth of users in an electronic society." This quote further backs up the idea that digital access is the most important element because it is talking about society as a whole.
Some sites are blocked at schools because they would be a distraction and would not allow students to get their work done. I remember at my high school, one of the librarians would walk around the computer station and check to see what sites the students were on. If they were checking their mail or playing games they would get in trouble and be told to get off the computer. Many of the sites that were blocked were sites such as Facebook and Myspace. I think that by blocking certain sites it sends a message out to the students that they aren't trusted with the internet. It also limits their ability to explore sites.
Digital citizenship, simply put, is the process by which users of technology learn what is appropriate and reponsible use of the equiptment. Of the nine themes, I think that digital communication is the most important. The majority of young people using the internet use it to communicate with others. Be it email, facebook, myspace, dating sites or others, most people use it and they need to know the appropriate uses of it. These sites can be dangerous if a person puts out personal information because there may be someone out there who will use that information in a harmful manner. It's important for people to learn what is appropriate to put on public sites, when they should use it and why they are using it; for what purpose.
ReplyDeleteSome sites are blocked at school because the school may feel that those sites are too mature for the students. In addition to that, administrators may only want students using internet sites that are related to school work, blocking sites such as facebook. The blocking of sites shows the students that the school only encourages infomative websites and also that there may be inappropriate websites out there that they shouldn't visit.
Digital Citizenship helps teachers by showing them all the different elements that they have to be aware of when teaching their students about the internet and other technology. As a future teacher, I agree with most of the previous posts. I think an internet scavenger hunt would help the students learn how to nagivate through the internet safely. Also, I think it is important and considerate, as others have said, to talk and explain to the students why a specific website may be blocked and not just ignore the fact.
Digital Citizenship can be described as the process of learning what is acceptable of all technology users. It encompasses the ‘rules’ of appropriate behavior when using technology.
ReplyDeleteOf the nine themes of Digital Citizenship; I found Digital Literacy to be the most important to me. As a future teacher, I would like to be able to use technology as much as possible in my classroom. I feel that children of all ages are exposed to technology and for the most part, it is a way of like for them. They are comfortable with using it because as we discussed before, they are digital natives. As an adult learner, I didn’t have the access to computers when I was younger. Today, our society depends on technology for everything we do and I think that it is important for every child to have the exposure in the classroom and become literate with using technology. As teachers, we can then enforce digital citizenship in our classrooms and hope that each student will learn why it is important to be responsible and know that there are consequences if they are not. I feel that teaching this in the classroom is important because not all children have caretakers that are literate with technology and that is why it should be an important part of their education.
As far as schools blocking students to accessing certain sites in the classroom, I am hesitant to form a black and white opinion on this. As a parent, I know that I block certain shows and allow my son to surf only a limited number of internet sites. As a teacher, I would probably want to treat my students the same as the way I treat my own child. However, what I think is acceptable and what someone else does may differ. The school system does not have the right to make parental decisions and that is why they enforce so many rules. I think that there is no need for students to have access to social sites in the classroom. There is nothing educational about them and it is not appropriate for school. I agree with Sara with educating students on why they should not be on certain sites and what may happen if they were to see some of them. Children and curiosity go hand-in-hand and telling them not to do something without a good explanation just heightens their curiosity level. I think that the schools have to protect themselves and that is why they have to block sites. It is no different than schools having rules about weapons and violence. I do believe that children should know that as citizens, they have rights. In school, they have rules. That’s just the way it is.
These are all very thoughtful posts!
ReplyDeleteWhen you get a chance to read the article "What Does Internet Blocking Suggest to Students", how do you feel about the idea that filtering and blocking only serve to produce distrust among our students? Filtering and blocking suggest one thing according to the article: students are not to be trusted. Do you think education should be about not trusting teachers or students and worrying about blocking internet access?
Although all of the themes of digital citizenship are important, I think that “Digital Literacy” is the most important. Digital Literacy is the process of teaching and learning about technology and the use of technology. This theme is important because it relates to us as future teachers. We are going to be teaching digital literacy to our students and their families. We have to know how to use the technology correctly and come up with strategies for teaching it that work best for our students and their families individual learning needs. There are new forms of technology being created all the time so we have to stay up to date in learning how to use them and teach how to use them.
ReplyDeleteMany sites are blocked at schools because there is a lack of trust in both students and teachers. Although there is a lot of good information on the internet, there is also a lot of bad information as well. For example face book and myspace are blocked in many schools. This shows students that there is something wrong with these types of social websites. If teachers began at an early age showing students how to use technology more appropriately maybe sites like these wouldn’t be blocked. I think that during free computer time the students should be allowed to use these social networks as long as they can appropriately. When sites are blocked students just want to use them more because it is something they can’t have. They resort to using internet on their cell phones in school to access these webpages anyway. If the students were allowed to use the websites in the computer lab during free time they wouldn’t be as disruptive on their cell phones during class time.
I just found the top 10 list of websites most blocked by parents, schools and small businesses. I thought some of the websites were pretty interesting & the fact that espn.com made the top 10 list on this website. I also found it interesting that when searching for a list like this one google gave me a huge list of websites that show students how to gain access to blocked websites in schools. So if it's really that easy to access those websites even when they are blocked, it seems like a smarter idea to just teach how to use the internet appropriately in schools instead of censoring so much.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.nydailynews.com/money/2009/02/18/2009-02-18_censored_top_10_web_sites_parents_school.html
Nice find, Richelle! It does seem that students would be able to use and find more resources with unblocked computers, but either way, it is our job as teachers to inform them of the reasons behind blocked sites...It is in fact for their safety; both mentally and physically. I believe it was Leah who said that, "as teachers, we can enforce digital citizenship in our classrooms and hope that each student will learn why it is important to be responsible and know that there are consequences if they are not." So, I guess what I am trying to say is that it doesn't matter if schools decide to block sites or not...It is our responsibility, as well as the school and the parents, to enable our students to make the right choices and to be knowledgeable of the bad and inappropriate sites to stay away from. Jeanne, I liked how you said that, "every right brings a responsibility." That is what it comes down to, and that is what we need to get across to our students.
ReplyDeleteWhat is Digital Citizenship?
ReplyDeleteDigital Citizenship is the idea that all users of technology can learn what is acceptable when using technological equipment. Everyone can learn how to be responsible when using or handling equipment.
There are 9 themes of digital citizenship, what theme do you believe is the most important and why?
I believe that the most important theme of digital citizenship is the Rights and Responsibilities theme. Everyone should be aware of what rights they have when using technology and everyone has an equal right to be taught how to use new and upcoming technological advances. It is also important that children and adults alike know their responsibilities when using equipment. It is everyone's responsibility to take care of the equipment they use and learn how to properly care for it.
How can Digital Citizenship help teachers?
Digital Citizenship can help teachers because they can also learn more about technology. It will help them too, because they need to be able to teach others, whether it's teaching children or adults, it is their job to make sure they know how to use equipment properly, and to pass on that knowledge to others. It is also important because as a teacher it is helpful to show and demonstrate to students how to look up helpful websites, and how to recognize a factual site from one they shouldn't be looking at.
Why are some sites blocked at schools? What does that show the students?
Some sites are blocked in schools because they contain inappropriate materials. This shows the students that there are better ways to find sites that are helpful and informational. It is part of a teacher's job to help students be able to demonstrate effective research skills. A teacher could go over with students helpful keywords and buzz words to type into a search engine so that inappropriate sites will not show up.
How can you as a future educator begin the process of teaching your students how to use technology more appropriately?
As a future teacher I can help students use technology more appropriately by reiterating the importance of technology and rules on how to care for equipment properly. It is important that students know that being able to use technological equipment is a privilege. It would also be helpful to show them how to search information when using the internet. It can be frustrating sometimes to find what you are looking for, and being able to show them some tips in researching will help ease the frustration.
There are nine themes of digital citizenship are: Digital Etiquette, Digital Communication, Digital Literacy, Digital Access, Digital Commerce, Digital Law, Digital Rights & Responsibilities, Digital Health & Wellness, Digital Security. Well most of these seem like common sense, but the ever changing landscape of the web makes many of these a continuous struggle to keep up with.
ReplyDeleteFor a teacher it is almost impossible task to overlook all of their students and make sure they’re not only safe but are practicing digital citizenship responsibly them selves. If we instill younger students with a solid base (good role models, rules for safe use of the internet and other technology) we will have good digital citizens that protect themselves. While censoring certain sites might seems like sending a wrong or biased message, teachers need to instill in students what is school appropriate, and what is not. Sites may be blocked for many reasons: school policy, what is publicly/socially expectable and our laws.
In reference to topics of blocked sites, I think a teacher should be able to discuses why a site is blocked. I think it’s important for the class not to get too side-tracked on this issue. It may not be up to the teacher to set which sites are accessed. Also, some sites are blocked due to poor security or inappropriate advertising. When I worked a computer center help desk, one of the biggest entry points for spy-ware, mal-ware and viruses was Hallmark.com. They offered free desktop calendars and screen savers. Because Hallmark had low security on their website, hackers often used these simple downloads to hack computers. Unfortunately, it isn’t worth hallmark and many other companies to invest a lot of money into heavy security on their web sites, especially with their freebees. At first employees were asked not to download these items from Hallmark, but were still allowed to go to the site. Sadly because of a few irresponsible people who ignored this request, this site was blocked from all hospital owned computers.
Great job Richelle, that is interesting! I agree with you, I think that rather than block those social sites that teachers should educate the children about how they can be helpful and how they can be a good thing. Children should be taught how to properly use the internet, if they are not taught then they will explore on their own. That could put them at risk to many things such as hackers and putting personal information out on the internet for everyone to view. Some one has to teach the children how to use it wisely and protect themselves.
ReplyDeleteAs an educator would you explore the internet in front of your students? If you don't know the answer are you willing to google its and find it? This would be taking a risk to click on something inappropiate.
Digital citizenship helps teachers and parents understand what kids need to know, learn, and understand about the use of technology and the internet. It is allowing children to us the internet and other forms of technology in the correct and appropriate way.
ReplyDeleteI think that Access is the most important to digital divide because it enforces and addresses that fact that all schools should have computers and internet access no matter how rich or poor the district is.
9 Themes:
-Digital Citizenship
-digital literacy
-communication
-rights and responsibility
-heath and wellness
-law
-access
-etiquette
-commerce
As for teachers, it helps to explain things to the students and make the learning process more enjoyable. Its the teachers responsibility to emphasize how important it is to us the internet in the correct ways. Teachers also need to protect kids from inappropriate sites. Websites that are blocked at school are either inappropriate or distracting to the educational learning process.
When I become a teacher I will definetly assign different projects that are internet based but I will allow for class time to work on it so I can guide the kids through the different sites and make sure they stay on track. I remember in school I would sit on myspace and facebook, until finally the school blocked those sites so we were forced to only do our school work. These are the kinds of things as teachers we need to be aware of. It is also important for the parents to be aware of the online projects so they make sure their kids don't go on inappropriate sites as well.
What is Digital Citizenship? Digital Citizenship is what educators and parents need to be knowledgeable of in order to teach and provide children and students with a good opprotunity to grow and use technology.
ReplyDeleteThere are 9 themes of digital citizenship, what theme do you believe is the most important and why? The nine themes of digital citizenship are; digital etiquette, digital communication, digital literacy, digital access, digital commerce, digital law, digital rights and responsabilities, digital health and wellness, and digital security (self protection). I feel as if digital literacy is the most important out of all of the nine themes listed because without the child being able to comprehend the digital world the other 8 themes would be of no use. I feel that digital literacy is the common ground of the digital world, and digital citizenship and that the other 8 themes will be able to be fucused on once the child has become digitally literate.
How can Digital Citizenship help teachers? Digital citizenship can help teachers because it provides a basis of understanding how to model the use of technology and it also provides the teacher with the knowledge that they should have in order to execute the actions of teaching children about technology, it is the teacher's responsability to make sure that the children in their classroom are fully equipped with all of the experience and resources that they need in order to use the internet and technology to their advantage when it comes to learning.
Why are some sites blocked at schools? What does that show the students? Sometimes sites are blocked because the content of the website is not age appropriate, or in some cases the websites may be viewed or rated as non-educational. I think that by having blocked websites it allows the students to realize that their are websites online that are not as reputable as others, and it makes children aware of the fact that they have to choose their material that they get off the internet wisely, such as using websites that end in .org, as opposed to .com because the source is more educational. Talking to the students about the blocked sites is also important because they may feel a need for an explanation as to why sites are blocked so that they can gain a better understanding of the digital world and the idea that not everything posted on the internet is true.
How can you as a future educator begin the process of teaching your students how to use technology more appropriately? I would discuss with my students what the characteristics are of appropriate, reliable websites and how to check to see if their information that they are recieving is correct through checking around on other websites to see if there is some kind of common ground, because a lot of times facts get mixed up and it's hard to believe just one website.
Digital citizenship is what is normally found as appropriate, responsible behavior in the digital world. It is what is accepted by others and expected of a person as a citizen of the digital nation as one may call it.
ReplyDeleteIt is hard to choose one single theme as being the most important. I feel all nine are important in their own ways – how can one use the internet if they are digitally illiterate, for example? However, of the nine themes of digital citizenship, I feel that number seven – digital rights and responsibilities may be the most important. I feel this way because I feel it affects the other ones the most. If people begin to act irresponsibly and ignore the rights of others it begins to cut into a number of other themes. By ignoring this, they are breaking the digital law, ignoring the digital etiquette, amongst others.
Digital citizenship can help teachers because it is giving them a base from which to teach their students. The themes of digital citizenship is what is expected, so as a teacher one can use these as a guideline as to what to teach, and also a tool to use to know when they have reached where they want to be.
Some sites are blocked at schools because they contain what some would call “inappropriate content.” Sometimes, schools will block websites such as Facebook or Addictinggames.com not because they are inappropriate (although they can be) but because they can be a distraction to students. By blocking a website, it conveys the message that “this site is bad.” When a student is told, “No, you cannot do this” they will want nothing more than to go home and go to this website.
As a future educator, I can explain to my students how the internet really is. I will not tell them, “Do not go into chat rooms.” I will tell them that chat rooms can be dangerous because of this, that and the other thing and give them examples. I will not tell them “Do not sign up for Facebook and Myspace until you are old enough.” I will explain to them that until they are 14 or 16 they are not supposed to, however if they do have one this is how they can protect themselves. I feel that children are going to do what they want, and if we tell them no they are just going to want to do it more. So, it is better to give them the tools to protect themselves as opposed to just saying “no” and leaving it at that.
I agree with Richelle about the fact that we should "teach how to use the internet appropriately in schools instead of censoring so much." I think that if students know what their responsibilities were as technology users, they would be less likely to abuse their privilege and use the internet appropriately. Yes, there will be those students who choose not to listen and abuse their privileges but I do think that some students will listen. Also, as Richelle said, there are ways around blocked sites. I did not know that these were posted online which is a little funny to me! I am unable to "hack" sites like this but it's comical that it's easy to do and even Google has it! No matter what, there will always be those who do and who do not use the internet responsibly but a broad censorship is not the answer for those who choose not to listen. This reminds me of the "banned books" controversy and the negative affects this has on students just as censorship will. Education is the best answer to solving this problem and teaching students what their responsibilities are as internet users.
ReplyDeleteThe theme I find is the most important is Digital Access. This is because this theme emphasizes that “all people should have fair access to technology no matter who they are.” This theme helps out the people who do not have the opportunity to have access to the digital world as often as others. The theme states that “we need to be committed to equal digital access.” The world needs to communicate the digital world equally with organizations that have limited connectivity.
ReplyDeleteSome sites are blocked at schools because they are inappropriate for children to view. Some sites can be harmful to students by exposing them to pictures and ideas that are not suitable for children. Also, many inappropriate sites or sites without much credentials sometimes carry viruses which then spread to the computer being used. Students can easily ruin a computer by giving it a virus by going on harmful sites. Having sites blocked in school shows students that they should take care of the computer, if they were to give it a virus. Also, students will realize that if a site that they wish to look at is blocked, they will hopefully learn that they shouldn’t be going onto that site in the first place.
As a future educator I can begin the process of teaching my students how to use technology more appropriately by showing students how to respect technology. Students need to know how to care for the equipment and how to make sure viruses do not ruin the computers. Students should understand that using computers and technology in school, and out of school, is a privilege and that they should respect the equipment they use. I will also show the students how to search for useful and helpful information that pertains to schoolwork. I will deter them from going on to sites without and educational value.
What is Digital Citizenship?
ReplyDeleteIn order for a person to qualify as a "digital citizen" they must have the skill and knowledge to interact with private and government organizations through means of "digital" tools such as computers or mobile phones, along with access to these devices.
There are 9 themes of digital citizenship, what theme do you believe is the most important and why?
Nine Themes of Digital Citizenship:
1. Digital Etiquette
2. Digital Communication
3. Digital Literacy
4. Digital Access
5. Digital Commerce
6. Digital Law
7. Digital Rights & Responsibilities
8. Digital Health & Wellness
9. Digital Security (self-protection)
I think that Digital Literacy is by far the most important of the 9 themes. I feel that without that, the other 8 themes will be more difficult. If the students have digital literacy it makes it easier to incorporate technology into your classroom.
How can Digital Citizenship help teachers?
Digital citizenship will allow teachers to teach to their full capabilities. There are a ton of good resources on the internet and the computer, without digital citizenship it would be tougher to trust the children on the computer.
Why are some sites blocked at schools? What does that show the students?
Many sites on the internet are EXTREMELY inappropriate for students of any age. The blocking of sites shows the students that they need to be careful because one wrong click can bring them down a path they don't necessarily want to be on.
How can you as a future educator begin the process of teaching your students how to use technology more appropriately?
You can bring these "bad" sites to their attention, show them that they can't get onto them regardless of their level of effort to do so. If they understand that there will be more focus on the task at hand. It's also important to make sure that you, as the teacher, are extremely familiar with everything you ask of the students. Without that familiarity, the students will be lost and become extremely frustrated with technology.
I think digital citizenship is when students have all the right tools in order to participate in this digital based world. They have to be citizens in order to understand all the different technologies avaliable to them
ReplyDeleteI think that the most important aspect of digital citizenship is digital communication. It can connect all different types of people all around the world.
I feel the most important theme of digital citizenship out of the nine is rights and responsibility. Given the freedom of the web, students and teachers need to be responsible about which sites they go to. We all have the rights to learn from technology, but the rights can be easily abused. There are many sites that are unsuitable for children and the teacher needs to teach hem the responsibility to stay away from those sites, although it is easy to get to a bad site with a simple typing error. The best thing a teacher can teach the students is to be careful online, be responsible.
ReplyDeleteDigital citizenship is a concept which helps teachers, technology leaders and parents to understand what students/children/technology users should know to use technology appropriately.
ReplyDeleteThe 9 themes of digital citizenship are:
Digital Etiquette
Digital Communication
Digital Literacy
Digital Access
Digital Commerce
Digital Law
Digital Rights & Responsibilities
Digital Health & Wellness
Digital Security (self-protection)
The most important of these nine are etiquette (because kids need to know what appropriate behavior is when they are using technology and a computer), literacy (it is vital that students know how to use and operate a computer because they are becoming more and more prevalent in the schools and classrooms), and rights and responsibilities (children need to realize that what they post online is visible for everyone and that they should never put up important or personal information).
There are schools that block websites for a variety of reasons. These reasons usually depend on the content on the website itself and how appropriate the information is for that particular grade level. Also, many social networks, like MySpace and FaceBook, are blocked to keep from students being distracted. Use of computers in school is strictly for academic purposes only usually but blocking sites shows the students they shouldn’t be on that site or someone just doesn’t want them to use that site. This is bad because when a student opens a web page that is blocked, they only become more interested in the content that they are not allowed to view in school.
As a future teacher, I would incorporate technology and computer use very often to get the students familiar with using a computer and computer programs in order to increase their digital literacy and teach them appropriate behavior when using computers and technology.