C>CF. Citizenship Educational Change. In My View 02:10. by Mike Ribble. p^ 1

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1 p^ 1 Ë 02:10 In My View /(appo Delta Pi Record, 48: , 2012 Copyright Kappa Delta Pi issn: print/ online DOI: / Citizenship Educational Change W% by Mike Ribble C>CF

2 Students are coming to school with more and more exposure to digital tools, such as smartphones, tablets, and social networking apps (Rideout, Foehr, and Roberts 2010). Though teachers are trying to "catch up" with their students, many were not provided instruction in these skills during their preservice training, and technology is only one among many topics in competition for district in-service time. Schools have an increasing need to provide not only the tools, but also the training for technology in the classroom. As technology changes the foundation of education, new issues emerge. Among these is the appropriate and responsible use of technology in the educational field digital citizenship. In 2008, the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) updated its National Educational Technology Standards (NETS) for teachers. In that revision, ISTE (2008, 2) identified "Promote and Model Digital Citizenship and Responsibility" among five technology standards. For many educators, digital citizenship is not a familiar term. Most are not trained on this topic and are unprepared to teach it to their students. Yet, they should be. So why are educators encouraged to understand and teach digital citizenship? First, as more schools move to 1:1 initiatives, it has become clear that educators and in extension their students must understand digital citizenship and the issues it entails (Kiker 2011). In addition, the changes that are occurring at the governmental level are now beginning to require that schools address the issues of digital citizenship or risk loss of funding. On june 4, 2010, the Online Safety and Technology Working Croup (OSTWG) released its report titled Youth Safety on a Living Internet (2010). That group submitted its recommendations to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), which in turn identified the promotion of digital citizenship in P-12 education as a national priority. The OSTWG (2010, 20) report advocated that educators "in the process of teaching regular subjects, teach the constructive, mindful use of social media enabled by digital citizenship and newmedia-literacy training." Moreover, with new recommendations being submitted to Congress, educators need to help their students become more technologically literate. As organizations such as the Partnership for 21 st Century Skills (P21) begin to look at addressing skills for 21st century citizenship, schools and districts will need to focus on these needs (P ). Teachers, therefore, must acquire and learn to teach the skills to be applied in their classrooms. New Technology Skills What basic proficiencies in digital citizenship do teachers need? Because the scope of digital citizenship is wideranging, educators may be hesitant to attempt teaching digital-age skills in their classrooms. This breadth of knowledge, as well as the sensitivity of the subject matter, concerns teachers, who may view digital citizenship as a technology problem rather than a societal issue that affects everyone. Indeed, the subject matter is sensitive, with concerns ranging from cell phone etiquette to cyberbullying and sexting. Further, these topics often become sensationalized in the popular press and confused with other technological topics affecting students, Mike Ribble is currently the Director of Technoiogysuch as identity protection, online theft, and information privacy all of which are for the Manhattan-Ogden Schooi District in concerns for users of digital technology. Manhattan, Kansas. For the past five years, his main focus has been digitai citizenship and What educators need to recognize informing others of its importance. are the concerns that are affecting their school and students, whether these are technology related or not. Too often schools hide behind their Acceptable Use Policies (AUP) in an attempt to address technology problems of a few students without identifying the underlying needs. Teachers are using these tools, but also must understand how students are affected by these technologies over time. Districts must begin a process of educating students as OSTWG has recommended. A process needs to be in place so that all teachers can learn and understand the skills and concepts involved in digital citizenship. Though the issues are broad, various groups and organizations have attempted to give the topic of digital citizenship clearer definition. The prior NETS for teachers defined this area as "social, ethical, legal, and human issues surrounding the use of technology" (ISTE 2000, 9). In its update, ISTE (2008, 2) recognized the importance of addressing this issue on an even larger scale. In the background of this goal, NETS states, "Teachers understand local and global societal issues and responsibilities in an evolving digital culture and exhibit legal and ethical behavior in their professional practices." In another far-reaching definition. Collier (2009) expressed digital citizenship as "critical thinking and ethical choices about the content and impact on oneself, others, and one's community of what one sees, says, and produces with media, devices, and technologies." One of the most encompassing and succinct definitions comes from Digital Citizenship in Schools, in which Ribble and Bailey (2007, 10) described digital citizenship as the "norms of appropriate, responsible behavior with regard to technology use." While this definition is broad, it covers many aspects of technology and the people that use it. To help focus the conversation, this definition also includes a framework of nine elements that help to define and KAPPA DELTA PI RECORD OCT-DEC

3 In My View organize the topics being addressed with regard to technology. The nine elements of digital citizenship (Ribble and Bailey 2007) are outlined here. Digital Access: full electronic participation in society allowing all technology users to participate fully in a digital society if they choose. Educators can help students understand this topic by identifying what technology tools are available at school as well as in the student's home. Then discuss how these tools can help students in the classroom. Digital Commerce: electronic buying and selling of goods providing the knowledge and protection to buy and sell in a digital world. Help students identify safe websites when providing sensitive information, such as credit card numbers, by looking for https: or a lock on the URL bar or in the bottom corner of a webpage. Have students talk with their parents to identify safe sites if they purchase items online. Digital Communication: electronic exchange of information understanding the options of the digital communication methods and when they are appropriate. Help students understand when different tools might be most effective, such as using for more formal communication and tweeting for casual conversations with friends. Digital Literacy: process of teaching and learning about technology and the use of technology learning about and teaching others how to use digital technologies appropriately. Provide explanations on how to use the technology tools in the classroom. Do not assume that all students are familiar with them or know how to use them appropriately. Also, take advantage of any opportunity for a "flipped classroom" moment, where students may be able to support the teacher as well as other students in the classroom. Digital Etiquette: electronic standards of conduct or procedure being considerate of others when using digital technologies. Explain that technology use is often personal, but its use can affect others (e.g., talking loudly on a cell phone around others). Allow students to provide experiences they have had with technology and discuss how situations might have been handled better. Digital Law: electronic responsibility for actions and deeds having an awareness of laws (rules, policies) that govern the use of digital technologies. Discuss with students the technology rules thaf are in the school as well as in their homes. Have them explain why these rules are necessary. Digital Rights and Responsibilities: those requirements and freedoms extended to everyone in a digital world protecting the digital rights of others while defending individual rights. Help students to see that technology provides many privileges; and to keep those privileges, students need to facilitate their own and others' use of technology in an appropriate manner. Digital Health and Wellness: physical and psychological well-being in a digital technology world understanding the risks (both physically and psychologically) that may accompany the use of digital technologies. Identify with students how much technology may be too much (e.g., sitting for long periods of time, eye strain) and how fhey can balance its use with other activities. Digital Security (self-protection): electronic precautions to guarantee safety protecting personal information while taking precautions to protect others' data as well. Provide examples of not sharing and protecting information online; define how much information may be too much. These nine elements provide a scaffold for addressing the needs that are arising with respect to technology in schools. These elements also identify skill areas that can be addressed in the classroom. By breaking this topic into these nine areas, educators can begin to discuss the information in an organized way. Also, teachers can talk abouf digital communication on topics such as when and where fo send a texf message and fhe perception of others when texting is being used. Too often educators do not want to begin discussing these issues because they themselves are not well-informed of the recent developments and events related to technology. But parsing the discussion into manageable topics can allow one idea to build on another over time. While identifying these elements is important, it is not enough. Educators need to provide resources to students (and sometimes to parents) that build understanding of what

4 would be considered appropriate to a digital citizen. Using examples from the nine elements of digital citizenship helps define the types of inappropriate activities that might occur. Skills for the Future Why is the topic of digital citizenship important to students and their future? This is the world that these students are growing up in, and schools need to be a part of this process. In a Kaiser Family Foundation study (Rideout et al. 2010) of students that were heavy users of media (more than 16 hours a day), nearly half earned only fair to poor grades. Students need to understand the long-term impact of excessive media consumption. Perhaps not all of these topics dealing with appropriate technology use will fit within the curriculum, but educators need to be aware that their students are coming to school with these questions and concerns. There may be situations where students use their technology inappropriately outside of school, which become issues for the teacher and school community. Now that Internet and social networking applications can be used on a cell phone, these events can occur at any time, both in school and out. While the technologies may change, the concepts of using these tools appropriately will remain the same. This is why teaching these skills to students (even as young as prekindergarten) may become a priority for schools. Technology Skills Development Teachers must learn more about digital citizenship. There are a growing number of resources that are being made available on this topic. The book Digital Citizenship in Schools (Ribble and Bailey 2007) and Its companion book for parents Raising a Digital Child (Ribble 2009) cover the concepts of the nine elements in much more detail. The website www. digitalcitizenship.org also has some basic and now teachers need to catch up. information. Educators need to look to the tools Common Sense Media has updated that are available and work with their its website to include topics and technology personnel to set a path for information related to digital citizenship where and what they want to do to at www. commonsensemedia. org/digitalensure digital citizenship in their schools. citizenship. This site provides information It is true that technology continues to and activities for educators and students to change, but schools and districts need better understand the topics surrounding to begin setting a direction for how to technology. Another site launched more use the tools of technology and provide recently by the U.S. government is the best education for students. The That website helps technology is only part of the equation; students discern the information of digital it needs to be coupled with solid, tested commerce and decide what information educational curriculum. is true and what is not. Other resources Ideally, the focus on areas such as such as the Microsoft sponsored site digital citizenship in schools will begin the and ISTE's process of creating an organized plan for information page how to integrate these ideas into lessons. publications/leaming-and-leading/issues/ As the impact of technology continues PassportJ:o_Digital_Citizenship.aspx provideto grow, both inside schools and out, the educators with a wealth of information. skills needed to become effective digital Most of the content on these pages is free citizens will be ever increasing. Educators and available to educators. can no longer wait for the next digital Once the information about digital tool or federal mandate to be released. citizenship has been identified, the Digital citizenship education is needed concepts and ideas can be integrated today. ^ into the classroom and discussed in an organized fashion. By understanding the References Collier, A A definition of digital literacy & elements of digital citizenship, teachers will citizenship. NetFomilyNews, September 15. Available at: be able to address the issues that students Common Sense Media Digital citizenship. San are having with technology both in the Francisco, CA: Common Sense Media. Available at: wwwxommonsensemeaia.org/educators/ classroom and at home. Connecting with curricuium/i<-5. International Society for Technology in Education. other teachers to discuss the problems they National education standards. Washington, DC: ISTE. Available at: may be having in the classroom can help nets-for-teachers.aspx. to find strategies that work in other schools International Society for Technology in Education National education standards. Washington, or districts. Digital citizenship is not a topic DC: ISTE. Available at: nets-for-teachers.aspx. separate from the rest of the curriculum, Kiker, R strategies for 1 to 1 classroom management. 1 to 1 Schools website, but spans across all areas of education. March 18 post. Available at: Itolsciiools. Today, more than any time in history, net/?s=5+strategies. Online Safety and Technology Working Group students need to become global citizens, Youth safety on a living Internet. Washington, DC. OSTWG. Available at: and the use of technology provides a publications/ostwg_final_report_ö70610.pdf conduit for those connections. The themes Partnership for 21 st Century Skills Website home page. Washington, DC: P21. Available at: within digital citizenship help educators to Ribble, M Raising a digitai chiid. Eugene, explain these ideas to students. Closing Thoughts Now is the time to begin making changes in the classroom. Students already are coming to school with this knowledge. OR: Homepage Books/International Society for Technology in Education. Ribble, M., and G. Bailey Digitai citizenship in scfioois. Eugene, OR: International Society for Technology in Education. Rideout, V.., U. G. Foehr, and D. F. Roberts Generation M^: Media in the iives of S- to 18-yearolds. Menio Park, CA: The Henry. Kaiser Family Foundation. KAPPA DELTA PI RECORD OCT-DEC S1

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