Digital Citizenship

In the Teaching in the Digital Age class I am taking I have been going through technology standards for teachers set forth by the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE). Below are the four components of standard four along with a brief response detailing how I plan to promote and model digital citizenship and responsibility:

Teachers understand local and global societal issues and responsibilities in an evolving digital culture and exhibit legal and ethical behavior in their professional practices.

a.     Advocate, model, and teach safe, legal, and ethical use of digital information and technology, including respect for copyright, intellectual property, and the appropriate documentation of sources

Response: Honestly it has been difficult for me to wrap my brain around the level to which I can teach this to my second graders. Citing a source isn’t really addressed in the Common Sense Media Lessons until grade 3. I think a good start is to teach kids how to filter images so they can choose those that are okay to “borrow” when creating a project, then having them figure out who the source and how to give them credit. Of course, I wouldn’t hold them to MLA format.

b.    Address the diverse needs of all learners by using learner-centered strategies providing equitable access to appropriate digital tools and resources

Response: Each week I incorporate technology into my teaching of the core subjects. Sometimes I use the apps the students are learning to use to present a lesson. For instance I’ve been using Explain Everything to teach a series of lessons from the Being a Writer Skills curriculum. Each slide needs responses added as I go through the lesson. I walk the room as I teach the lesson and have random students add what is needed. This helps students stay engaged and gives them one more opportunity to use an iPad in a classroom where we have only 4 devices. Students also get the iPads 20 – 60 minutes per week to practice fluency skills or to work on a project. In the computer lab I use different sites where students can show their knowledge or practice skills such as Spelling and Vocabulary City, Front Row Math, and Sumdog.

c.     Promote and model digital etiquette and responsible social interactions related to the use of technology and information

Response: I look forward to showing my students the PowToon video I made on Cyberbullying. I also plan on teaching the Going Places Safely lesson from Common Sense Media. It will provide them with a hands-on experience where they will learn safety rules as they engage in the lesson.

d. Develop and model cultural understanding and global awareness by engaging with colleagues and students of other cultures using digital age communication and collaboration tools

Response: I think a good way to address this is to implement a class blog or some type of a pen pal component. I could also look for virtual fieldtrips that second graders might be interested in.