The focus of this site is to provide resources and lessons promoting responsible digital citizenship. The target audience is students in grades 5-12. Becoming responsible digital citizens involves being safe, secure, and informed in order to make good choices. Activities and discussions on this site will focus on promoting critical thinking about digital citizenship.
Students need to know about issues of online safety, security and privacy. Protecting personal and private information to avoid online predators or stalkers is essential. Preventing and knowing how to respond to cyberbullying must be taught. Learning to stay secure from fraud and identity theft is also part of becoming a responsible digital citizen.
Digital citizenship lessons for today's youth must go beyond the "Don't!" and "Be Careful!" messages. It is normal for young people experiment with and re-invent their identities, both in real life and online. Most students lead active digital lives, and many share and publish digital media daily. There are many positive aspects of sharing with friends, family, and our digital communities. There are also some negative aspects, especially when our actual audience extends beyond our intended audience.
Teaching kids to think the challenge. The message of "Think before you Share!" is the guiding principle for the posts on this site. Helping students understand the concepts of digital footprints and online identities is a priority. Students need to think about the persistent nature of digital information, and how it can be copied, passed on, and shared. Our online identities and digital reputations are shaped by the information that we share about ourselves, and that others publish about us.
Think. Be creative! Share responsibly ;)
