I had the honour and privilege of presenting a Cue Byte Keynote at this year’s #MassCUE18 conference at Gillette Stadium in Boston. Without speaking to each other, or collaborating in any way, a definite theme emerged from the three speakers: Olivia Van Ledtje, myself, and Richard Calcutta: It’s time we stop harping on cyber safety (which is NOT digital citizenship) and time we talk about the many ways we can use technology in positive and powerful ways.
Olivia Van Ledtje’s (@thelivbits) talk was a powerful and heartfelt one in which she shared that she had been bullied in person, before embarking on her “Livbits” journey. She spoke to the power of words, and the importance of being kind online. She also emphasized the importance of being open to the fact that “kids can teach us”; a common refrain. Liv is as exuberant in person as she is online; which isn’t always the case for young people. I was so very proud of her and her message of love and kindness is one that she lives both on and offline.
Richard Calcutta shared four fundamental ideas about digital citizenship as ISTE has newly defined them in their Citizenship strand. He emphasized that Digital Citizenship is about:
- using tech to make your voice heard by public leaders and shape public policy
- determining the validity of online sources of information
- engaging respectfully online with people who have different beliefs than you
- using technology to make your community better
As for my talk, you may know by now that I am passionate about showcasing kids who are learning and sharing learning, empowering and celebrating others, and making a positive difference using technology and social media. In my talk, I shared three personal and powerful classroom experiences and my wonderings and learnings around each experience that showed me that social media has a place in our schools and classrooms.
We each had our own way of sharing, but the message is clear. We need to stop focusing all of our energy on cyberbullying and ensure that we balance our fear with the opportunities the online world affords us and our students.
Check out my Digital Citizenship post here and this post focusing on Digital Leadership
I am so excited to be organizing a Digital Citizenship Summit in Toronto on Saturday, October 27th. Check out our website for past conference resources.
Check out other blogs from the co-organizers about what Digital Citizenship means to them:
