Just the other day, I heard about two Toronto Firefighters who were suspended for making inappropriate comments on Twitter. As I embark upon a year-long journey with a team of colleagues to integrate technology into their classrooms, I have lots of questions about when, where and how we teach kids to use technology ethically and responsibly. What I do know, is that kids need to remember that who they are online needs to reflect who they are in person.
I do believe that it is EVERYONE’s responsibility to teach kids in the context of any technology being introduced. BUT (in Ontario anyway) unlike Financial Literacy which must be included in every subject at every level, there is no official mandate for teachers to include Digital Literacy or Citizenship in their curriculum. Though that may be on the horizon, many teachers are trying to juggle many things and may often assume it’s being covered elsewhere.
I have recently put together a list of Digital Citizenship Resources that have been shared with me on Twitter that you are welcome to revise for your own purposes. Please add any resources you may find valuable as well!
I have also created this short Video based on the poster above which was shared with me on Pintrest. It was my first go at Animoto and though next time I’ll have to adjust my picture sizes, it was a quick way to get my ideas across!
For further reading, my colleague @DClaphamK12 has put together this ScoopIt page.
Digital Citizenship is NOT old news! We need to keep talking about it every day!
