Digital Citizenship in Schools
A teacher's job is to provide opportunities for students to learn new things. School should be a place where kids are shaped into better citizens in their own unique way. Teachers should guide them along the way and expose them to lessons that will help them discover who they are and what they want to do in life. These lessons should equip them to live life in a way that enables them to make a difference and do so safely.
Technology is on the rise in today's society. This puts a spin on teachers job to help students grow up to be upstanding citizens. Teachers also have to consider that not only will the students become citizens of the world, but also of the digital world. This is a hard concept for students to realize at a young age because of the barrier technology creates between people. No one is directly watching them as they post something on social media. No one directly sees them click the mouse to go onto a website they shouldn't. Not to mention how easy it is to type negative and derogatory things versus saying it to someones face.
The first step towards creating responsible students online, is making them realize that their image and reputation online is just as important as it is in person. The same goes for their safety. Places they go online can be just as dangerous as places they could go in town. As a future teacher I will create opportunities for my students to practice responsibility online. I will teach them what is appropriate information to put on their profiles and to release to certain websites. I will ask them what certain pictures make them think. I will ask them "What if you were in this picture?". It is also important for them to understand that just because something is online, doesn't make it free. At a young age, people should learn and become aware of the laws regarding piracy and theft online. It is easy to get away illegal things online, but that doesn't create a good environment online. My students will be the future generation of society and it is my job to teach them to be honest and responsible.
Students should be exposed to technology in many different aspects. Some don't have access at home and school is the only place they learn to use it. Schools should take responsibility for teaching students how to use technology responsibility. It is becoming such a huge part of life, therefor it should be present in schools. I agree that many aspects of social media and games can hinder children's focus in learning. I think these aspects should be restricted but there are plenty of other resources to teach kids how to use social media responsibly.
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| Photo Credit to Terry Heick |
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