week 7 post 2 - Digital Citizenship reflection

I've been involved in teaching digital citizenship for several years to different age groups in different settings. Usually I use Netsmartz videos that inform the discussion that follows. I think the most surprising thing that occurred during those times is when I was working with the high school students at the Boys & Girls Club. We were discussing the fact that not everyone is who he/she says they are and one of the older boys said that all the teenage girls that contact him online are really teenage girls. When I asked him how he knew for sure, I saw the light go on for him and I hope he looked at each contact with a little more discretion and cynicism after that. I need to make sure that I do not assume that students understand how be positive digital citizens and explicitly review how to be careful online before initiating activities online. I also need to limit the sites they go to and monitor any interactions that I have them initiate for collaboration. When I do have a position that involves a full computer lab, I will utilize Netsmartz curriculum for all the grades I teach each year. If they complain that they've done it before, I will use the analogy of speed limit signs that remind us of what our speed should be even though we may have been driving for many years. Successful completion will be required before allowing students to access any sites not directly linked to school websites, participating in blogging projects, or collaborating online with anyone outside the Google apps for the school itself. Having a Google survey about digital citizenship is very enlightening after lessons to see if the students really understand what has been presented. I would also have older students create a product that would help younger students understand the issues. Many of the documentaries I've viewed stress the fact that we need to model proper digital citizenship behaviors because regardless of what students are taught in school, if they are watching the adults in their lives download music illegally or borrow pictures, etc. without giving proper credit then they will think that it is ok to ignore what they've been taught. It always surprises me to see how casual people are about downloading illegally and how little people understand copyright when it comes to legally purchasing and then making copies to share. In essence, digital citizenship is like every other value we teach, everyone is responsible to teach, model, and support students in and out of the school setting reinforcing the importance of using positive citizenship skills at all times even when not being observed. I've Googled myself before and am blessed that there is a very famous environmentalist by the same name that takes up the first few pages. When I  Pipled (pipl.com) myself, there were lots of sites that came up along with addresses/phones new and old but no photos/videos showed for me. While I do post videos on Youtube so I can share with family and friends (or download for school) I use an unlisted setting. I am very careful about which posts I like on Facebook being aware that my likes add depth to my digital footprint and my Facebook profile. As far as the 9 Elements of digital citizenship go, I think they all need to be taught in a spiral with everything being introduced in the earliest years and each element being elaborated on as the years go on with the older grades creating projects that demonstrate understanding while providing materials for the younger grades to use in their investigations.