Digital Learning & Leading
Digital Citizenship
Week 1 Reflection - Digital Citizenship
My major learning from this week’s lecture was Mike Ribble’s nine elements of digital citizenship. Before this lesson, I understood digital citizenship, but Ribble’s text opened my eyes to a broader perspective of the term. Ribble (2015) declares there are nine interconnected elements. They help break down the concept of citizenship into a more encompassing point of view. The elements are grouped into three distinguishable categories and three principles. The principles separate the elements by the school environment and how they affect academics, behavior, school setting, and overall life. The three categories divide the elements into themes of life titled Respect, Educate and Protect (REPs). Educational leaders should be aware of these principles and categories so that they can address them properly in their organizations.
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As a middle school teacher, I believe that my students need to have a sound understanding of digital communication, literacy, and etiquette. Digital communication is a powerful component of how one is portrayed and significantly impacts how relationships are formed. It is a major part of the “digital tattoo” which future colleges and jobs could see. This element can be an ongoing lesson in which students engage in online discussion boards, virtual interviews, and emails. Digital literacy is significant to the student’s ability to confidently manipulate technological resources. As Ribble (2015) states, it can directly impact their academic progress and performance. This can be addressed with proper instruction of digital tools through modeling and scaffolding. “Netiquette” is necessary for respectful engagement in the online world. Social norms, much like in the classroom, should be developed by students to create a self-governed safe place. By addressing these foundational elements, my students will be better prepared to embrace the remaining elements as they move into high school.
The one element that intrigued me was the idea of digital health and wellness. I had not considered this to be important before reading this text. Just as a citizen would take precautionary measures to be in good health when engaging in society, we must do the same in our digital communities. Without consideration of ergonomics of the environment, one’s physical health could be at risk. Prolonged use of a keyboard could cause carpal tunnel and looking down at a cellphone could cause strain on the neck. Psychological health can be damaged if one is not prepared to deal with unethical attacks such as cyberbullying or “Fake news”. Now that I’ve been exposed to this need, I will be more intentional about making my students aware of it as well.
Learning about Ribble’s nine elements has made me a better digital leader. As a guardian of knowledge, I am dedicated to empowering others about digital citizenship and the necessity of possessing all nine elements. This will promote more well-rounded stewards of online communities. By knowing and addressing these elements, we can become better “iCitizens” who view and regard the online community as one encompassing humanity, indiscriminate of nationality, culture, or political stance (Curran, 2012). Most importantly, we can better prepare youth to create a positive digital tattoo that will continue to be proud of in their future.
References
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Curran, M. (2012, June). iCitizen: Are you a socially responsible digital citizen. Paper presented at the International Society for Technology Education Annual Conference, San Antonio, TX. Retrieved from (PDF: icitizen_paper_M_Curran.pdf )
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Ribble, M. (2015). Digital citizenship in schools: Nine elements all students should know (3rd ed.). Eugene, OR: International Society for Technology in Education
Week 2 Reflection - Digital Footprint
A digital footprint/tattoo is the impressions and legacy one creates online. Users intentionally leave a footprint by engaging in social media and posting information on public sites. A print is also made, unintentionally, through digital commerce and the secret collection of personal data. Companies collect information about your interests and friends from sites that use “cookies” (Koughan & Rushkoff, 2014). We have to make a conscious effort to leave a positive impression on the internet. This can be done by only posting items we would be proud to share with people we revere. (i.e. Would I be okay with my grandma seeing this?) It’s important to always think before you post! In a Flocabulary video called Oversharing: Think Before You Post (Common Sense Education, 2014), they present ten tips on how to post cautiously online. Their do’s and don’ts are listed as the following: maintain the golden rule, don’t brag, avoid “TMI”, think about the reader, keep relationship details to yourself, don’t be cryptic, quit complaining, curate your photos, change your privacy settings, and simply post smart (Common Sense Education, 2014).
In addition to being cautious with our posts, we should intentionally display items that show off personal bests. An online portfolio, known as an ePortfolio, is a great way to document progress and successes. Exhibited items could include highlight reels for sports, accolades of fine arts performances or academic documents created in various courses. We should include evidence that shows connections to future goals. Potential colleges, organizations, and jobs could use evidence from an ePortfolio to determine acceptance. According to Terry Heick (2018), usage impacts the ecology of the digital community. A person’s use of the internet is more than just that moment in time. The permanence of a digital tattoo creates a need to think forward and consider the positive or negative consequences of your actions.
Upon conducting a Google search of my own digital footprint, I found 3 connections. Two of the results were from my professional setting and the other was personal. The one that was surprising to me was an online file of my father’s obituary which pronounced me as a surviving family member. It was strange to see because I was unaware that this was available online. I have 3 social network accounts, but none of those profiles showed up in my search results. I use Twitter and Pinterest as my professional learning networks and Snapchat as a connection to family. The footprint that I have left online is very faint. It is something that I am proud of because it does not present a negative view, although I believe I should be more intentional about leaving a positive impression. If an employer viewed my digital footprint and graded me on a scale from 4 to 1, I believe they would score me at a 3 for proficient. To gain a score of 4 for advanced, I need to showcase my personality and professional accomplishments in a meaningful way.
As we continue to utilize the internet as an extension of our lives, we must be intentional about our digital actions. Whether we engage constructively or recklessly, it leaves an impression that can last forever. As digital citizens, it is our responsibility to be good stewards of our online communities and to be conscious of our online presence.
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References:
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Common Sense Education. (2014, September 4). Oversharing: Think before you post. [Video]. Youtube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wyjd73tUXig
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Heick, T. (2018). The definition Of digital citizenship. Retrieved from: https://www.teachthought.com/the-future-of-learning/the-definition-of-digital-citzenship/
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Koughan, F. & Rushkoff, D. (Writer) & Berman, J. (Director). (2014, February 18). Generation like. (Season 2014, Episode 7) [Tv series episode]. In Fanning, D. (Executive Producer), Frontline. WGBH/Boston.
Week 3 Reflection - Copyright
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The content of this week was pretty intense! Hours of research and reflection on copyright history, terminology, and laws opened my eyes to be a better model of genuine digital citizenship. I had no idea that the term copyright had so many caveats. Prior to this class, I thought I understood the term and expectations, but I realized that I was lumping it all under the concept of plagiarism. I quickly learned that it involves so much more. Copyright, in general, refers to an author’s protective control of their creative work (Common Sense Education, 2010).
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To begin my understanding of copyright, I had to learn a bit of American history. I read an article titled Copyright in the News - Hudson Institute White Paper (2015). The Hudson Institute detailed various reasons why the U.S. Copyright Office (CO) should be separated from the Library of Congress. My analysis of the text led me to believe that there are too many stipulations hindering the CO from functioning at its greatest potential. The CO is given little authority over its tasks and receives little priority in comparison to other functions of the library. As a result of what the author calls a “Cinderella status”, many of the CO’s services are outdated and need modernization. In addition to these oversights, there are concerns with the CO’s budget, structure, and ITS management. Although a new Librarian who is more supportive of the CO’s functions and services could address all of these deficits, the CO may be better served in a different department. The U.S. Copyright Office is a major contributor to the economy. If given the necessary attention and upgrades, the country could gain heightened economic growth from this change.
Through further research, I learned the difference between four major terms related to this topic: Plagiarism, copyright, attribution, and transformation. Discernment of these terms brought enlightenment to the world of copyright. Plagiarism is the use of someone else’s work as if it were your own original work. This is a recurring issue with students using “copy and paste” from the internet and placing words or pictures into their classwork. Copyright infringement is violating the rights of a copyright owner by using their work without permission. A common example from the early 2000s was downloading music from sites like Napster to burn your own CD. Attribution means to give acknowledgment to the original author of a piece of work. An example would be posting a picture on a blog with a caption that includes the title, original author, source, and license information. Transformation is changing the copyrighted work of others into something new. An example is the Scary Movie series which is a parody of horror and mystery movies from the 1990s and 2000s. These terms played an integral part in my understanding of copyright, but there were many more to grasp during this quest for understanding.
In addition to the above research, I discovered the many laws that pertain to copyright usage in the United States. There are laws that establish guidelines for Fair Use, Creative Commons, Public Domain and the TEACH Act. All of these are vital to the educational setting. They enhance the teaching and learning process with accessibility to a myriad of supplementary resources. It enables learning without borders. Teachers and students now have access to create and share ideas and resources all across the world.
By researching the history, terminology, and laws of copyright ownership, I have a better understanding of “copyrights and copywrongs”. As an educator, it is essential to comprehend and embrace the true meanings of copyrights and all that it entails. We are not just digital citizens, we are digital leaders. With that authority, we must uplift the progress of intellectual creativity and empower others to do the same.
References:
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Common Sense Education. (2014, September 5). Copyright and Fair Use Animation. [Video]. Youtube. https://youtu.be/suMza6Q8J08
Tepp, S. & Oman, R. (2015). A 21st century copyright office: The conservative case for reform. Hudson Institute. [PDF]. Retrieved from: https://s3.amazonaws.com/media.hudson.org/files/publications/20151012TeppOmanA21stCenturyCopyrightOfficeTheConservativeCaseforReform.pdf
U.S. Copyright Office. (2012). Copyright Basics. Retrieved from: https://www.copyright.gov/circs/
Week 4 Reflection - Cyberbullying
This week made me reflect on how I can enhance digital citizenship. I will spread awareness about Cyberbullying and prevention. Cyberbullying is a new form of oppression that has gained popularity in the 21st-Century with the rise of the internet and social technologies. It is social aggression from repeated harassment by sending or posting harmful material through electronic technology (Class lecture, 2020; Siegle, 2010). The anonymity, swift distribution of information and immense availability of victims make it easy to bully online, as opposed to confronting a victim in person. In the U.S., forty-nine states have formed laws against cyberbullying (Class lecture, 2020). Some result in criminal sanctions such as fines or jail time for the perpetrators (Hinduja & Patchin, 2015). Though awareness of this epidemic is on the rise, more attention needs to be disseminated to the entire community.
Anyone can fall victim to a cyber attack. Kowalski et al. (2012) stated that “cyberbullying is most prevalent in the ‘online’ generation, which predominantly consists of children and adolescents (as cited in Brewer & Kerslake, 2015).” According to Siegle (2010), one in five middle school students has been digitally bullied and one in five had digitally bullied others. Loneliness, low self-esteem, and introversion are the most common traits of those who fall victim to cyberbullies.
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To decrease the frequency of cyber attacks and the passive acceptance of bystanders, everyone should be empowered and informed. As a digital leader, I will spread awareness about digital citizenship, inclusive of this epidemic, in my school curriculum and disseminate the information to parents and other leaders. This will not be a singular event. Distribution of information and resources will be provided through family workshops and community forums.
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With unlimited resources to spread awareness, I would infuse the concepts of “Every Fifteen minutes” and “Mix It Up at Lunch Day” and apply them to cyberbullying. My plan of awareness will have students mock a case of cyberbullying that leads to suicide, followed by a mock funeral. The school would have an awareness week dedicated to character education and digital citizenship, at the beginning of the school year. The week would end with a “Ghost day”. A bell would ring periodically to represent how often a person contemplates self-harm or commits suicide as a result of cyberbullying. At the end of the school day, the student body would attend a mock funeral of their fallen peer. To continue this lesson of tolerance, the campus would have a “Mix It Up at Lunch Day” once a month to help students interact across social lines. On this day of the month, classes would also incorporate topics/activities about social etiquette.
The snowballing effect of the “post and forward” craze of the internet has drastically changed the game for bullies and victims. Bullies now have 24-hour access to their victims and audience (Struglinski, 2006) and the use of the internet creates a digital footprint with lasting effects. It is our responsibility, as digital leaders, to protect our novice iCitizens by teaching digital etiquette and safety. We must continue to bring light to this newfound social aggression. As Hinduja and Patchin (2015) stated in their text, “School personnel have a responsibility to stop anything that has the potential to deny a student a safe learning experience.”
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References:
Brewer, G., & Kerslake, J. (2015). Cyberbullying, self-esteem, empathy and loneliness. Computers in Human Behavior, 48, 255-260. [PDF] Retrieved from: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0747563215001016
Hinduja, S. & Patchin, J.W. (2015). Developing a positive school climate: Top ten tips to prevent bullying and cyberbullying. Cyberbullying Research Center. [PDF] Retrieved from: https://cyberbullying.org/developing-a-positive-school-climate-to-prevent-bullying-and-cyberbullying
Hinduja, S., & Patchin, J. W. (2015). Cyberbullying legislation and case law: Implications for school policy and practice. Cyberbullying Research Center. [PDF] Retrieved from: https://cyberbullying.org/cyberbullying-legal-issues.pdf
Siegle, D.(2010). Cyberbullying and sexting: Technology abuses of the 21st century. Gifted Child Today, 32(2), 14-16, 65. [PDF]. Retrieved from: https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ881324.pdf
Struglinski, S. (2006, August 18). Schoolyard bullying has gone high-tech. Retrieved from https://www.deseret.com/2006/8/18/19969197/schoolyard-bullying-has-gone-high-tech
Week 5 Reflection - Pulling it all together
I have to say that this course has been one of my favorites. The content really hit home for me. Digital citizenship is a vital topic at the secondary level. Though learning responsible usage of technology starts at home, it is something that should be taught and modeled at school. We cannot assume that users are aware of the true meaning of digital citizenship. As more technology is incorporated into the learning process, we must empower students to have “safe, savvy, and ethical use (TeachThought Staff, 2017).” We have a responsibility to help students embrace all elements of citizenship so that they become vigilant users of the internet. Thanks to my research in this course, I can now cultivate “iCitizens” who view and regard the online community as one encompassing humanity, indiscriminate of nationality, culture, or political stance (Curran, 2012).
