EDLD 5316 was a course I had been dreading since I began the Digital Learning and Leading Program because I was intimidated by the topic. During this course I learned that digital citizenship extends far beyond rules for using technology. I define digital citizenship as the norms of suitable behavior to interact with others globally via the use of technology, however these norms can apply to the non-virtual world as well. Unfortunately, when most people hear about digital citizenship, they think about the negative outcomes of malpractice, such as cuberbullying and lawsuits. As Ohler (2012) mentions, assigning consequences for cyberbullying or other violations of digital citizenship is addressing the symptoms, not the issues themselves. It is time for this to change. We shouldn't wait until our school is sued for copyright infringement or until one of our students takes their life due to cyberbullying, we need to act immediately. Ribble's nine elements of digital citizenship provide an organized, topical way to proactively address digital citizenship. My biggest challenge during this course was building the confidence to take on these topics. I have always tip toed around digital citizenship issues, particularly cyberbullying and copyright policies because I didn't feel knowledgeable enough on the subject and I was afraid of the consequences that might follow addressing these issues. It was difficult to read through the literature and watch the videos that touched on cyberbullying because the thought of any of my students being the next victim to take their life was too much to handle. I was feeling so inspired to take action and then reading Bullying Beyond the Schoolyard: Preventing and Responding to Cyberbullying's chapter 5 really enraged me. It appeared that the policies that were in place were not really helping anybody, when consequences were issued on the behalf of the school for cyberbullying, the schools were essentially punished by the court of law. The discussion board posts with my peers and conversations I had with my family helped me see how the laws were indeed helpful, and how my focus should be on everything that happens before it results in tragedy. It was also difficult to read through the material for copyright policies, not because I was emotionally invested, but because all of the jargon was so new to me. I realized that copyright laws are designed to protect everyone and their work, not place restrictions as I previously thought. I also realized in what ways teachers are able to use works under fair use. I no longer have to just take someone's word for it, I can make an educated decision myself. Writing about the copyright case studies was my biggest accomplishment for this course. I had to read through them countless times, search resources outside of the ones provided, and even talk through the scenario with other people before it started to make sense. Being able to not only articulate a plan of action, but also explain the logic behind it was a huge accomplishment for me. Common Sense Education's Digital Life 101 Animation video does a good job summing up how connected we all are with technology. I do not foresee a disconnection happening anytime soon, therefore really see the value in becoming a competent digital citizen. As an educator, I feel that it is my duty to prepare my students by teaching them these skills. I now feel confident and empowered to apply what I have learned and share it with my colleagues as well as my students. References:
C. (2014, September 09). Digital Life 101. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MkwmD6OQrWQ Hinduja, S., & Patchin, J. W. (2015). Bullying beyond the schoolyard: Preventing and responding to cyberbullying. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin$h. Ohler, J. (2012). Digital citizenship means character education for the digital age. Education Digest: Essential Readings Condensed for Quick Review, 77(8), 14-17. (PDF: Ohler_Digital_citizenship_means_character_education_2012.pdf) Ribble, M. (2015). Digital citizenship in schools: Nine elements all students should know. Eugene, OR: International Society for Technology in Education.
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