Digital Citizenship in the Classroom

Since the purpose of school is to create scholars and citizens, shouldn’t we focus on outcomes that go beyond grades and yearbooks?

Digital citizenship is the ability to use technology responsibly and safely. It includes understanding the rights and responsibilities of being a digital user, as well as the ethical implications of our online actions.

A decade ago, Vicki Davis wrote about the “9 Key Ps” of digital citizenship. And after this last decade of [dis]connectedness, we should probably just call it “Citizenship”.

Perhaps Keith Heggart said it best in Why I Hate Digital Citizenship:

“Citizenship is how to participate — safely, yes, but also meaningfully and thoughtfully — in civil society, in political, social and other spheres. There’s a lot more to it than responsibilities.”

Good citizens are respectful of others’ privacy, use technology safely and ethically, and create a positive presence, online. Students can do this by being kind and respectful to others, and by using technology to build positive relationships.

Do schools actually let students do this, though? Many give out school emails in elementary school and also now incorporate chromebooks for 5–12th graders. But students still submit assignments digitally, for a grade by an audience of one. And learning management systems like Google’s ‘classroom’ and ‘drive’ store what students do, but families have no control over.

We can do better.

Are you developing digital citizens?

Whether it’s a student newspaper, a science experiment, or history research project, you can keep activating, celebrating, and elevating this real-world, action-oriented learning at Fanschool.

This is especially important in the age of Web 3.0, where we are increasingly interacting with each other and the world through digital means.

Plus, two decades of research on digital citizenship have revealed two key findings: that purposeful student work should be shared, and that student-directed family engagement is more effective.

School administrators: It’s time to let the kids play!

Maybe baseball said it best…

If you build it (and get students to own it), they will become better citizens.

What will your students have to show for years of learning?

Students and families deserve to see, own, and share the fruits of 12,000 hours of teaching and learning. Activate learner profiles that work, with an authentic audience. https://go.fan.school/portfolios