2.3: Citizen

Educators inspire students to positively contribute to and responsibly participate in the digital world. Educators:

a. Create experiences for learners to make positive, socially responsible contributions and exhibit empathetic behavior online that build relationships and community.
b. Establish a learning culture that promotes curiosity and critical examination of online resources and fosters digital literacy and media fluency.
c. Mentor students in safe, legal and ethical practices with digital tools and the protection of intellectual rights and property.
d. Model and promote management of personal data and digital identity and protect student data privacy.

One of the very first topics that we began learning about in the Digital Education Leadership Graduate Program was surrounding digital citizenship. While I have been participating in some form of technological world since I was in elementary school, my experience was a slow introduction to the digital world. In comparison, students are now thrown into the digital world and have an incredibly vast expansion of technological options at their fingertips. Due to this, learning what it means to be a digital citizen is vital.

As I began my learning on how to responsibly participate in the digital world I created infographics of my understanding of digital citizenship, online safety, and managing online identities. Take a look at those thoughts here: How to Thrive Online.

While I now see the huge gaps that I still had in my basic knowledge, it is quite interesting to see my growth throughout the program. As my handle on digital citizenship grew, I began to also see how social responsibility played into one’s experience while participating in the digital world. While it is a huge goal of educators to ensure the safety of students online, and the importance of helping students to come to the realization that their information can be accessible to anyone around the world based on how they participate in the digital world, there is a deeper calling to those who may feel called while establishing their online identities. Read more about how my views grew in my post, Social Responsibility and Service Learning.