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Adventures in Digital Citizenship created by Jenni Swanson Voorhees, Sidwell Friends School

INTRODUCTION

The ethics of computer use, personal responsibility and behavior online, and the legal issues of sharing creative content are among the continually evolving topics that affect everyone, whether child or adult, who uses computers and the Internet. As devices, software, and behaviors change, there is a constant need to update our knowledge of what is out there, and how to address the issues in a manner appropriate to the times.

The discussion of our online behavior has moved beyond stranger danger in chat rooms and issues with downloading music. As we observe student behavior online we have recognized that there is a need to link the ethics they understand and observe in their physical world with the ethics of the cyberworld. These adventures are intended to help you explore the current thinking and resources in digital citizenship and computer ethics.

Adventure 1: Join the Discussion
Adventure 2: Evolving our Approach to Students and Parents
Adventure 3: Creating Effective Responsible/Acceptable Use Policies
Adventure 4: Teaching Resrouces on Digital Citizenship

ADVENTURE 1

Objective: You will explore ongoing conversations regarding digital citizenship

DIRECTIONS

Teachers all over the world are struggling with effective ways to teach digital citizenship. They are discussing topics and posting resources for each other. In this adventure you will create an identity (if you don’t have one) on the Independent School Educator’s Ning site and the School Computing wiki and gain access to these useful sources.

  1. Visit the Independent School Educator’s Ning.
    • the top right corner, choose “sign up” and create a profile on the site.
    • Visit (and join if you choose to) the group “Evolving Internet Safety”.
  2. Visit the School Computing Wiki to explore all the topics available on this site. This is a wiki, so you are welcome to contribute by choosing to edit a page.
    • View the Online Safety page on the wiki. Explore topics related to your school, or post materials you have developed

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ADVENTURE 2

Objective: Explore real and current issues in digital citizenship- you make the call- What would you do?

DIRECTIONS

    1. The Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University is exploring the Internet through the eyes of the young people (the digital natives) that are using it. Their site has a wide variety of resources. Here is a link to an interview with dana boyd on this topic. dana boyd’s message to students and adults includes that whenever one posts or participates on the Internet, they should be aware of:
      • Persistence (what you say sticks around)
      • Searchability (and is associated with your name)
      • Replicability (and can be copied and used in ways you didn’t intend)
      • Invisible Audience (and can be seen by people you didn’t know might see it) (Boyd, Danah, 2007, Social Network Sites: Public, Private, or What?)
    2. To create an effective presentation and discussion on the topic of rights and responsibilities on the Internet, consider bringing adults and children together with an interactive evening in which they discuss and find solutions to common issues on the Internet. Having children speak to their parents about issues and solutions helps make both groups more open and aware.

Here is an example of a discussion based on the recent case of Megan Meier. (Read the article here.) How would you solve these problems, and what mistakes were made by the people involved?

      1. Here is a true story. Help us decide the next steps to avoid disaster.
      2. Megan teases another girl at school. The girl complains about the teasing to her mother.
      3. The girl’s mother is upset about the teasing…
        • What should she do?
        • What would you do?
      4. The mom and girl decide to get revenge by creating a fake MySpace page and pretend to be “Justin” a cute boy who expresses interest in Megan online.
      5. Other people ask to participate in this deception…
        • What should they do?
        • What would you do?
      6. Megan clearly “falls” for Justin and writes him back, and tells people at school about her online boyfriend.
      7. The mom and girl decide it’s time to end this…
        • What should they do?
        • What would you do?
      8. Megan Meier was buried in the polka-dot dress she planned to wear for her 14th birthday. She had handed out the invitations to her party the day she died. Her eighth-grade classmates attended her funeral, instead, heads bowed and hands clasped as her casket was loaded into the hearse. (Jones, Tamara, The Washington Post, Thursday, January 10, 2008; C01)
      9. Discuss how at each step of the story a happier ending could have happened

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ADVENTURE 3

Objective: Explore issues surrounding making an effective AUP

DIRECTIONS

Our schools have created Acceptable Use Policies (AUPs), now often called Responsible Use Policies (RUPs) in hopes of creating a legal buffer should students in the school behave unfairly or unethically under the umbrella of the school and its technology resources. This adventure is designed to help you assess effective policies and be prepared to create your own.

  1. Review at least three school AUP/RUPs that have been made available on the School Computing wiki.
    • What are the differences in approach that you find between schools?
    • Are all elements of these policies enforceable? How would you determine this?
  2. These policies were posted as guides to other schools who are in the process of review their policies. When a new RUP is created, who should be included in its development? (Can we make this a list that, when clicked on, the viewer sees the description of why?)

    Technology department

      3. Those in academic technology and those engaged with network administration should be responsible for researching effective policies from other institutions and creating the framework for the school’s new policy.

    Faculty

      A committee should include representative faculty actively engaged in teaching students of all levels of the school. Their insights and the information they will gain and bring back to their division will build school-wide understanding of the issues and the goals of the document.

    Students

      The development of a new RUP is a wonderful opportunity to engage students, or a student technology committee, in considering the ethical and responsible use of technology among their peers. Their insights will strengthen the document and their participation will create buy-in among those most affected by its policies.

    Parents

      School parents do not need to serve on this committee, but they should be informed of the process and information about the new policy, its main points and its goals, should be shared during a parent education session.

    School legal team

      The school’s lawyers should be asked to review the document for the legal enforceability of its statements.

    Administration

      The school administration should be consulted in the process, though need not formally participate in the committee. The administrative council will ratify the final version of the new policy.

 

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ADVENTURE 4

Objective: Explore resources available for teaching about digital citizenship

DIRECTIONS

There are many materials developed to help teachers instruct students about safety, ethics, and behavior on the Internet. Here is a list of resources that might help you expand your resources:

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