Digital citizenship is an important skill that students, and all users of the internet, need to develop. Commonsense.org (n.d.) tell us "all students need digital citizenship skills to participate fully in their communities and make smart choices online and in life". In fact, in the classroom, it has become an expectation for teachers to include specific lessons on this skill in their curriculum. Many state and local districts have developed standards for students and teachers. There are even national standards and expectations that have been put in place. The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) has developed a set of seven standards for educators that includes a specific standard that focuses on digital citizenship. Standard three sets the expectation that "Educators inspire students to positively contribute to and responsibly participate in the digital world" (ISTE Standards for Educators). To take it even further, the standard specifies the ways in which educators should address this standard through additional sub standards. These sub standards include creating positive experiences for students, creating a positive learning culture, mentoring students, and even modeling expected behavior.
While teachers have the expectation of modeling positive digital citizenship and including lessons in their curriculum, we must also consider the responsibility of parents. It is sometimes difficult for us to stay up-to-date on technology, but it is especially difficult for those who are not consistently utilizing it. Parents must stay involved in how their students are using these tools and resources. Doing so will help support proper use as well as reinforce the work that is happening in the classroom. Parents must "keep track of [their] student's online use" (Digital Citizenship). In addition, parents should be sharing their values regarding what is acceptable behavior when online. If we can approach this as a team, students are much more likely to understand what it means to be a good digital citizen and, ultimately, become a good digital citizen.
References
Common Sense Education. (n.d.). Retrieved December 06, 2020, from https://www.commonsense.org/education/
ISTE Standards for Educators. (n.d.). Retrieved December 06, 2020, from https://www.iste.org/standards/for-educators
Digital Citizenship. (n.d.). Retrieved December 06, 2020, from https://www.schools.nyc.gov/school-life/school-environment/digital-citizenship