We wanted to share a couple of noteworthy resources for the new school year.
Common Sense Media has created a guide for all teachers: Digital Citizenship & Social and Emotional Learning. The guide contains a set of digital dilemmas that students may face at some point in their lives. Sample scenarios, such as the one below, are bundled with discussion questions, digital tools and extension lesson resources.
Erin was home sick from school watching a movie when she looked down at her phone and saw her screen filled with text messages written in capital letters and punctuated with exclamation points. “I HATE YOU!!!
Each discussion question will get students’ thinking and talking about character. Resources within the guide include digital citizenship lesson plans and suggested digital tools for building strengths – like empathy and perseverance. Extension resources include digital citizenship lesson links that follow CSM’s scope and sequence for grades 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12.
Topics explored include:
- Social Media & Body Image
- Cyberbullying
- Sexting & Nude Photographs
- Digital Footprints & Photo Sharing
- Privacy, Surveillance & Self-Disclosure
- Sexual Imagery & the Internet
- Distraction, Multitasking & Time Management
- Digital Drama
- Video Games & Violent Content
- Selfie Culture
Digital citizenship continues to be the fastest changing subject we teach and we appreciate having quality/timely resources to share with our teachers.
Google has introduced Be Internet Awesome. We had the good fortune to be invited to Google on August 14 to join a team of Googlers and Google Certified Innovators to explore the Be Internet Awesome program and to participate in panel and group discussions on the critical need to be teaching digital citizenship skills – including media literacy (i.e. “Don’t Fall for Fake”) – in the 2017-18 school year. As you can see from the video below, the importance of including parents in the conversations is central.
At the heart of the Be Internet Awesome curriculum is Interland, a “playful browser-based game, intended for grades 3-6, that makes learning about digital safety interactive and fun.”
Award-winning YA author John Green, has even joined the Google team and recorded messages for the Be Internet Awesome Challenge, a video series aimed at igniting conversations in the classroom and at home too on what it means to be smart, alert, strong, kind, and brave online; in other words, how to #BeInternetAwesome.
The Global Digital Citizenship Foundation is also promoting John Green’s Be Internet Awesome Challenge. The program has also gained recognition from The International Society of Technology in Education (ISTE) by awarding #BeInternetAwesome with their Seal of Alignment for Readiness for the 2016 ISTE NETS.
We look forward to showcasing how our teachers and school’s are engaging in impactful discussions stemming from these two resources.
