In today’s increasingly digital world, instilling good digital citizenship habits in our students is critical. Just as we teach our children how to be responsible at school and home, we must also educate them about responsible behavior in their online communities.
Digital Citizenship Week is the perfect opportunity for schools and families to reflect on how they can continue working together, preparing our students to think critically, be kind and respectful to others online, and to use their technology/devices and social media in positive, creative and powerful ways.
Right now is also a good time to check in with your children about what they are seeing and how they are processing what’s currently going on in their social feeds. Snapchat, Instagram, TikTok and X are often filled with heavy content for adolescents and misinformation continues to run rampant across all social media platforms. It’s also a good time to be mindful of your own scrolling or to take this opportunity to review these strategies from Common Sense Media for addressing news and current events with your children.
EGUSD encourages all schools to recognize Digital Citizenship Week and Common Sense Education celebrates #DigCitWeek with new activities every year.
Common Sense Education encourages everyone to support students’ mental health and digital well-being during this year’s #DigCitWeek. EGUSD’s Board adopted curriculum includes Common Sense’s new Digital Well-Being lessons.
“Growing up has always had its challenges. But for kids today, social media and tech can amplify the typical stresses of adolescence. “ – Common Sense Education
Spanish – ¿Qué es la ciudadanía digital?
DigCit Week Events and Resources
Want to learn more? Take this time to register for an upcoming Common Sense Education sponsored Digital Citizenship Week webinar/event in collaboration with edWeb and Learning.com.
Digital Citizenship Week and Digital Well-Being in the Arctic
Monday, October 16, at 11 a.m.
Presented by Common Sense Education on EdWeb
Register Here
Be a Safe & Kind Online Hero: Celebrating Digital Citizenship
Tuesday, October 17 at 12:00 p.m.
Presented by Learning.com
Register Here
EGUSD Educators – please visit our EGUSD Digital Citizenship Curriculum Google Site* for customized grade level Digital Citizenship Week activities included in the Digital Citizenship Week section of the homepage. *Note: Access to the EGUSD Digital Citizenship Curriculum Google Site is limited to EGUSD staff only. You must use your district Google account to login.
Explore the Common Sense Education Family Engagement Toolkit (Resources in English and Spanish) to help support healthy media and tech use at school and home. The toolkit includes:
- Family Tech Planners
- Conversation Starters, Tips and Activities
- Kids and Tech – Video Series
- Young Kids & Screens – Workshops for families with kids age 0–8
- Tweens, Teens, and Their Always-On Digital Lives – Workshops for families with kids age 11–18
On top of Digital Citizenship Week, October is also National Bullying Prevention Month. EGUSD supports the rights of students and staff to attend schools that are safe and free from violence, harassment, bullying and discrimination.
Families can talk with their children about their school and digital lives and the many roles children can play in bullying/cyberbullying. By asking open-ended questions, they can engage their children in conversation about their experience and communicate expectations about appropriate behavior – in person and in their digital lives.
EGUSD and the California Department of Education (CDE) also have many bullying/cyberbullying prevention and character education resources available online. We welcome you to check them out.
- EGUSD Bullying/Cyberbullying Prevention
- EGUSD Digital Citizenship Website – Cyberbullying
- Bullying Prevention Training & Resources (CDE)
Additionally, you can follow @CommonSenseEd, #DigCit and #DigCitWeek on X, Instagram and Facebook to participate in all Digital Citizenship Week chat through social media.
We would love to showcase #DigCitWeek activities happening at our EGUSD schools. From lessons, to video creation, to guest speakers, please keep us in the loop with whatever you are planning.
We are also excited to share that we will be collaborating with EGUSD students on some future guest blog posts.
As always, we must all take the lead and model good Digital Citizenship behavior by being kind and respectful to others in person and our online communities.
