Digital Citizenship

1770 Words4 Pages

The sixth element of digital citizenship is digital law, which involves the ethics of technology and holding users accountable for their actions and deeds. The ease of sharing, downloading, and posting online content has made information so readily available that students do not consider if something is inappropriate or illegal. Intellectual property rights and copyright protection are two important laws with serious legal consequences. The most popular violation is downloading and sharing music files, which the Recording Industry Association of America has fined students for. However, a 2003 survey found that less than 25% of students believe this is wrong and in 2009, a three-year compilation of 16 countries by the International Federation …show more content…

If a school has current issues with unacceptable technology use, like using phones on tests, then they should focus on communication and rights and responsibilities. If a school has current issues with cyberbullying, then they should focus on etiquette and rights and responsibilities. The current issues will vary from school to school, so schools need to adapt and adjust any digital citizenship program to accommodate their specific needs. However, schools need to be informed of the elements and what students can gain from learning them to determine which elements should be prioritized (Ribble, 2015, pp 59). Teachers need to be up-to-date on new technologies to be aware of how they may be abused and students need to have instilled the basic knowledge, skills, and morals to refrain from abusing technology. For instance, teachers did not recognize text messaging as a problem until students started sharing test answers. With the implementation of a digital citizenship program, schools will teach appropriate use of technology and awareness of the consequences of not demonstrating appropriate use, which will prevent inappropriate behaviors, such as cheating. In remaining up-to-date on new technologies, schools can prioritize and update their digital citizenship curriculum to better benefit the school …show more content…

Therefore, digital citizenship needs to be addressed in schools and teachers need to approach the topics in appropriate manners so the entire school community can benefit from digital technology use (Ribble, 2015, pp 55). it is not enough to simply provide students with technology. Students need to be protected and provided with guidance to effectively assist in their learning. Instead of implementing technology use agreements and policies which can lead to banishment from technology, schools need to empower students by including the positive aspects of technology use (Dotterer, 2016, pp 63). Teaching digital citizenship can prevent inappropriate behaviors and set students up for a lifetime of success using technology. In cases where schools do not have the resources or time to implement a class dedicated to digital citizenship, alternative can be incorporated such as discussing appropriate use whenever the opportunity arises in planned lessons throughout all grade levels and courses. Students know how to use technology, but they do not know or understand the risks and consequences of their digital use and interactions. Digital citizenship is not instinctive and students must learn it to be safe and successful in the digital world. Teaching digital citizenship is essential to student success at

Open Document