Module 1: Digital Citizenship

Digital Citizenship

Every time you go online, you’re making decisions: where to go, what to believe, what to share, and how to respond.

Digital citizenship is about making those choices responsibly.

Use these Google Slides to Record Your Response to the 7 questions numbered below.

1. Citizenship is an important aspect of modern civilization. Before we talk digital, let's understand what it means to be a citizen.

Click the image to the right.
Skim the article
Answer #1 in your slides.

5 Pillars of Digital Citizenship

Definition: The term, Digital Tools, will be used often in these modules. Digital tools include the apps, websites, software, and devices you use to complete tasks, communicate, work, socialize, and play online.

2. Be Informed

Being informed means we develop Information Literacy: a deeper understanding of how information works.

Watch this short Crash Course video.
Answer #2 in your Google Slides.

3. Be Responsible

Being responsible means we develop our sense of ethics—understanding what is right or wrong in how we use digital tools.

The digital ethics flowchart is a decision-making tool based on established digital citizenship frameworks: safety, legality, respect, truthfulness, and responsibility. More on these key elements can be found in the ISTE Standards for Students, Common Sense Media’s digital citizenship curriculum, and Mike Ribble’s 9 elements of digital citizenship.

Study the ethics flowchart to the right.
In your Slides, answer #3. Use the flowchart to decide whether each scenario is ethical.

Chart created using ChatGPT

4. Be Safe

Being safe is not just about you. Being safe involves ethics and recognizing that we practice our own safety AND do our part to make the digital world safe for everyone.

Watch this TEDx Talk where the presenter discusses online safety. Feel free to watch the entire video, but for this exercise, you may watch from 7:37 to the end.
Record a short reflection for #4 in your Google Slides.

5. Be Respectful

Being respectful means choosing kindness, honesty, and integrity. Respect requires another important life skill: pausing to think before acting.

Study the graphic on the right.
Using knowledge from the graphic, answer #5 the "Post it or Pass?" questions.
Click the graphic to learn more!

Is this young man present or not present?

6. Be Present

Being present means recognizing that humans have evolved for connection. Connecting in virtual landscapes can be powerful and meaningful, but neglecting in-person connection can lead to negative consequences.

Technology is part of our lives, but technology should not take over our lives.
Finding balance so we can be present is important.
We’re not aiming for perfection, just awareness and small, intentional choices.
Complete the self-assessment, Slide #7.

Being a stellar Digital Citizen correlates to being a stellar In-Person Citizen. When we practice these pillars, we create a positive cycle that strengthens both our digital world and our everyday lives.

Graphic created using ChatGPT

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