As more and more Chromebooks hit the classroom, teachers are realizing that not only do we have to teach tech skills, but also how to use this new technology appropriately. Many of you are familiar with our Internet Use Agreement, but how far does that go in really teaching our kids how to be responsible, safe, and respectful online?
We share your concerns and have embarked on a new mission to bring Digital Citizenship to SOAR Academy. With support from leadership, we are both currently taking a 6-week course in Digital Citizenship hosted by SDCOE in partnership with Common Sense. Common Sense is an organization dedicated to providing research and resources to parents, students, and educators, regarding how to use digital media and technology as a positive force in kids’ lives. Our goal is to become Digital Citizenship Certified Educators, as well as have SOAR Academy become a Digital Citizenship Certified School. This certification not only informs our best practices, but also helps us qualify for eRate funding for technology.
We are learning that Digital Citizenship encompasses far more than cyberbullying and privacy concerns, which you may be familiar with from our “old school” Internet Safety course. Those topics are still very important, but we are branching out to include new topics such as: Digital Footprints, Searching, Evaluating Sources, Citing Sources, and Building Community.Eventually, we hope to work with all SOAR Academy teachers, and potentially all of JCCS, to show educators how to use the amazing resources and curriculum that Common Sense has to offer them and their students. We have started compiling resources that we think may be useful to you and your practice, which can be found by clicking here. If you have any questions or suggestions please do not hesitate to contact either of us!
Jessica and Samantha
