Parents: Digital Citizenship Begins at Home

Dear Parents,

I am so honored to be working with your child this school year! I have decided to write a post as to what Digital Citizenship means to me as a teacher and some simple things you can do at home to help support your child at home. 

First, digital citizenship is defined by the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) as something about, "much more than online safety - or a long list of don'ts. It's also about the do's that help create thoughtful, empathetic digital citizens who can wrestle with the important ethical questions at the intersection of technology and humanity" (ISTE, 2019).

As a teacher, I do believe I carry a responsibility to aid in equipping students to be smart, safe, empathetic users online and the global web. Below are steps you can take as a parent and guardian to stay involved, informed, and aware of practical things you can do to also help support your child to be a responsible digital citizen.

1. You should know that your child will be taught these tips and you can review with your child frequently whenever they are exposed to the web, online games, apps, etc.

TIP 1: Think Before You Share
TIP 2: Protect Your Stuff
TIP 3: Know and Use Your Settings
TIP 4: Avoid Scams
TIP 5: Be Positive

2. Counter Cyberbullying with Kindness - Teachers and parents can't monitor everything or everyone that is online, but kindness can be modeled and encouraged and emphasized at home as it is in the classroom to show that its something we value. 

3. Using the online world for positive change and showing your child what positive attention looks like through interviews, organizations, and films that share positive stories, sermons, awareness and what impact the web has on the audience and world around them. 

4. Monitoring your child's screen and adjusting the child safety privacy settings to ensure your child isn't stumbling on adult content is beneficial. You are able to monitor what your child is being exposed to and stay connected and informed on the kind of language, content, and information your child is consuming. 

5. Being transparent with your children on what you do on your screen and the expectations you have for when they are on their own devices can help keep your child accountable. Checking in and having a dialogue with your child on what the new "technology" is and what they learned in school could also empower your child to practice responsible digital citizenship. 

6. Be informed on different ways you can be proactive in keeping your child safe as well as encouraging them to be a positive influence on the web. You can start with these tips and safety for the digital age, seek out Youtube videos, and stay connected with the teacher and administrators on what they notice our students are invested in. 

7. Pay attention to your child. Ask questions and be involved!

What steps are you taking to ensure your child is being a positive, responsible, digital citizen while online? Please share in the comments or direct message me through email!