The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) has for years produced standards used across the nation for technology in education. Recently, ISTE has updated the standards to reflect a change from conceptual knowledge to knowledge in the 21st century skills. But they also have incorporated promotion of Digital Citizenship in the classroom with the student, teacher, and administrator standards.
Digital Citizenship refers to the ethical way to handle oneself when online. From Educational Origami:
In Rome, to be a citizen was a level to aspire to. A roman citizen was exempt some taxes, protected against certain punishments, empowered with rights like voting, making contracts, marriage and standing for office. But with these rights also came responsibilities. The citizen of Rome Had to speak Latin, pay taxes, serve jury duty, be registered and identified by birth certificate and census. They also had to up hold social responsibilities and be seen as virtuous.
Digital citizenship has similar benefits and responsibilities. A good digital citizen will experience the advantages of the digital world but like the roman citizen will be identifiable, speak using the appropriate language, serve his or her duty to judge what is appropriate within the laws of the land and ethical behavior, uphold their social responsibilities and be virtuous.
The internet is a little like the proverbial elephant that never forgets. Our digital footprints are not like the footprints on the beach, washed away by the next wave or rising tide. Rather they are like footprints left to dry in the wet concrete of the footpath. Permanent.
Social Networks, including Nings, are no different. Digital speech has the ability to be transferred and spread rapidly, and is pretty much impossible to lose. That is in most cases, a positive. However, if digital speech is used inappropriately, it is also a negative.
A way to think about this is that there are 6 pillars of digital citizenship:
We'll take a look at each of those in turn.
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Date last modified: October 20, 2009.
Heartland Area Education Agency 11
