I had a wonderful opportunity to “model and facilitate safe, healthy, legal and ethical uses of digital information and technologies” by leading our middle school students through a badge learning course on digital citizenship (International Society for Technology in Education, 2011). The badge learning course was created by Tamritz, a digital badge learning network, where students connect online with students from other schools across the Unites States.
Students completed a Digital Age Learning course, where each badge follows a discover-play-create quest format. Students are introduced to topics such as:
- Connected learning
- PLEs (Personal Learning Environments)
- Digital footprints
- Illustrated thought processes (mind maps)
- Net-smarts
- Cyber safety
- Phishing
- Copyright
- Fair use
- Creative Commons
Common Sense Media
In addition to the Tamritz course, my co-technology integration specialist partner and I coached our teachers on the implementation of the Common Sense Media Digital Citizenship scope and sequence. The curriculum is designed to “empower students to think critically, behave safely, and participate responsibly in our digital world. From lesson plans, videos, student interactives, and assessments, to professional learning and family outreach materials, our turnkey Curriculum provides schools with everything they need to take a whole-community approach to digital citizenship” (Common Sense Media, 2016).
The scope and sequence is comprised of three units for grades K-2, 3-5, and 6-8 and four units for Grades 9-12. Each unit is made up of five lessons, which “spiral to address a cross-curricular approach. The units build on each other by reinforcing developmentally appropriate topics. You can use the units either sequentially by grade or at any grade level within this band” (Common Sense Media, 2016). General topics include the following:
My co-technology integration specialist partner and I conducted a professional development session to educate teachers about the Common Sense Media Digital Citizenship scope and sequence and provided suggestions as to how it could be implemented into their classroom. Following the workshop, my co-technology integration specialist partner and I touched base with individual teachers to talk through upcoming lessons and offer support. Midway through the following semester, we hosted another PD workshop, reflected on the process, asked teachers to share their successes and challenges and discussed our future plans.
References
Common Sense Media. (2016). Scope and sequence. Retrieved May 26, 2016, from
https://www.commonsensemedia.org/educators/scope-and-sequence
International Society for Technology in Education. (2011). ISTE standards: coaches. Retrieved June 29, 2011, from http://www.iste.org/standards/ISTE-standards/standards-for-coaches
