What Is Digital Citizenship? The term Digital Citizenship has been defined and understood in many different ways. On his website, Mike Ribble defines digital citizenship as the norms of appropriate, responsible technology use. Another definition by Terry Heick is, the quality of habits, actions, and consumption patterns that impact the ecology of digital content and communities. In a video presented by CyberWise, digital citizenship is defined as the essential first step to becoming media literate in the 21stcentury. The word citizenship can be pretty vague. I believe that just because you’re a citizen doesn’t mean you interact with others in a safe and responsible way. I feel that when we are addressed as “fellow American citizens” we have been conditioned to lean toward a positive connotation of the word. I think the word citizenship alone is neutral. It’s up to our decisions and behaviors, respectfully, that determine what adjective fits best in front of the word. The 9 Elements of Digital Citizenship According to Mike Ribble there are nine essential elements to digital citizenship.
One of the elements that is particularly important to me is Digital health and wellness. Health and wellness in general has always been important to me. Unfortunately, when it comes to being a digital citizen, many people including myself may not have realized the toll social media and the constant need to be in the know can take on your health and well being. It’s easy to fall in a trap and lose hours of time by becoming engulfed in the rabbit hole of endless information, whether it is useful or superficial information. I have learned to take care of myself by limiting the time spent on social media and Google. This has helped to ease my mind and promote interactions with people and nature in real life. iCitizens Dr. Marialice Curran created a seminar where students were asked the question: Are You a Socially Responsible Digital Citizen? Within the seminar students defined an iCitizen as someone who is loyal to the human race and human experience globally, regardless of nationality. They emphasized the importance of respect and empathy to others in order to create and exist in a harmonious world. I agree with the students’ definitions and perspective on what an iCitizen is. I feel like currently, we as humans focus a lot on our differences and the boundaries (whether it be nationality, race, socioeconomic status) that separate us. No matter how cliché it may sound, what I got as an underlying message from the students’ definitions is the need for world peace. World peace is necessary for our communities to co-exist and function in ways that are helpful and not harmful to one another. Conclusion This week’s studies and findings have helped me understand that in order to be a good digital citizen or iCitizen, continuous education and collaboration are essential. As an educator and student of education, a frequently used buzz word/phrase is lifelong learner. I demonstrate to my students that I am continuously learning whether it be coincidental or purposeful. I share with them that I am continuing my education and how much I value education. I think it is important for students to realize that teachers may not have all the answers and that learning is a collaborative process. I try to create a classroom atmosphere where we can explore new ideas and learn from each other. References Curran, M. (2012, June). iCitizen: Are you a socially responsible digital citizen. Paper presented at the International Society for Technology Education Annual Conference, San Antonio, TX. Retrieved from (PDF: icitizen_paper_M_Curran.pdf) Ribble, M. (2015). Digital citizenship in schools: Nine elements all students should know(3rded.). Eugene, OR: International Society for Technology in Education Cyberwise YouTube URL:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OH6869bD8iU
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Aundrea
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September 2018
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