Digital Citizenship in the Classroom
The word citizenship is defined by the rights, duties, and privileges that go along with it. I am of the opinion that any teacher looking to involve their learners in an online community (insulated or otherwise) has a responsibility to teach said learners about digital etiquette and internet safety as it pertains to their involvement as citizens of that community. Just as we train students to become good citizens of society, so should we train them to be safe, respectful, and responsible citizens of the digital world. Every learner needs to understand that rules for polite society also apply to a digital platform and that there are expectations for behavior there that help maintain it. Being a part of a community puts a responsibility on anyone, regardless of age, to learn, create, and participate in such a way that does not infringe on the rights of others. In a pre-pandemic world, the responsibilities of digital citizenship were not something t...