Parents are super important when it comes to teaching kids how to be good digital citizens. This means knowing how to use the internet safely and responsibly. We believe that the lessons kids learn about being responsible online should be the same at home and at school. This way, everyone is on the same page!
This year, we started teaching digital citizenship at our school. We wanted to see what worked well and what we might want to change in the future. To do this, we focused on teaching these lessons right here on campus.
We used a lot of helpful resources from Common Sense Media, which is a great place for tips on how to be safe online. We created a special website on our school district’s site just for parents. Here, they can find all sorts of tip sheets and resources to help them understand digital citizenship better.
We made sure to keep parents in the loop by sending out information regularly. We have a weekly school newsletter that lots of parents read, and we also sent out emails to keep them updated. This way, parents always know what’s going on and how they can help their kids be smart and safe online.
Learning about digital citizenship is important because it helps kids understand how to use the internet in a positive way. They learn about things like protecting their personal information, being kind online, and thinking critically about what they see on the internet. With parents and schools working together, kids can become confident and responsible digital citizens!
Design a colorful poster that explains one important rule of digital citizenship. Use drawings, symbols, and short phrases to make your message clear. Share your poster with your classmates and discuss why this rule is important.
In small groups, act out different scenarios where digital citizenship is important. For example, pretend you’re responding to a mean comment online or deciding whether to share personal information. Discuss what the best actions are in each situation.
Work with your family to create a digital citizenship pledge. Write down rules and promises about how you will use the internet safely and respectfully. Share your pledge with the class and explain why these rules are important to your family.
Create a quiz with questions about online safety and digital citizenship. Test your classmates and see who can get the most correct answers. Discuss any questions that were tricky and learn from each other.
Write a short story about a character who learns an important lesson about digital citizenship. Share your story with the class and talk about what your character learned and how it can help us be better digital citizens.
Here’s a sanitized version of the transcript:
“Parents play a significant role because we strongly believe that the behaviors we want students to model and take responsibility for need to be consistent both at home and at school. This year, being our first implementation year, we decided to focus on the curriculum here on campus to learn what we liked and what we might want to do differently. Regarding parental involvement, we utilized a lot of the Common Sense Media parent materials to create a public website on our school district’s site. This allows parents to access various tip sheets and resources. Additionally, we communicated regularly through our weekly school newsletter, which is widely read, and we also sent out emails to parents.”
Parents – Adults who take care of children and help them learn and grow. – Parents often attend school meetings to stay informed about their children’s education.
Digital – Relating to technology or devices that use computer systems. – Many students use digital tools like tablets and laptops for their school projects.
Citizenship – The status of being a member of a country, with rights and responsibilities. – In social studies class, we learned about the importance of good citizenship and helping our community.
Internet – A global network that connects millions of computers, allowing people to share information. – The internet is a valuable resource for students to research topics for their history assignments.
Resources – Materials or tools that help people learn or accomplish tasks. – Our teacher provided us with resources like books and videos to help us understand the Civil War.
School – A place where children go to learn about various subjects. – At school, we study subjects like math, science, and social studies.
Information – Facts or details about a subject that help people learn and understand. – We gathered information about ancient Egypt for our history project.
Online – Connected to or available through the internet. – Our teacher assigned us an online quiz to test our knowledge of world geography.
Kids – Children or young people. – The museum offers special programs for kids to learn about history in a fun way.
Responsible – Being reliable and making good choices, especially when it comes to duties or tasks. – It is important for students to be responsible and complete their homework on time.
