DIGITAL CITIZENSHIP REFLECTION
DIGITAL CITIZENSHIP REFLECTION
Kathryn Lindley
EDLD 5316
Dr. Frederick Padovan
Lamar University
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DIGITAL CITIZENSHIP REFLECTION
What is Digital Citizenship?
Digital Citizenship according to Chris Zook of Applied Educational Systems; “Digital
citizenship refers to the responsible use of technology by anyone who uses computers, the
Internet, and digital devices to engage with society on any level” (Zook, 2019). As a teacher in a
High School, Digital Citizenship is something that schools are expected to teach their students.
But don’t provide teachers the resources and time to adequately teach the students. Students
growing up in a digital age are not properly taught how to use their technology. Most young
children know how to use technology, in fact they probably know more than their parents. With
kids knowing more than adults, adults are unable to teach them how to use the technology
ethically. With the length of this class, I was able to see firsthand how poor digital citizenship
affects students all over the country.
A TikTok trend called “Devious Licks” has taken my school and many other schools by
storm. Students have been vandalizing and stealing school items and recording themselves on
the app. My school has seen vandalism in most of the male restrooms and they have been closed
during school hours to prevent further damage or injury. I found out recently, that next month’s
trend is to slap a teacher or faculty member on the rear and record yourself to post on the app.
Poor digital citizenship seems to be the trend.
The Nine Elements and their Impact
The Ribble book outlines the nine elements of digital citizenship and some lessons for
teachers to use when teaching their students (Ribble, 2015). The first chapters of the book go
over what digital citizenship is and why it needs to be taught. Ribble’s nine elements include
Access, Commerce, Communication, Literacy, Etiquette, Law, Rights and Responsibilities,
Health and Wellness and Security (Ribble, 2015).
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DIGITAL CITIZENSHIP REFLECTION
Adults assume a lot from kids, they assume kids know how to act, or what to do in certain
situations. Most adults assume that kids know what to do when they are online. Adults teach
kids to not talk to strangers in person, but do we teach them to not talk to strangers online? We
teach our kids to be nice to their friends and classmates, but do we teach them to be nice online?
We teach them to not bully each other in person, but are they taught how to not cyberbully?
When does a teacher have the required time to teach their students about all the nine
elements of digital citizenship? Many adults are unaware of how to be a good digital citizen and
therefore do not know how to teach best practices. Pop culture has idealized ideas like
“Catfishing,” “Spam accounts,” “Devious Licks” and “online Trolls.” Did society stop and think,
maybe we shouldn’t idealize people or lie and use bag digital citizenship to become famous?
Even if time is given to a certain grade level, as technology changes the lessons need to be
updated and when will the update be taught.
So much importance is put on using technology in a classroom and technology can be
extremely powerful and useful. I like to use technology in the classroom and truly enjoy
planning lessons that involve technology. I also like to teach other teachers about different
technologies they could use in their classrooms. We as adults and a society need to change the
way we think about online presence and when that shift occurs, we can teach our children. I call
for a complete shift of the mental perspective to make our society one that praises good digital
citizenship and denounces those who don’t. We also need to practice what we preach; we need
to show kids how to act appropriately online and model the proper behavior.
Digital Footprints and their Impacts
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DIGITAL CITIZENSHIP REFLECTION
Technology since it first appeared has grown exponentially, with innovations coming out
sooner and sooner. It seems like every other year there is a new iPhone model, unlike a few
years ago when we would wait many years before a new phone model debuted. As a High
School teacher, I must remind my students daily that they need to put their phone away when I
speak to them individually or the class. Our society is completely enthralled with our
technology.
Digital footprints are something that adults talk to students about, but students don’t
really understand the implications of them. As a high school teacher, I see and talk to my
students about what they do online, and most students watch videos, and some make videos.
Most post pictures and updates on at least one social media platform on a regular basis. Students
think that social media like stories or snapchats disappear after they expire, but in truth the
company that runs the platform has access to everything they post on the site. How do adults
convey the message of everlasting to teenagers who think their posts are gone by tomorrow?
In many instances the social media posts do not follow the elements of digital citizenship.
In the future our students will be entering the workforce if they haven’t already, and their digital
footprint could stop them from opportunities. School is a place for learning, but students would
rather learn from their friends and their phones. Unfortunately, those lessons from their phones
and friends are not teaching good lessons. Students rarely understand all the implications of their
actions and the long-term effects.
Perhaps the best way to teach our students how to limit their digital footprint is to create
messages on their preferred platforms. Perhaps a digital footprint lesson could be implemented
in middle and high schools to educate students on digital citizenship and their digital footprint.
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DIGITAL CITIZENSHIP REFLECTION
If students were to create their own videos on their favorite platforms, they could educate not
only themselves but other students as well.
Copyright laws
Thinking back to my first introduction to copyright, would have been in middle school or
maybe high school. I think, it was related to writing a research essay over a biography of a
famous figure. We had resources limited to books and all students were taught how to use the
MLA format when citing from their books. Later I was taught how to cite sources from online
articles to videos that were accessed over the internet. In college Citations and citing sources
continued to be important when writing or creating an assignment.
The copyrights laws can be very difficult to learn and remember when they are first being
taught. Many exceptions or situational circumstances are hard to understand, but very important.
As the concept of copyright came about and changed, digital citizens need to be aware of the
changes. The United States copyright laws are accessible online and should be shown to
students and adults alike (Office, 2020). Many students and adults are unaware of the
implications they face when not citing sources correctly or at all.
What is Cyberbullying?
“Cyberbullying is bullying that takes place over digital devices like cell phones,
computers, and tablets. Cyberbullying can occur through SMS, Text, and apps, or online in
social media, forums, or gaming where people can view, participate in, or share content.
Cyberbullying includes sending, posting, or sharing negative, harmful, false, or mean content
about someone else. It can include sharing personal or private information about someone else
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causing embarrassment or humiliation. Some cyberbullying crosses the line into unlawful or
criminal behavior” (Affairs, What is Cyberbullying?, 2019).
Cyberbullying is probably one of the scariest things that families face in modern times. I
believe this fear comes from parents/adults not knowing or understanding how cyberbullying
affects their children. Communication of cyberbullying needs to increase in our society. This
class required the viewing/ reading to two cyberbullying cases. One case ended with Ryan
Halligan taking their own life because they were unable to get the help that they needed
(Halligan, 2015). The second case ended with the Kylie Kenney receiving help and living, but
still traumatized (Struglinski, 2006). Both cases were heart breaking and devastating to the
families of both students.
Whose job is it to teach kids about Cyberbullying? Some people would say that it is on
the parents to teach their children about online etiquette. Others would argue that it is the job of
schools and teachers. It is this authors opinion that it starts at home with the parents and is
reinforced by teachers and school. Many resources are available online to help prevent or stop
cyberbullying.
Continuing Digital Citizenship
To continue the education and learning about digital citizenship will require staying up to
date on new technology and the impacts they have. Teachers and parents should become aware
of the technologies and continue to communicate with students about how they should protect
themselves. Communication is key to stopping cyberbullying and hopefully stop teen suicides.
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“Get Help Now” Resources from Stopbullying.gov:
The problem What you can do
There has been a crime or someone Call 911.
is at immediate risk of harm.
Someone is feeling hopeless, To talk to someone now:
helpless, thinking of suicide. • Call 1-800-273-8255 (TALK)
• Chat with Lifeline
• Visit the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
For Spanish speakers:
• Call 1-888-628-9454
• Visit Ayuda en Español: Lifeline
For deaf/hard of hearing:
• Call 1-800-799-4889
Free and confidential support resources are available to
you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Someone is acting differently than Find a local counselor or other mental health services
normal, such as always seeming sad
or anxious, struggling to complete
tasks, or not being able care for
themselves.
A child is being bullied in school. Contact the:
1. Teacher
2. School counselor
3. School principal
4. School superintendent
5. State Department of Education
See more on working with the school.
The school is not Contact:
adequately addressing • School superintendent
harassment based on race, color, • State Department of Education
national origin, sex (including • U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil
sexual orientation and gender Rights
identity), disability, or religion. • U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights
Division
(Affairs, Get Help Now, 2019)
Eportfolio link: https://techykatyteach.weebly.com/digital-citizenship.html
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Works Cited
Affairs, A. S. (2019, September 24). Get Help Now. Retrieved from StopBullying.gov:
https://www.stopbullying.gov/resources/get-help-now
Affairs, A. S. (2019, September 24). What is Cyberbullying? Retrieved from StopCyberbullying.gov:
https://www.stopbullying.gov/cyberbullying/what-is-it
Halligan, J. P. (2015). Retrieved from Ryan’s Story: https://www.ryanpatrickhalligan.org/promotion-
video
Office, U. C. (2020). Copyright Law of the United States. Retrieved from U.S. Copyright Office.
Copyright.gov. : https://www.copyright.gov/title17/
Ribble, M. (2015). Digital Citizenship in Schools: Nine Elements All Students Should Know. International
Society for Tech in Ed.
Struglinski, S. (2006, August 18). Schoolyard bullying has gone high-tech. Retrieved from Desert News:
https://www.deseret.com/2006/8/18/19969197/schoolyard-bullying-has-gone-high-tech
Zook, C. (2019, December 10). What is Digital Citizenship & How do we teach it? Retrieved from
Aeseducation.com.: https://www.aeseducation.com/blog/what-is-digital-citizenship
