Digital Citizenship

In a 2001 document, the Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario (ETFO) released a document titled Blurred Vision: Rethinking Ontario's Curriculum.  This document was in response to the new curriculum being introduced by the Mike Harris government of the time.  Of the ideas presented in the document, there is a surprising mention of the need to improve media literacy as a "crucial element of responsible citizenship" in modern democracies.  At the time the idea of social media and the modern connected society seemed like something out of a Stanley Kubrick movie, where today we can't imagine a society without connectivity.

The concept of teaching citizenship is nothing new.  It is defined repeatedly through the Ontario curriculum and is a focus of the Grade 10 Civics course.  But the definition of citizenship has changed over time.  

To use a cliche, the dictionary defines "citizenship" as: "(a) membership in a community (as a college); (b) the quality of an individual's response to membership in a community".  This is important to note when dealing with the concept of digital citizenship.  Why?  Because just like the real-world communities all people are part of, the same concept of community exists in the virtual world.  Whether it be a Facebook or Twitter group, a clan on the Xbox or Playstation networks, or even responding to comments on a news website, the same expectations of politeness in society need to extend into the digital realm and teachers need to be at the forefront of helping develop these digital citizens for the 21st century.

In Ontario, the concept of a digital citizen is not lost with the provincial government.  On the Ministry's OSAPAC website, the concept of digital citizenship is targeted in four specific areas:

Critical thinking and Information Literacy

Creation and Credit

Presence and Communication

Health and Protection

Each of these areas are key points that need to be addressed when teaching students about digital citizenship.  Far too often they think that because they are hidden behind a username and will never come into contact with those they are communicating with it allows them to say what they want and act in ways which otherwise would not be acceptable in society.  I wouldn't want someone walking up to me on the street telling me something awful about my mother or how I should get to know my dog better, and I certainly don't feel as though I should encounter the same online.  However, for students, this is how they carry themselves.  Anonymity allows people to show their true colours. However, saying the wrong thing about the wrong person can easily lead to problems.  The key therefore is to find ways to understand how to approach and educate students.

Common sense media in a recent publication presents three goals that all educators should strive for when teaching digital citizenship - educate, empower, and protect.  The goal through this is to create a curriculum where digital citizenship is the centre focus for the curriculum.  By working to create a digital citizenship-centred curriculum, the same concepts of real-world citizenship can be extended into the digital realm.  Teach students that their actions online have consequences and that they are expected to act in a certain way.  


I included this image in my last post, but I cannot stress the importance of the T.H.I.N.K. approach to digital citizenship.  Students need to know that they need to follow their gut and know that if something about what they wish to post or say just doesn't seem right, it probably isn't.  

Another way to understand this is known as REP (Respect, Educate and Protect).  In this method, an approach to teaching and learning digital citizenship is introduced as early as kindergarten and reinforced throughout school.  By understanding the role of oneself and others in the digital realm, the common theme of REP will continue through education.

People naturally should be civil to each other and we as educators promote respect and care to others regardless of their background.  These same expectations need to be taught to students as their lives will continue to increasingly grow around the virtual world.  Citizenship extends in all directions and students need to be made aware of this.

ADDED Feb 24 - A great read from the National Post on technology etiquette: The Technology That Keeps Us Constantly Connected Is Changing The Way We Think About Etiquette

Social Media in 21st Century Learning

The way in which students socialize and learn is changing.  I graduated high school and entered into university just on the cusp of the social networking boom.  From the period of 2003 to 2006, the only social networking I remember was texting on phones (pressing the same number on the dial pad until I found the right letter) or by way of ICQ or MSN Messenger.  The idea of Facebook, Twitter or other social networks as a means of education did not seem practical as I myself was slow to latch onto them.  I was under the original approach that my education was just as good for the education I'd give to my students.  Boy, was I wrong.

Today in Canada, 99% of all students have access to the internet outside of school in the form of personal computers, portable computers or personal devices.  With so many ways to access the internet and so many websites to visit, what are the most common?  According to Young Canadians in a Wired World, the three most commonly visited sites are YouTube (75%), Facebook (57%) and Google (37%) with Twitter not being far behind and gaining ground every day.

Figure 1

So the question that I was asking myself when I first began teaching was, "How has the world changed and how has student learning changed?"

It's no secret that today that the best way for students to learn is "to design engaging, meaningful, and authentic work and technology-enhanced learning experiences" and bring them into the classroom.  The most effective way of doing this is through the incorporation of social media-based activities.

Social media in an education sense can include, but is not limited to, website such as Facebook, Twitter, Blogger or Instagram.  All of these sites offer ways that students are able to share with one another and collaborate in ways that were once thought unimaginable.

The resistance that is often seen from teacher and schools is the freedom that is allowed in social media.  There are those who feel that students will move off task, will not use it effectively, and, like is presented in Figure 1, use it as a means of cyber bullying, which is on the rise across the United States and Canada.

There is a way to avoid these fears is to teach students how to properly use social media for education purposes.  In the Ontario curriculum, the concept of citizenship is stressed multiple times through multiple grades and courses.  In the past, the idea of citizenship would be in regards to the role these students will be taking as adults in Canada as a nation.  But, is it not possible to address the issue of digital citizenship as well?  Students need to understand that just like in the off-device world, there are expectations and rules that they need to follow in the virtual environment.  What they do now can have an effect on them in later life.  It's therefore important to teacher the students to T.H.I.N.K. before they post to social media.  By T.H.I.N.K.-ing before posting, the quality of submissions, and approach to the material, should improve for more introduction of the tasks at hand.

Now that the skills are in place, now is the time to introduce it into the class and make it relevant to the tasks at hand.  Possibly the easiest and most secure way of using social media would be through a class learning management system (LMS) where all information and posts are protected and available only to members of the class.  The true idea, however, of social media education is to move beyond the confines of the class and expand into true open cyberspace.

The key is to have students become engaged in "authentic, inquiry-based tasks that captivate their hearts and minds" that allow the students to use the technology available at their fingertips.  This can be in the form of Twitter conversations on a particular topic from class, a blog responding to a questions or providing insights based on class work, a wiki created based on characters (real or fictional) that can be created and shared among members in a class and communally edited or updated or even the use of Google Docs for completing a project.

Social media is here to stay so teachers must be able to adapt and introduce, schools and boards must develop policy and students must use the services at hand.  Using social media in school will only help students be even more prepared for later in life.  21st century education means 21st century success.

Blended Learning in the 21st Century

Blended learning, that is a term that frequently pops up in the world of education.  But, what exactly is blended learning and how does it work?

I think a great representation of blended learning is found in the graphic in figure 1.

Figure 1

This graphic outlines the balance needed for blended learning.  It can be a tightrope in terms of approach and delivery, but one that's needed for success.

The Ministry of Education for Ontario in recent years has made a push for more blended learning in Ontario schools as a way of supporting face-to-face instruction.  This is important because technology plays such a large role in the eyes of today's students that the education system must make moves to leave the 19th century, skip the 20th and try to catch up to the 21st century.  It's not an easy task, but one that certainly has its benefits.


So what does blended learning in Ontario look like?  From the Ministry website found here, blended learning is set put allow students to "learn or review key concepts, stay organized, show what they have learned, submit assignments, track their achievement, and communicate with others" in a safe and secure environment.  Items found inside this environment include tools for class discussions, submitting assignments, reviewing class notes, interaction with classmates and teachers, news stories, journals and a wide array of other tools.  I've had the opportunity of using this software in a variety of courses with great success.  Below are a couple examples of the online environments I have created for my courses:

In these courses, all class notes are posted, but merely as a guide for students to follow along as the classroom instruction occurs or if they missed that day.  On the site are places for students to share and discuss course-related topics (giving a voice to otherwise shy students), the ability to submit their work electronically using a variety of sources (I have set up Google Docs sharing for student using their school accounts), follow the class Twitter feed where I or class members can post and share using the class hashtag code as well as other ways for students to share and engage in class matter.  Surveys, quizzes, email communication and even a calendar/organizer are all there for the benefit of the students.

Maybe I went overboard on the old-style NES appearances, but one of the keys that is often overlooked with implemented a blended learning environment is the atmosphere created by the online environment.  Sure, it can be basic and bland, but how does that engage anyone?  My students know I love old video games, and the classroom setup I have reflects that with my classroom visuals incorporating classic games and characters.

So what's important when it comes to blended learning?  Believe it or not, the same thing that is important in the classroom - student engagement.  It is the pinnacle of the SAMR model.  It is the new way of teaching students.  Teachers can still have the face-to-face instruction, but the methods of delivery and sharing must change to reflect the times.  All boards in Ontario have an e-Learning Co-ordinator (eLC) that is available to assist with the setup of these courses and provide guidance along the way.

Blended learning is not distance learning.  Teaching still are required to play a part in the education as that personal connection is needed for growing adolescents.  What needs to change, however, is the approach in how it's done.  Technology offers so much potential to further knowledge and education, and it is up to us in the system to use it effectively to ensure success.