Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/1480924
But it can be more challenging to be a good citi zen onlin e, b ecause p eople — esp ecially teens — may feel as though they are clicking away in anonymity. A lack of face-to-face com- munication dehumanizes others. And the truth may be distorted. While online safety (such as not providing personal information to others) and being "nice" online are important, digital citizenship is so much more. It also encompasses being able to navigate, understand and share information online in a way that is healthy and helpful for all, says Katie McNamara, who handles community outreach for the Digital Citizenship Institute. "We all have access to the internet," says McNamara, a librar- ian at North High School in Bakersfield and Kern High School Teachers Association member. "e big question is what are you going to do with it? What mes- sages are you sending out? What good are you going to put out in the world?" The institute defines digital citizenship as the following: • Alert and creating safe spaces for others online. • Balanced, knowing how to prioritize time and activities both online and off; • Engaged, understanding how to use tech- nology for civic engagement; • Informed, able to evaluate the accuracy, perspective and validity of digital media and social posts; • Inclusive, or being open to hearing and respectfully recognizing multiple viewpoints to engage with respect and empathy online; • An impactor, using technology to solve real problems in local, global and digital com- munities and empowering others to be the digital change. "e pandemic exposed the need for teaching digital citizenship," says McNamara, who was featured in the 2021 California Educator Innovation issue. "We experienced the negatives of misinformation — especially in regard to COVID — that put people in additional danger." Teaching digital citizenship is not optional; it is required by law. AB 307 requires California districts to include "a component to educate pupils and teachers on the appropri- ate and ethical use of information technology in the classroom." Federal law mandates that all schools receiving e-rate discounts ( based o n p e r c e n t a g e o f s tu d e n t s e l i g i b l e f o r t h e school lunch program) must teach students about "appropriate online behavior, including interacting with other individuals on social networking sites and in chatrooms, and cyber- bullying awareness and response." e topic is often highlighted by schools during Digital Citizenship Week (the third week of October), but some educators try to incorporate lessons year-round in "teachable moments" with students, such as talking about fake news, pla- giarism, bullying, online hacking or sensationalism. Digital citizenship is complicated. But it begins with teach- ing about safety and how to engage in positive online interactions. Safety and kindness create a foundation At Judson and Brown Elementary School in Red- lands, Katie Gillespie puts her third graders in groups and hands out small tubes of toothpaste and paper plates. She asks them to squeeze as fast as they can. en she asks them to put the toothpaste back in the tube. "Afterward, we talk about how you can put something out there on the internet, and that like toothpaste, once it's out, you can't put it back. So, we have to be careful about the things we say and do online. We talk about sending and posting friendly messages, and discuss what is friendly and not-so-friendly," says Gillespie, a member of the Redlands Teachers Association (RTA). "Before we open our laptops at the start of the year, we have these discussions. It's important for students to report something to an adult if something online makes them uncomfortable. ey need to ask adults before downloading apps. I explain they should not ever share their pass- word because it's like giving someone the key to your house and access to all your information." Kristen Andrade, an instructional coach at Lasselle Elemen- tary School in the Val Verde Unified School District, says the pandemic and distance learning provided students with more online freedom than ever before, so it's crucial "We all have access to the internet. The big question is what are you going to do with it? What good are you going to put out in the world?" —Katie McNamara, Kern High School Teachers Association 19 O C T O B E R / N O V E M B E R 2 0 2 2 Rohya Prudhomme