I think that early childhood is just the right place to start teaching good “Digital Citizenship”. The same way all the teachers go over safety rules and procedures at the begging of the school year likewise; I will talk to my students about appropriate and inappropriate use of technology.
First, I will ask and guide my students to brainstorm and create what rules we could and should use when using technology. For example; not sharing personal information, such as address, phone number, etc. Then I will post these rules near the computers where they can see them and remember about it.
I will also like to explain to them that using the internet is a privilege that should not be abuse and if for some reason somebody decides not to follow the rules that person will lose that privilege.
Definitely, our students using technology in the 21st Century need to feel safe in the virtual environment, knowing that they need to be responsible for their decisions and actions. And if we start doing this at a young age they will be better off in the near future.
You're very right about the need to start early with training on digital citizenship and Internet safety. There are some lessons that I will deliver to your students on these topics when they're in the library, but knowing that you will be reinforcing them in your classroom is a big plus. Your students are so lucky to have you for a teacher :-)
ReplyDeleteMillie