With the integration of new technology and tech tools in K-12 schools across the country, it’s important to ensure that students know how to use these tools safely and effectively. In this news roundup, Today’s Modern Educator takes a look at the importance of teaching digital citizenship lessons to students. Keep reading to learn about digital citizenship and the many concerns that come along with integrating technology into schools. 

The Digital Citizenship Curriculum: Digital Literacy, Cyber Hygiene and More

Like good hygiene, good digital citizenship is a set of responsibilities that all internet users should practice. In order to integrate more technology into classrooms in this digital age, K–12 students are receiving lessons on how to use the internet safely to be effective online citizens. Today’s reality is that most social interactions that K-12 students will have in their lives will occur online, so it is important for educators to incorporate digital etiquette and civility lessons into broader digital citizenship conversations. To learn more about digital literacy curriculum and how it is helping students navigate the web, click here. 

Loudoun County Public Schools rolls out the Chromebooks

With the start of the new school year, 46 of the schools in the Loudoun County, Virginia, Public Schools (LCPS) district distributed Chromebooks to students as part of a three-year initiative to equip students with personalized learning devices. Although this new program’s goal is to equalize access to technology and educational content for students, many parents have reservations. For one, concerns about security and liability have been brought up to school leaders. However, LCPS officials state that they are doing all they can to keep students safe with the release of these new devices. Read more about how the school system is attending to  parents’ concerns here.

Raising Good Digital Citizens: Wakefield School’s Terry Lowry Shares Her Lessons

Our homes and schools are filled with technology and tech tools. How do we ensure that we’re raising children to be good digital citizens? In an interview with Terry Lowry, Head of Technology and Head of Curriculum at Wakefield School, she discusses how to ensure that all students – from K-12 – are equipped to thrive in our digital world. She stresses the importance of using technology as a tool or teaching aid and says that it needs to be integrated in an authentic and meaningful way to support learning goals. She also gives insight into how to incorporate technology in the classroom to enhance students’ depth of knowledge and addresses concerns parents may have about their children being online. Read the full interview with Today’s Modern Educator here.

Common Sense Partners with the Arizona Community Foundation, the Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust, and the Phoenix IDA for Statewide Digital Well-Being Effort

Common Sense, the nation’s leading nonprofit organization dedicated to helping children thrive in the digital age, recently announced its partnership with the Arizona Community Foundation, the Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust, and the Phoenix IDA on a statewide digital well-being initiative. The three main goals of the partnership is to: 1) To raise awareness among parents, teachers, and educators about the impact digital technology has on young minds; 2) To build families and educators’ knowledge, skills, and confidence in how to maintain their children’s digital well-being and guide them to use technology safely; and 3) To empower Arizona’s youth to use technology safely and responsibly. Read more about the programs here. 

One of the foundations of good digital citizenship is strong keyboarding skills. Resources for teachers and OTs here.