Digital Citizenship

Using Technology as Digital Citizens

This chapter of TNLT discusses information literacy and digital citizenship. However, in this blog I chose to discuss digital citizenship.

Well, what is digital citizenship?

According to our textbook, “Digital citizenship is a broad concept; it includes all aspects of appropriate technology use, from online safety to citing sources appropriately. Digital citizenship instruction aims to develop a strong student commitment to digital ethics and digital etiquette in schools and in society” (Maloy, Verok, Ruth-Ellen, Sharon, & Woolf, 2017, p. 118).  Therefore, digital citizenship isn’t something just practiced at school, but also in students’ everyday lives as they navigate social media, the Internet, and new technology at home too.

Please watch the YouTube video to clarify the term digital citizen if you need it. I think the video is cute and worth watching:

After reading this chapter, I chose two subtopics of digital citizenship that touched me on a personal level: plagiarism and cheating.

Plagiarism and Cheating 

I feel as technology has grown in the digital age, so has plagiarism.  In my opinion, it is so much easier to plagiarize in the 21st century; all you have to do is COPY and PASTE right from a website into your Google Document or Word Document. Don't try to tell me everyone isn't guilty of doing that at least once in their life.  I know I've done it ... but college has nipped me in the butt and takes plagiarism very seriously.  I feel that in middle school and high school plagiarism isn't as high stakes as it is in college, but that may have just been my school.  Regardless, a part of being a digital citizen is properly citing someone else's thoughts, ideas, and work instead of passing it off as your own.  Being a digital citizen is being honest.  This translates into cheating as well. I feel that cheating has always been and will continue to be a problem, especially with the new technology of the digital age.  In my old high school, students in 3rd period used to sneak pictures of a test and send it to students who were taking the test 7th period.  Now it's so easy to snap a photo and text it to your friend.  These students were not being digital citizens as they were being dishonest. 

Here are some ways I think we can combat cheating and plagiarism to encourage digital citizenship:

• Providing assignments that are not a regurgitation of facts where students can copy and paste off Wikipedia. Instead, provide assignments that ask students WHY -- this will promote student thinking and not a simple Google search.
• I'm not sure if this is allowed, but to prevent students from using their phones during a test, collect student phones.
• I remember I saw a picture on Instagram of a teacher taking attendance during test days with cell phones. I'll insert the picture below. I thought it was hilarious

(https://imgur.com/gallery/Gp4fraq)