Shaping Digital Citizens

I have been ‘attending’ the 21st Century Learning Conference in Hong Kong. I use the word ‘attending’ in the virtual sense of the word… I have been following the conference through Twitter (#cdnishk and #21CLHK) and through an online stream I found (also through Twitter). I’m just re-posting here what I have just posted into the SUNY student forum, just so I have a record of it on my own blog. Here’s what I wrote in response to the Tweets (in bold):

I’ve read so much in the last 24 hours and I have not even been at the conference! A huge thank you to all CDNIS staff who have been tweeting away – very, VERY much appreciated. 

I’m going to try to gather my thoughts here about what I have read so far. I’ll be in a PYP workshop from tomorrow morning until Monday afternoon, so may not get much chance to contribute here after tonight… (although I am hoping to be able to multitask and check Twitter in the workshop breaks!). 

When I read the comments from Robyn Trevyaud’s keynote (about shaping digital citizenship in schools), I suddenly had so many questions and thoughts swirling in my head… I’ll do my best to articulate them here, but it’s going to be messy and disjointed I am sure! 

50% of children say they find it easier to be themselves online. 

Is that true? That many?!?! And if it is, then why? I can understand SOME finding it easier. The shy ones who never speak up in class. The students who find it painfully embarrassing to speak in front of their peers. 

And then I thought some more…. 

Is it because when we are sitting in front of a keyboard/computer/iPad/whatever we actually THINK more before we speak (by speak I mean hit the send button)? When you are talking to each other in a discussion it is very much ‘in the moment’, immediate, sometimes almost rushed. Students are expected to contribute so will say the first thing that pops into their heads. BUT… if they are typing something there is a delay, even if it is just a few seconds. They get the chance to read what they are about to ‘say’. Maybe if they do re-read it, they change it. If they sit and think about the issue for even just a couple of minutes, might their response be different to what they might have said without the ‘think’ time. 

As an adult, I know that I write better than I speak. I organise my thoughts more clearly and the fear factor is gone. I hate speaking publicly and will always choose to write something rather than say it aloud (see how much I am writing in this forum?!?!?!). When I speak in front of other adults (I’m fine with kids!!!) I get tongue tied and I start thinking “I have no idea what I am talking about”, even in small groups. So maybe it is the same for them. 

I remember reading somewhere (a long time ago) that you write how you speak, but I think you write how your inner voice speaks. If that is true, then I can completely understand how 50% of children say they find it easier to be themselves online. 

70% of parents think teachers need to do more to educate kids on social media 

Mmmm. Well, I am both a parent AND a teacher. I don’t see this as solely the teacher’s job, nor solely the parent’s. There has to be consistency and support from both. I see education as a three-way partnership – student, parent(s), teacher(s). All equally important, all equally responsible. If we are using social media in schools, then yes we should be educating the students on online etiquette and safety. As should the parents be relaying the exact same messages at home. 

I do remember Robyn Trevyaud speaking to us at CDNIS last year, but actually I only remember TWO things from her presentation. That everyone has a digital footprint, so think carefully about where you tread. That students nowadays see the internet as a place. They go there. Just like when we were young we would go to the park. 

OK, so… responsible parents would educate their children on safe and unsafe places to go (in the real physical world). Responsible parents would not let their children wander off into places unknown unsupervised (in the real physical world). Of course this has always happened at school too, with teachers educating students about places we should/should not go – personal, social and physical education. 

Now, I don’t see the difference… a responsible parent in the 21st Century should be educating their child about safe and unsafe places to go on the internet. A responsible parent should be supervising their child when he/she is using the web. Every (limited!) time my five year old son uses my computer, I am right next to him guiding him, just as I would when we go out and cross the road (the real one, with real cars).

Child protection and safety is paramount. Teachers AND parents have a responsibility to educate and guide the students, enabling them to act responsibly in both the physical and online worlds. 

Social media appears to be a very attractive platform to many students, so it makes sense that teachers utilize this. I have seen Facebook work incredibly well with Upper School students here at CDNIS. I was a part of the Grease musical and Sam (Reed) used a private group in Facebook to communicate with cast and crew. Every single post I saw made by a student was respectful, collaborative and valuable. One student posted videos to help the cast with choreography. One student posted great photographs taken during rehearsals. Sam posted rehearsal notes and schedules. It was like a tight-knit virtual family. Obviously all the students were using Facebook outside of school/socially, so it was an easy way to contact them. 

Where does the duty of care in cyberspace begin and end for schools? 

I could be repeating myself here… During school hours when the students are at school (but in cyberspace), the care lies with the teachers. They are in our care. When setting homework /assignments I feel it is the teacher’s responsibility to ensure that any sites they direct students to are appropriate and safe. Once the child is home, I think the duty of care lies with the parents. Teachers cannot be expected to monitor every student in their class 24 hours a day. Parents would never expect that in the real physical world and so shouldn’t expect in the virtual world either.

Thanks for listening. Sarah out.

#DigitalLiteracy #EducationalTechnology