Digital Citizenship

Pick any two elements that stand out in your mind as a problem you think needs to be addressed more in your school. Next, do some research on that problem, andcreate a blog post detailing the issues, links to possible solutions, and your own proposed solution to help mitigate those issues.

(1) 4.   Digital Literacy:   process of teaching and learning about technology and the use of technology. 
While schools have made great progress in the area of technology infusion, much remains to be done. A renewed focus must be made on what technologies must be taught as well as how it should be used. New technologies are finding their way into the work place that are not being used in schools (e.g., Videoconferencing, online sharing spaces such as wikis). In addition, workers in many different occupations need immediate information (just-in-time information). This process requires sophisticated searching and processing skills (i.e., information literacy). Learners must be taught how to learn in a digital society. In other words, learners must be taught to learn anything, anytime, anywhere.  Business, military, and medicine are excellent examples of how technology is being used differently in the 21st century. As new technologies emerge, learners need to learn how to use that technology quickly and appropriately. Digital Citizenship involves educating people in a new way— these individuals need a high degree of information literacy skills. 

(2) 7.   Digital Rights & Responsibilities:   those freedoms extended to everyone in a digital world.
Just as in the American Constitution where there is a Bill of Rights, there is a basic set of rights extended to every digital citizen. Digital citizens have the right to privacy, free speech, etc. Basic digital rights must be addressed, discussed, and understood in the digital world.  With these rights also come responsibilities as well.  Users must help define how the technology is to be used in an appropriate manner.  In a digital society these two areas must work together for everyone to be productive. 

As an school to work instructor what is modeled the classroom mirrors what expectation are in business.  Both 4 & 7 are issues that extend beyond the classroom into our working society.  Personally both elements could be improved upon in our cluster and open for center wide discussion.  Dr Mike Ribble discusses technology, manners, and engagement that there is so many people who don't know the basics moving on to expansion in using technological tools. I found the information to be helpful and discussed in a non threatening way.   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_8dKP3bzUQ

I am excited about this site and Dr. Mark Ribbles categories and plan to use them in our classroom code of cooperation and mission development.  As for researching these two elements I plan to speak with our advisory board and include our students in contacting businesses by surveying and sharing their responses.  I'm familiar with Survey Monkey and find it a simple way to create and collect information.