Digital Citizenship is at the forefront of every tech discussion these days. Teaching our youth to be digitally responsible is not an easy task. I wish I could remember where I hear this phrase, but it changed the way I look at what I once called my digital footprint. I now look at it as a “Digital Tattoo”. Footprints wash away with rain, wind and time. Tattoos are around forever. We must begin teaching our students that everything they do from posting Tweets and Facebook Updates, to SnapChat images, and blog posts is saved somewhere in the mysterious cloud of cyber space. This is a lot of responsibility; way more than we had growing up. How are you preparing your students for this heavy burden?
What is Digital Passport?
There are lots of sites and resources to help kids learn about their Digital Tattoo. My favorite for elementary students is Digital Passport from Common Sense Media. This is a free site where teachers can create classes and enroll their students. They can then track each student's progress as they view video clips and play interactive games to learn about safe and responsible digital citizenship.
How to Use Digital Passport?
There are differing levels of time investment that a teacher could choose:
- Basic (just letting the students progress through the games and activities at their own pace.
- Do a 15-minute lesson before each session (5 total) and a review after students complete the activities.
- Full integration with pre-made lesson plans and documents (all available on the site) and whole class discussions.
5 Main Activities:
It is free. Sign up and give it a try!