Digital Etiquette and Responsible Social Interactions

Digital etiquette is a huge part of being, what is known as, a digital citizen. When students are using the internet responsibly and ethically, they are being citizens of technology. There are nine elements of citizenship with digital etiquette being one. The other elements include digital access, digital commerce, digital communication, digital literacy, digital law, digital rights and responsibilities, digital health and wellness, and digital security (self-protection). Digital etiquette means that tasks and communication are handled appropriately over any usage of technology. As a digital citizen, students must use personal devices at school for educational purposes only, protect private information from others, respect themselves and others while online, say "No" to cyber bullying, and make safe and appropriate choices while online.

 Communication over various types of technology is helpful for communicating with people around the world. It is important to collaborate appropriately because the conversation can sometimes be seen by anyone at anytime. There are many great things that come from using technology to communicate with others such as having an e-pal, starting a blog, and posting assignments for the class to comment on. But, social media sites such and Facebook and Twitter can have negative effects if it's not used in a safe way. Cyberspace can seem like a safe place to post all of your thoughts and feelings, but potentially anyone can read what you post. 

I feel that it's important to teach students about the etiquette of using technology because it is a public place that can cause harm to others or cause people to lose jobs in the future. I want to use technology in the classroom as much as  possible so that I can engage my students in different variations of subjects. This generation of students is the most tech-savvy and it's beneficial to have students complete their projects using social media, blogs, presentations, and other software. Teaching students to use their tech skills to complete projects in different content areas gives students extra practice in both areas. I want to use e-pals in my classroom especially because it will give my students experience in using digital conversations to converse with other kids their age that come from different cultures.

Safe, Legal, and Ethical Use of Digital Information and Technology

Creating a safe environment for using digital information and technology means to block offensive content that is not age-appropriate for viewers. In my classroom, I want my students to be able to use technology without the risk of coming across pornographic or heavy content that would make them feel uncomfortable, scared, or upset. It is my job to make sure I have a type of content block on all of the accessible technology so that my students can get the best use out of it and be as safe as possible. Kids are losing their innocent minds very quickly in this day and age with everything that is shown on TV, in the movies, and from other kids that are exposed too much. If I at least protect my students as I should, I can help out in that aspect and give them the freedom to explore the internet with all of the good things it has to offer.

Using technology and digital information legally means to respect the owners of different content and images by asking to use their work beforehand, read the terms and conditions of any photo-sharing sites or other sites where you can post information, and making sure to ask permission before downloading anything from websites. The internet can be full of traps and so I'm going to write a list of rules regarding what my students should do when using the internet. Some websites are illegal and can cause damage to individuals that are not being careful and reading the fine print available. If possible, I would like to install a spam blocker and a firewall such as a Mozilla advertisement blocker. I know many people that have tried downloading pictures and music from sketchy sites and ended up getting copyright lawsuits from the government that made them owe over a hundred thousand dollars. I want my students to have the privilege of accessing pictures and other content for projects, but I want them to know the rules and why they are needed before using the internet.

Internet ethics has to do with understanding the rules of using the internet wisely and effectively. Rules include not using the computer to harm others, not stealing information, not using copyrighted content with permission of the author, respect the privacy of others, and users are responsible for safeguarding their User ID's and passwords for all websites used. My students should know that the internet and computers can be extremely fun and educational but they also need to know that they can be unsafe if they don't follow the proper ethics. It's important to me as a teacher to help my students use computers in a safe manner so that they're not stealing, accidentally or on purpose, and they are respecting the content and users online. I want them to have the best experiences without getting into any type of trouble or causing damage. I want to establish the rules as soon as possible before I let them access any part of the internet so that they're knowledgeable about their surroundings in cyberspace.