Digital citizenship resources

Semester 1 has commenced and one of the activities our pre-service teacher education students need to complete in the living and learning with technology unit is to find 3 learning resources that can help students learn about safe, responsible and ethical use of the web for their teaching area (e.g. early childhood, primary, or secondary students).

Here are the example resources I found that would be suitable for secondary (or university) students:

Safe use of the web
This 2 minute YouTube video, Social, Smart, Secure. Tips for Staying Safe Online was created by IBM social media (2012) explains how social media has made it easier to share ideas and connect with others around the world. It also clearly describes some of the risks associated with working online such as: cyber  attacks, phishing and malware. Finally it explains some of the precautions we can take to stay safe online.

Responsible use of the web

When students create public web pages they need to think about using inclusive language to avoid offending potential readers. Welch (2012) explains that the "use of inclusive language is part of a suggested writing style that avoids wording which might be considered offensive or that promotes stereotypes" (p.). This short article provides tips on how to use gender-neutral terms to avoid sexist language.

Ethical use of the web

Ethical use of the web is critical concept that all students should understand before publishing material on the web. Students (and teachers) commonly think that they can use information, images, music etc. that they find on the web on their own websites. However, the Internet is not a copyright free zone and it is important for students to know what they can and can't use when using resources created by others. The Technology Toolbox for Educators website provides links to lots of information and resources about copyright, Creative Commons and other concepts related to ethical use of the web. On the OERs and Free-to-share page, I found a link to comprehensive resource about Open educational resources that is specifically targeted at secondary school and university students.

Open Educational Resources (OER) Guide for Students in Post-Secondary and HigherEducation
created by Commonwealth of Learning (2016) is published under a
Creative Commons Attribution License international