A Conversation About Digital Citizenship

On Monday, we had a lengthy class discussion about what it means to be a good digital citizen. We talked about how a simple joke or comment made online (through email, Instagram, Facebook etc.) could easily escalate and be interpreted as cyberbullying. There was an incident this weekend where a simple email chain could have easily been interpreted as cyberbullying. We also discussed how when you hit REPLY ALL to a chain email with a lot of people on the email, you are replying to everyone on that email. I spoke to the students about how important it is to think about photos they are sharing with their friends online. I want the students to understand now at this age, that there can be serious repercussions for posting a photo or a joke that maybe you didn't really want everyone to see. I ask the students to think long and hard before they post, send or like something. Their digital footprint is starting now, and it will follow them for years to come. It may seem odd to have to discuss digital citizenship with Grade 5 and 6 students, but their online presence is starting at such an early age compared to previous generations and they need the skills to safe-guard themselves. I am confident that most students know how to be responsible digital citizens, but I encourage you to have a conversation at home about what type of online accounts and online presence your child has. Perhaps you can talk with your child about the Facebook, Instagram and email accounts they have and how to appropriately use these. (Facebook policy is that no child under the age of 13 should have an account, however I know there are ways around this.) The open conversation we had in class was a good one, and I didn't indent to scare any of the students, however I want the students to be careful online. Please let me know if you have any questions!
-Mlle Segreto