Digital citizenship has become an educational hot potato. As kids and adults alike try to navigate digital literacy and etiquette. Being proactive instead of reactive to digital citizenship will serve students and educators greatly.

A basic first step for schools to take is to gather data It is not possible to deal with an issue until you know exactly what the issues and perceptions are of students and adults. Often times adults think they know what the issues are that are important to students but this is not necessarily the case.

Ensure that when collecting data that surveys are anonymous and create an environment that is safe and free of judgement. If we want students to open up about what is really going on in their online lives, it has to be without fear of consequence.

Ensure that questions that we ask of students are gathering information that is valuable in identifying real issues and not just for the sake of asking. For instance, it is often necessary to ask girls different questions than boys because girls experiences and issues are often different than boys. Asking one size fits all questions will either shut down the conversation or not allow it to progress beyond the surface level.

After collecting data and having conversations, teachers can now pinpoint exactly where the real issues are. With more information, digital citizenship can now be better defined and real teaching and learning can address gaps that young people are experiencing in their online lives.

Teachers need to provide authentic learning experiences when it comes to digital learning spaces. One way to address this is by creating online spaces in the classroom. Opening a classroom to social media can provide a rich learning environment for both teachers and students. As a community, a classroom could create a positive digital footprint by collectively creating expectations and setting boundaries.

Students, even in primary grades, need a place to practice being positive digital citizens. Student blogs provide an opportunity for students to build their digital citizenship skills in a controlled environment. It is not enough to just talk about the issues, but they also need the skills to think critically about what they post in online environments. This will help them understand the importance of their digital footprint and how they can positively shape it.

Listening to student voice can help us understand their digital world. If we build a culture in schools that values the places and spaces that students inhabit; it will provide a greater opportunity to shape the way they use them. Enabling student voice will allow everyone to work together to build more positive and powerful online identities for our students.