What is the first word that comes to mind when you think of digital citizenship? Safety. The problem is, digital citizenship has to be so much more than that. We owe this to our students.

Resources:
http://bit.ly/digcitlinks

Activities:

Practice safely chatting online with someone (unknown to students) in another room.

Have students practice using intuition about creepy situations by creating various scenarios. Should they engage with this person or not?

Have kids create their OWN tech acceptable use guidelines for class (in positive phrases, not negative).

Be honest, and engage them in conversation about what has or hasn't worked for them in the past and how they've seen others mess up in this realm.

Discussion: Ask kids how they would WANT someone to describe them based ONLY on their online postings (including everything from Facebook, Snapchat, Kik, Instagram, gaming, etc.). Literally have them write this out.

Discussion: Which would you rather have? Likes or comments? Why? Do likes mean someone actually likes you?

Have kids practice identifying audiences for every piece of writing, and finding appropriate forums for communicating that. 1--Who would like my story about my grandma? My family only, probably. 2--Who would like my report on how penguins take care of their young? The general public.

Practice commenting in private places and in real public forums. Things to include in a positive comment:
-Compliment or something you agree with
-A question
-Your opinion or something to add to the topic

via http://www.internetsafety101.org/predatorstatistics.htm

84% of 7-9th graders said the predator who contacted them was a person they knew in person

Practice chatting online with someone (unknown to students) in another room.

Use your intuition. If it seems creepy, close it.

"anything which makes kids afraid to communicate with their parents is bad"

-http://www.teensafe.com/blog/teens-information-age-neuroscience-perspective...

Needs to be embedded in daily conversations.

We need to be using enough technology in our own lives and classrooms that these topics come up in conversation.

*Have kids create their OWN tech acceptable use guidelines for class.

No one is talking to kids about this, because their parents simply don't know the answers. No one does. But that doesn't make it acceptable to let it go unaddressed. Our kids our drowning in the sea of social media and online behavior, and they know it.

Even if parents do address it, it is often more in the context of sweeping rules, not proactive ways to create a positive online reputation.

They WANT to talk about how to do online life better. Be prepared that if you start these discussions with your kids, you will run out of time before the kids lose interest in the topic.

Don't tell them that you know all the answers, that the answers are easy, or that telling a grown-up will always fix it.

Be honest, and engage them in conversation about what has or hasn't worked for them in the past and how they've seen others mess up in this realm.

A discussion starting point. Ask kids how they would WANT someone to describe them based ONLY on their online postings (including everything from Facebook, Snapchat, Kik, Instagram, gaming, etc.). Literally have them write this out.

Mean, vindictive, nasty?
Intelligent, entertaining, kind?

With older kids, talk about developing your true identity. Online you can take any persona you want, but its exhausting to not be yourself. Have kids identify their favorite parts of themselves and think of ways to communicate that.

Which would you rather have? Likes or comments? Why? Do likes mean someone actually likes you?

Show kids examples of things that are interesting to you, but wouldn't be interesting to some random person in the world. (Re: No one cares that your bored.) Have kids practice identifying audiences for every piece of writing, and finding appropriate forums for communicating that.

Who would like my story about my grandma? My family only, probably.

Who would like my report on how penguins take care of their young? The general public.

Who would like my opinion about whether or not Lebron James should retire? Other basketball fans.

Who would like my picture of me and my best friend? My other friends on Snapchat.

Who would like my question about why my PS4 keeps glitching on the same level on this game? A game forum.

Remember the public audience.

What are you saying about YOURSELF with every comment you make? (Your online comments follow you. Re: John Huppenthal)

You do NOT have to agree with the author. But you do need to interact respectfully, not hurtfully.

Things to include in a positive comment:
-Compliment or something you agree with
-A question
-Your opinion or something to add to the topic

Practice it in private places and in real public forums.

Don't just take information in. Create a positive online presence by creating things for others. Its one thing to spend 4 hours watching junk videos on Youtube, but it's another whole thing to spend 4 hours filming and editing a video of your friends making your own version of the Harlem Shake, or creating a song in Garageband or Photoshopping a monkey into your family Christmas picture in place of your sister.

I used to have kids ask if they could play on their phones if they finished early. I said yes, as long as they were making something they could show me.

Resources:
http://bit.ly/digcitlinks

Activities:

Practice safely chatting online with someone (unknown to students) in another room.

Have students practice using intuition about creepy situations by creating various scenarios. Should they engage with this person or not?

Have kids create their OWN tech acceptable use guidelines for class (in positive phrases, not negative).

Be honest, and engage them in conversation about what has or hasn't worked for them in the past and how they've seen others mess up in this realm.

Discussion: Ask kids how they would WANT someone to describe them based ONLY on their online postings (including everything from Facebook, Snapchat, Kik, Instagram, gaming, etc.). Literally have them write this out.

Discussion: Which would you rather have? Likes or comments? Why? Do likes mean someone actually likes you?

Have kids practice identifying audiences for every piece of writing, and finding appropriate forums for communicating that. 1--Who would like my story about my grandma? My family only, probably. 2--Who would like my report on how penguins take care of their young? The general public.

Practice commenting in private places and in real public forums. Things to include in a positive comment:
-Compliment or something you agree with
-A question
-Your opinion or something to add to the topic