Defining Digital Citizenship
Digital citizenship can be defined in numerous ways, with each luminary emphasizing different elements.
According to Ribble (2015) digital citizenship is a common framework that helps people understand each other globally as citizens of the world (pp. 19-20). It is a comprehensive approach that outlines nine elements – digital access, digital commerce, digital communication, digital literacy, digital etiquette, digital law, digital rights and responsibilities, digital health and wellness, digital security – and recognizes that a combination of them creates the environment. Ribble (2015) also breaks the elements down into three principles – Respect, Educate, Protect (REPs) – that should be taught starting in kindergarten to form the foundation of digital citizenship. In short, it is the norms for appropriate and responsible technology use.
From the view of Ohler (2012), digital citizenship is “character education for the digital age” (p. 15) that recognizes students do not live two separate lives at school and home, and it is important that schools help students understand digital responsibility in a way that is meaningful to them and emphasizes a sense of personal, community, and global responsibility (p. 14).
Heick (2018) from TeachThought defines digital citizenship as “the quality of habits, actions, and consumption patterns that impact the ecology of digital content and communities” (para. 6). For students, the definition is shortened to “the self-monitored habits that sustain and improve the digital communities you enjoy or depend on” (para. 7) and focuses on numerous characteristics such as voice, credibility, network, and access.
Through analyzing and evaluating professional definitions, I have reached my own definition of what digital citizenship is. Digital citizenship is being respectful, responsible, and safe when using technology. In order to explain this to colleagues, I would emphasize each component, have discussions, and share resources. For example, an element of being respectful as a digital citizen could be using appropriate greetings in an email and overall email etiquette based on the receiver. Continuing the break down, a component of responsibility for digital citizens would be students using technology for only what adults gave them permission to do, like no going on YouTube when they should be working in a Google Doc. An example of safety would be knowing not to give personal information away online. This is just the surface, as digital citizenship is vast.
Many resources for digital citizenship that share this vision are available. The following are recommended resources that can help educators with digital citizenship.
Textbook Digital Citizenship in Schools: Nine Elements All Students Should Know by Mike Ribble (2015) and coordinating website http://www.digitalcitizenship.net/
Digital citizenship on Pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/mnmann/digital-citizenship/
Digital citizenship programs/lessons called “Be Internet Awesome” from Google https://beinternetawesome.withgoogle.com/en_us with related games from Interland https://beinternetawesome.withgoogle.com/en_us/interland
Digital citizenship from Common Sense Education https://www.commonsense.org/education/digital-citizenship
“What is Digital Citizenship” video from Common Sense Media https://www.commonsensemedia.org/videos/what-is-digital-citizenship
NetSmartz online safety tools https://www.netsmartz.org/home
Edutopia articles on digital citizenship https://www.edutopia.org/topic/digital-citizenship
Educators need to understand and model digital citizenship, incorporating it into their curriculum as a necessary component for the betterment of the child and society as a whole.
References
Heick, T. (2018, September 09). Definition of digital citzenship. Retrieved from
https://www.teachthought.com/the-future-of-learning/the-definition-of-digital-citzenship/
Ohler, J. (2012). Digital citizenship means character education for the digital age. Education
Digest: Essential Readings Condensed for Quick Review, 77(8), 14-17.
Ribble, M. (2015). Digital citizenship in schools: Nine elements all students should know (3rd
ed.). Eugene, OR: International Society for Technology in Education.
