WEEK 7 – TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO DIGITAL CITIZENSHIP, ETHICS, AND NETIQUETTE

            It is a fact that technology has permeated our lives on so many fronts. We become digital citizens just by using the internet whether for professional or personal reasons. Just as society is governed by rules and laws, the internet also has laws that need to be upheld by all users. These laws are for the protection and safety of all concerned. Sadly, there are some users who are not aware that such laws or rules exist, therefore they readily break them. There are other users who are somewhat aware, but still do not abide by the rules. Those of us who are good digital citizens need to continue to abide by the rules and call out or teach those who are not following the rules.

            There are several technologies associated with digital citizenship, ethics, and netiquette and I have chosen the following:

http://mediasmarts.ca/game/privacy-pirates-interactive-unit-online-privacy - Privacy Pirates is an interactive game that teaches the difference between “… information that is appropriate to give out and information better kept private – and to recognize how this may change in different contexts”.  Though this game is geared toward children, adult learners will benefit from it as well. In the game, there is a map that leads to a pirate’s treasure. This concept aims to point out the fact that personal information has value. In order to get different pieces of the map, players need to correctly answer questions about privacy and personal information on the internet. There is a tutorial section after which players play the game and encounter different situations to enable them to practice some skills. There is also a ‘mentor’ who gives advice when needed. This concept aims to elicit the fact that sometimes when one is not sure of the right choice the best thing to do is to ask for advice.

          In my adult learner classroom, I could use this game as an introduction piece or as an ice breaker at the beginning of a course. The adult learners could work in groups of two to play the game, an activity which will also strengthen collaboration. Adult learners could also write a paper about their experience and what they learned.+

https://www.pinterest.com/edutopia/digital-citizenship/ - Pinterest is an online site where members/users can share photos that are theme-based. These photos or pictures are called 'pins'. Under the theme “digital citizenship”, I found some very good pins which could be used to enhance the teaching of the topic. Some of the ones I like are: 15 Rules of Netiquette for Online Discussion Boards, How to Disappear Online, Manners Really Do Matter Online, 5-Minute Film Festival: Teaching Digital Citizenship, 5 Online Tools to Help Combat Plagiarism, Don’t Just Copy, Do The Right Thing. These pins could help visual learners to capture the messages being portrayed. 

         In my adult learner classroom, I could divide students into groups and assign each group a task to create a pin for one aspect of digital citizenship. This activity will help to develop critical thinking as groups collaborate to create an effective pin. Some of the pins could even be used as a topic for group discussion and learners could also add other aspects of the topic to the discussion.