Digital Citizenship Week
October 10th, 2023
Digital Citizenship Week: October 16th- 20th
Digital Citizenship Week- #126
Digital Citizenship Week is next week, and although we are focusing on this topic, don't forget that it is not taught exclusively, it is taught year-round and at any given time.
Teaching digital citizenship is vital in our technology-driven world because it equips students with the knowledge and skills they need to navigate the digital landscape responsibly and safely. In an age where online interactions are integral to daily life, understanding concepts like online etiquette, privacy protection, critical thinking about digital content, and respectful online behavior is essential. By teaching these principles, we not only prepare students for success in their academic and professional lives but also contribute to creating a more inclusive, empathetic, and secure digital community for all.
Take some time this upcoming week to discuss what is digital citizenship and how to be a great digital citizen.
Ways to Implement in your Classroom:
- Create a short digital citizenship lesson as a bell ringer as students are coming into the class
- Create a digital citizenship Exit Ticket
- Create review or clarification activities using the Lead4ward, Instructional Playlists
- Find opportunities in subjects like English, Social Studies, or Computer Science to discuss digital citizenship. For example, discussing the importance of verifying online sources in a research project.
Resources for Digital Citizenship Week
Common Sense Media
Common Sense Media is our go-to curriculum for Digital Citizenship in our district. Common Sense Media is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to helping kids and their families navigate through our digital world.
You can sign up for free with Common Sense Media account to receive free lessons that contain videos, downloadable PDF curriculum, lesson objectives, materials and preparation information, lesson prompts, and the lesson cycle.
Click here to see their lessons and be sure to filter by your specific grade level.
Check out their calendar of fun activities and resources for this upcoming week:
EdTech Tool Resources
Nearpod
Nearpod is an edtech tool that makes any lesson interactive by creating quizzes, polls, videos, drag-and-drop activities, matching, and more. If you would like to learn more about how to use Nearpod in your lessons, schedule a time with me and let's go over it together.
For the week of Digital Citizenship, Nearpod has UNLOCKED their Digital Citizenship Lessons that were created with Common Sense Education, click here.
Kami
Kami is an online document annotation and markup tool. You can highlight, underline, strikethrough, and more on PDFs. Kami is also providing digital citizenship activities that cover topics such as cyberbullying, privacy, and responsible online behavior. Check out their library, here.
EdPuzzle
EdPuzzle places interactive content into pre-existing videos from a variety of sources. Teachers can add multiple choice questions, open-ended questions, and notes. EdPuzzle is providing original videos that are available for 1st grade- 12th grade during Digital Citizenship Week, click here.
Extra & Updates...
Halloween and Thanksgiving Activities
Peggy Reimers from TCEA is always creating puzzles, breakouts, and anything that requires some deep thinking. Check out the syllacrostic puzzles she created. Have your students create one using Google Docs or Canva.
Social Media Templates
Depending on what grade, students have at least 1 social media account. What better way to make learning memorable than to let students show their understanding by using templates from their favorite app. Click here for templates.
Screencastify
Are you using the Screencastify Submit tool? Either way, check out how students can create student portfolios using Screencastify Submit. Click here.
Lock a File
Google is adding a new "lock" feature that prevents changes from being made to the final version of a document. Check out the image below:
Live Pointers in Google Slide
Google is introducing live pointers to allow you and the team you are collaborating with to see each other's mouse pointers in real-time.
Add Annotations to Your Presentation in Google Slides
Google is releasing a new feature that lets you highlight or emphasize key content while you present in Google Slides. With the new pen tool, you can circle, underline, draw, etc.
- To annotate your Google Slides presentation, open ‘slideshow mode’ by clicking the ‘Slideshow’ button in the app bar ---> place your mouse over the bottom-left side of the viewer and open the three dot menu by clicking on the ellipsis icon ---> select “Turn on the pen”.
- To erase annotations, use the eraser tool in the bottom left viewer menu.
EdPuzzle Accessibility Features
EdPuzzle has currently rolled out new accessibility features. Check out the information below on how you can make video learning an equitable experience:
- Closed Captions- Now available for ALL video lessons uploaded to EdPuzzle, and as always, for EdPuzzle Originals
- Audio Questions- Record audio for questions and answer choices so students can listen to them, read them, or do both!
- Multiple Attempts- Select how many times students can complete an assignment, so they get the best grade possible.
Jamboard is Going Away
I'll be honest, I never used Jamboard because it seemed to be limited in creativity and collaboration. Google received feedback from customers that they would use other types of online "whiteboards" that would better equip them with the tools they needed for an engaging lesson.
Do you have several Jamboards? If so, Google is encouraging all users to download the Jams they would like to keep before December 31, 2024.
What do you replace it with? Well, I have used FigJam as an end user, but not as a creator. FigJam is one of the most popular "online whiteboards" in the education world right now. I'll be putting it through the vetting process and if it is approved, I plan on creating a Smore on it. Check out the YouTube video, here.
MWISD Instructional Technology Specialist Mission:
As the Instructional Technology Specialist, I will strive to serve the academic and digital needs of our students and provide equitable opportunities to prepare students for our ever-changing global community.
I will strive to assist teachers in appropriately incorporating and implementing technology in their classroom by being available for one-on-one meetings, PLCs, staff meetings, and providing professional development that meets our teacher's technology needs.