Tool 10 Underneath it All - Digital Citizenship

I want to make sure that my students understand that netiquette is important.  They need to treat other people the way they would want to be treated online just like in person.  I think this is a good extension of our TRIBES Agreements, and we need to explicitly teach the concept in relation to cyberspace.  Students also need to be aware that bullying is unacceptable online too.  If they encounter comments that seem like bullying, they need to ask me for help.  Students also need to be clear in their communications, and should reread them to make sure that they are correct.  This is a hard thing for young students, so they will need to ask for help with editing before they post.  I plan to use the Brain Pop video on Digital Citizenship in order to introduce and discuss these important ideas with my students.  I will draw parallels to our TRIBES Agreements of mutual respect and appreciations/no put downs.  Students already understand how these work in the classroom, and their experiences will help them to transfer the idea of respect to the internet as well.
Parents need to be aware of digital citizenship.  I will share what I am teaching with parents through Open House night as well as in newsletters.  I would like to do a better job of sharing educational websites to support students at home.