Digital citizenship is a core focus in our Lower School technology classes. Beginning in first grade and continuing through fifth, students learn how Shipley’s mission of compassionate participation in the world includes the digital world and other online spaces. Like fire drills that are held regularly to automate responses, my conversations with students about online safety are sprinkled throughout the year as separate pull-out lessons to highlight their importance. My hope is that when students face an unsafe situation, they will know what to do about it and how to get help. Our lessons include topics such as responsible use, personal safety, being kind online, and intellectual property. 

First graders learn that the online community is like the offline world and that they both require rules to get along with others and stay safe. Starting with simple rules like: Always ask a grown-up; only talk to people you know; stick to websites, games, and apps that are just right for you; and balance your screen time with other activities. Each year we build on the preceding year’s rules in age-appropriate ways. By fifth grade, students are learning about and discussing their digital footprint, what parts of it they can control, what parts they don’t control, and what they can do to create a positive online presence that reflects who they want to be.

These lessons look and sound different in each grade level, but they all rest on the same foundational guidelines: 1) Stop and think. 2) If you are not sure about something, or if something makes you feel sad, scared, or uncomfortable, tell a trusted adult. By teaching digital citizenship, we are preparing our students to thrive in the online world, as well as in the offline world. We are not only educating our students to be good learners, but also good citizens.