As I continue my exploration of educational technologies, this week I will investigate one technology related to digital citizenship and one related to netiquette.  I will also explain how I will use these technologies to enhance learning with adult ESL students.

Digital citizenship has been described as “norms of appropriate, responsible behavior with regard to technology use” (Ribble, 2012).  To further explain the definition of digital citizenship, Ribble and Bailey (2007; as cited in Ribble, 2012, p. 150) created a framework of nine elements to categorize the topics associated with it:

1.      Digital Access

2.      Digital Commerce

3.      Digital Communication

4.      Digital Literacy

5.      Digital Etiquette

6.      Digital Law

7.      Digital Rights and Responsibilities

8.      Digital Health and Wellness

9.      Digital Security (self-protection)

Digital citizenship is important to learners because the world is becoming more digitally focused, and they will be expected to know how to use technology and how to use it wisely in the workplace. 

The technology related to digital citizenship that I explored this week was Digital Citizenship and Creative Content (http://digitalcitizenshiped.com/).  This is a free product, ready for immediate use, whose “goal is to create an awareness of the rights connected with creative content.  Because only through education can students gain an understanding of the relevance and a personal respect for creative rights and grow to become good digital citizens” (Digital Citizenship Education, 2011).  This site offers educators a curriculum comprised of four units.  “Each unit consists of a set of standalone yet complementary lesson plans centered on and playing off of a creative rights-related scenario presented through a case study” (Digital Citizenship Education, 2011).  Each lesson plan includes guiding questions, baseline and follow-up assessments to evaluate learning, and suggested ways to modify or extend learning regarding the topic.  The four units are titled:  Creative What?; By Rule of Law; Calling All Digital Citizens; and Protect Your Work, Respect Your Work (Digital Citizenship Education, 2011).  Ultimately, the goals of the curriculum “are to instill in students an appreciation of the value that creative content has for the creator, and to establish a personal respect for creative rights in a way that changes their behaviors and perceptions about digitally delivered content” (Digital Citizenship Education, 2011).  One way I might incorporate this technology into my professional practice would be to follow the lesson plans of the  first unit, Creative What?,  with my more advanced ESL learners where they will learn about what creative content and intellectual property are, why they are important, and how they are protected by copyright law.  I might also follow the lesson plans of the fourth unit, Protect Your Work, Respect Your Work, where learners will look at the works they have created, and learn how to share them legally, protect them, and legally use the works of other people.  I believe that this Creative Content Curriculum will incite significant and motivating learning about digital citizenship for my future ESL students as well as give them additional opportunities to use their English literacy and critical thinking skills.    

References

Digital Citizenship Education. (2011). Retrieved April 18, 2013, from http://digitalcitizenshiped.com/

Ribble, M. (2012, Oct.-Dec.). Digital citizenship for educational change. Kappa Delta Pi Record, 48(4), p. 148-151.

 

The word “netiquette” refers to the “principles of good electronic communication through computer conferencing” (Bradley, 2009, p. 154).  Guidelines for netiquette are constantly evolving just as communicating online constantly evolves; therefore, students need to learn about proper netiquette.  In addition, how these rules are established and interpreted depends on the online community that develops them.  “Online communities develop rules for communications based on the purpose of the community’s existence—professional, educational, or entertainment” (Aranda, 2007, p. 11).  Cultural diversity also plays a role in netiquette because of the diverse populations worldwide who are using the Internet.  Netiquette is learned by copying the behavior of other users in the community, being presented with negative responses to behaviors that are conveyed, and by formally teaching the behavior that is expected (Preece, 2004; Johnson, 1997; Levinson, 2007; as cited in Aranda, 2007).  Educators “hold a special role as they are many times the first formal presenters of online communication rules” (Aranda, 2007, p. 13). 

The technology related to netiquette that I explored this week was “Netiquette 101: Being Civilized and Safe Online (http://www.uni.illinois.edu/library/computerlit/netiquette.php). This website reviews five topics related to netiquette:

1.      The no-brainer stranger-danger stuff

2.      21^st century life online, or “how do so many people/companies know so much about me?”

3.      A bit about physical safety, or yes, computers can hurt you

4.      Communication and getting along

5.      Having a Life (Netiquette 101, 2012)

 With upper level ESL students, I would use the information from this website for a short study on netiquette.  I might incorporate this into my professional practice by first reviewing the information contained within the site with my class as a whole, and then dividing my students into five different collaborative groups.  Then, I would assign one of the five topics above to each group and ask them to research it further.  These groups would then be requested to create a 10 minute role play to present to the class that would present a scenario related to their topic.  These role plays would be staged one per day during a week of class.  Another way I might use this site would be to ask students to blog about two ways netiquette affects their use of technology.  These engaging activities would help students use and improve their reading, listening, speaking, and writing English skills, their critical thinking, and expand their knowledge of proper netiquette guidelines.

References

Aranda, J. F. (2007, Fall). Netiquette and online communication. Journal of Instruction Delivery Systems, 21(4), p. 11-14.

Bradley, S. (2009). The impact of netiquette on online group work: A study of UK Open University students. In O. Kallioinen (Ed.), Learning by developing—New ways to learn 2009 conference proceedings (p. 152-167). Espoo, Finland: Laurea University of Applied Sciences.

Netiquette 101. (2012, August 20). Retrieved April 18, 2013, from http://www.uni.illinois.edu/library/computerlit/netiquette.php