I have been an active user of digital technology since about 1985, when my mom bought an Apple IIC, and I remember how completely entranced and fascinated my brothers and I were by the games we could play on the simple green-on-black display. As we grew and acquired more sophisticated technology, I don't remember my mother ever discussing with us the appropriate use of the technology. It was something that my brothers and I learned on our own through trial and error. Based on this nearly 28 years of experience with digital technology, the nine elements of digital citizenship proposed by Ribble seem like common sense to me. I have experienced some of the negative effects of not being mindful of these principles and have learned how to be a more responsible digital citizen because of it.
Our students are now growing in a far more sophisticated and developed digital world. When I was in college, our intramural instant messaging service was revolutionary - now you can have an IM conversation while Skyping and texting and playing a MMORPG. As I was reading the first two chapters of the book, I really struggled with what role I think schools and educators should play in developing digital citizenship in our students. So much of responsible digital citizenship in my mind starts with parental guidance. I am frustrated that so much has suddenly been deemed the responsibility of the schools and completely abdicates parents' responsibility to raise their children. For example, modeling appropriate use of a cell phone for a child should primarily be a parent's responsibility. I don't use my cell phone while teaching my class - how can I model appropriate use of a cell phone (besides not using it when I shouldn't)? I don't feel like schools can be everything that society seems to think they should be. On the one hand they want us to do more; on the other, they complain about how horrible we are at our jobs.
However, these issues of digital citizenship affect our students and how we can effectively educate them. The purpose of schools according to Dewey is to create educated and responsible citizens in a democratic society. Part of our society now includes the digital world, and schools need to incorporate it into our curriculum or else become irrelevant. One of the questions Ribble posed that I was most struck by was, "if these technologies are banned in schools, what message does that send to our students who have access to these devices outside of school?" My answer was that students will think that school is dumb and out of touch. The students, as consumers of our curriculum, are our customers - if we aren't providing them with the products they want, they can turn to other providers (such as online learning). As much as it can be a bitter pill to swallow, educators need to incorporate technology into our curriculum to teach students how to use technology appropriately and responsibly. If we do this effectively, then we can perhaps start to extinguish some of those negative behaviors that we're all frustrated by. For example, a role-playing activity where students text while listening to a set of instructions, and then have to follow the instructions based on what they recall, could illuminate how much people miss when they listen with half an ear. Another way to incorporate technology in a way that draws in students would be to do live Twitter responses to presentations or lectures, with clear guidelines given for an appropriate response (no swearing, constructive criticism, etc.). By practicing with technology in these useful ways, students will begin to learn the utility of this technology beyond its entertainment value. What we as teachers need if we are going to be effective teachers of technology use is a massive influx of funding and training.
Response to Nine Elements of Digital Citizenship
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Emily- I think you're right about how students would think schools are "out of touch"... because I think schools ARE out of touch. Not all schools/classrooms, but many. I think of when I go to a training or professional development outside of my district and I see resources that these companies use in their daily lives and it is clear that we do not have all the resources that would be beneficial to what we do. But then that also includes the training and the desire required for teachers to want to use it. In my new school this year every regular classroom has a SmartBoard. At my old school we had one on a cart that traveled. Seeing this technology was very exciting to me, but there are several teachers in this school that hardly ever use it! Over time I think that'll change, but for right now the process overall in education is very slow to change. At least from what I see in my little world.
Emily(s)-I too remember computer programming into DOS and playing Pong to kill the time. Now, it's a completely different world of technology. In my district, other teachers have lead workshops to introduce new ways for teachers to communicate with students and parents through blogs and teacher pages. I received a Smartboard just this year, but was given minimal training on how to use it to the utmost benefit of my students. Teachers want to make eduaction accessible, but the training and technology need to be there. How often has there been PD that can't actully be applied because of the lack of technology? The CCSS indicate that students in my content area need to know different types of digital media in order to have collaboration and practice problem solving. I have to engage all learners and prepare them for the global marketplace. Some of the students seem to be so much more tech savvy. It would be an interesting flip to have them present to the teachers!
I think for many teachers (at least for myself) all the applications which can be used in the classroom is very overwhelming to me. I guess you just have to start small like anything else and try one thing at a time. I like the point Emily made that schools are going to need to provide professional develop and funding if we expect to see an increase of technology in the classroom. There is so much out there but so little I know about it. It really seems like technology can revolutionize teaching and seems to have so much promise. I guess it is helpful to take the mentality of baby steps, trying something new once in a while.
I think the underlying problem that we are all seeing is not that schools are not trying, it is the fact that the scale at which school infrastructures need to modernize to meet the needs of our "21st century society" is monumental.
Businesses can use capital improvement loans or profits in order to modernize, or they can be left behind in the dust. We are talking about an exponential (sorry to being the math in but you know...) growth in technology. Like Emily and Alicia, I remember working with those green and black screens when I was a kid. Very few (if any) people 25 years ago could have imagined the things we have come to accept as commonplace today. Rapid change can be and must be accepted and adjusted to in the business world or livelihoods are lost.
On the other hand, education is not so cutthroat nor do we have the same resources available. Our "product" is the minds of the students we teach and our capital is the tax dollars allotted us. There are no monetary profits in education (at the school level at least!). Unfortunately, the number and needs of our students far outmatch the resources school districts have. So they try to improve, one COW at a time, and are constantly behind the curve. Add in students like Alicia mentioned in a previous post, who don't have the necessary resources at home and the task is even greater. I'm not sure if BYOD (Bring your own device) policies are the answer, placing less of a burden on schools for the materials, but it is something my high school has tried to implement. Unfortunately, how it would work in the classroom and ways it could be used were not really discussed. As a result, teachers are not sure how to have the students use their cell phones productively and students are mostly using them to text their friends and post pictures to Instagram. Like Emily, we are reluctant to use our own devices due to privacy issues. Her question is a great one and not one I have an answer to. Anyone have any ideas on how to help teachers use the BYOD to their benefit?
Emily- You make many valid points. Our students are growing up in a far more sophisticated and developed digital world, and while this has many benefits, it has unfortunately made many of these students extremely dependent on technology. I agree that responsible digital citizenship should start with the parents, but at the same time, I am sure many parents are out of touch, uninformed, and overwhelmed when it comes to the newer technology. The students know a lot more about the internet and technology than I do, and although I do not consider myself particularly tech savvy, I did grow up with the internet and some of the newer technology that these parents have not.
I do feel your frustration, however, and I do not think it is the school's responsibility to teach digital citizenship. It is unfortunate how it has become our job. With the CCSS standards we are supposed to teaching students to research and integrate multiple sources of information and present it in different formats incorporating technology and media. Alicia makes a good point about the training and technology need to be available. We have smartboards in some of the classrooms, but in several classrooms, the only technology available is an overhead projector! Of course the students are going to think we are out of touch when they see that we are still using such old and outdated equipment. Schools need to keep up with the advancing technology. At the same time, I myself, am anxious and overwhelmed with the newer technology and the internet's endless possibilities. I liked the idea Alicia had about having students present to the teachers. I know many of my tech savvy students could teach me a number of things! Ken is right. I need to start small, and I will become more comfortable with the technology.
Emily,
I agree that much of responsible digital citizenship starts with parental guidance. I am frustrated that so much has suddenly been deemed the responsibility of the schools and completely abdicates parents' responsibility to raise their children. Modeling the appropriate use of a cell phone for a child should primarily be a parent's responsibility. I don't use my cell phone while teaching my class either. I however use IPods that look similar to an IPhone, so most of my students think it's my cellphone. I use the IPods during center time and free time. I had to model how to use them, which apps to use and how to use them. Each time I download a new app, I show them how to use it by projecting it on the smart board. Most of my students are tech savvy because they play games on their parents' phones. Sometimes I think it's crazy that a first grader who's six years old has grown up far more sophisticated technology than us adults can keep up with. My nephew who is six years old taught my mom how to use her IPad that she got for Christmas! Amazing!
Ken,
I remember telling my grandparents that in order to keep up with society they would need to learn how to use a computer,(at this time I was young- and I used this as my way to get them to purchase a new computer for me, with the promise that I would teach them how to use it). Over time most people adapted to the growing technology and learned how to use a computer. Now most places of employment require their applicants to have some degree of computer skills. I now am finding myself feeling the same way my grandparents felt when I was young...overwhelmed! I personally am lucky to have a computer and phone that work, let alone an IPAD/smartboard/classroom computer...The point I am trying to make is that I know that I need to learn more about technology, and that eventually (just like computers) learning these skills will become a necessity. I am excited to learn, but concerned and anxious about taking the next step.
As I read these posts one common thread is prevalent, we need funding for the technology that we are expected to utilize. In a few weeks my student will be learning about fractions. I signed out an iPad thinking that there must be wonderful virtual manipulatives and games to help the students learn fractions. I am only permitted to download free apps (it wasn’t easy getting the password to download apps). The few that I was able to download, have limited abilities as compared to the others that cost between $0.99 and $2.99. I am sure that I will have to jump through a few hoops to get permission to get a purchase a few of the apps, and then I will have to work on getting them on 22 iPads. I do appreciate the idea that I have access to a class set of iPads, as I know many people do not. However, in order to use them effectively and purposefully I need to start planning 3 weeks in advance just to get one app installed. Now that I have ranted about my day’s experience… We are expected to use technology in our classrooms, but we are not supplied with the devices. We are not given enough time to determine proper and valid uses of the technology. In another post I read it stated something about teachers having children type a 5 paragraph essay. Sadly, I must admit I have done that in order to help them practice their typing skills, but I don’t think this is a solid integration of technology. Demands are placed on teachers with no means to fulfill them. As stated by others, we need more technology purchased for our schools and professional development to learn proper and effectively usage. Will we do away with textbooks and start going online for all our materials? If so, will this free up some of the school districts funds? How will school district help to fund the overwhelming shift to technology in schools?
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