We, the PIMS administration and myself, decided last year that we need to teach our students about the impact they make online as well as on themselves as digital citizens; ways that they can be more street-smart with their activity online and when dealing with strangers.
I teach three 8th grade classes, and five 7th grade classes. Each student has to pass each assessment of each class in order for them to take home their 1to1 iPad device.
The material I have chosen to use as my curriculum is from Common Sense Media. These guys are fantastic with their thorough approach to dealing and helping parents, teachers, and students understand what is safe and not-so-safe in our media. From reviews on apps, movies, games, websites, and books, to educating parents on what is trending for kids. Common Sense Media has also created a rather extensive curriculum for teaching digital citizenship. Look through their curriculum here.
In December I taught the 8th grade. The lessons included:
In 7th grade, I am currently teaching:
- Scams & Schemes
- Safe Online Talk
- Cyberbullying: Crossing the Line
- Trillion-Dollar Footprint
- Risky Online Relationships
All of these classes I have found to be effective for helping students understand how they can impact the internet as well as how the internet can impact their lives, positively and negatively.
