Digital Citizenship

What does it mean to be a digital citizen? It means the same thing as being a citizen of any other community.  There are certain standards of conduct, ethical behaviors and degrees of knowledge that are exhibited.  As a writer in a digital community, being able to use a computer and make expressions that have a positive, thought-provoking, or entertaining theme becomes a part of responsibility to the culture.  For those who may just be stepping into the electronic realm, it helps to have some guidance or a reference manual.  There are two such websites that would help anyone, writers included, to be better equipped for their place in the digital realm.

 

http://www.microsoft.com/about/corporatecitizenship/citizenship/giving/programs/up/digitalliteracy/default.mspx

Thinking of my students who may be coming to college for the first time after 20 years since they graduated from high school, or those who have not had access to technology other than possibly a cell phone, Microsoft’s website about digital literacy is a great place to start.  They have compiled three curricula ranging from basic to advance that will improve a user’s abilities with their office products, using the internet safely, and several other topics.  The modules are set up to be used online or downloaded for offline use.  This link could be given to students at the beginning of a course and specific subjects could be worked through during class time or assigned to be completed outside of class.  Either way, the learners have a guide to help them become more confident in their computer use.

 

http://digitalethics.org/

The Center for Digital Ethics website is another excellent source to educate learners with more in depth looks at anything digital and the ethical ramifications that surround it.  No part of the internet is left unnoticed.  The website shares essays on a multitude of topics, best practices for bloggers and social networking, and policy related ethical practices.  I could easily have students read and respond to any one of the essays that are available on the site to not only help them become more informed, but to also help them really think about the impact that rational and irrational internet behavior can have on a user.  Where Microsoft builds a basic digital literacy foundation, The Center for Digital Ethics adds more layers about ethical digital citizenship that may be complicated into more manageable pieces.

 

For both of these sites, information is definitely powerful.  A novice user can gain greater confidence in their computer use, or a seasoned veteran of technology can have another resource upon which they can rely.