Re-framing Digital Citizenship as Global Citizenship

A Fad or a Fundamental

In K-12 education, it feels as if there is a new “save-our-students” (SOS) curriculum each year. From whole language to phonics, project-based math to skill-and-drill basics, educators are always subjected to the ebb and flow of curriculum.  In the recent tidal shift, digital citizenship has made a resurgence.

Image from MaxPixel.
 Available through Creative Commons Zero - CC0

In 2002, as a program director for a Boys and Girls Club, I taught Internet safety to students through online game modules intended to teach participants to protect their personal information.  Last year, while attending the 2016 iNACOL Symposium, I found myself experiencing deja vu in a workshop on digital citizenship by one of many vendors of the new wave of curricula.

All educational cynicism aside, I am forced to evaluate whether digital citizenship is a fad or is it the rewriting of 100+ years of traditional citizenship classes.  Is digital citizenship a set of technology competencies or is it truly a set of lessons on safe, productive, and effective global interaction?

Defining Citizenship

After months of studying for naturalization as an American citizen, the individuals in this video have thoughts on how to define citizenship:

As citizenship is not a concept unique to America, I am particularly fond of these definitions provided by the Citizenship Foundation of the United Kingdom:

Citizens are members of a state or a nation. Citizenship is the process of being such a member. It is how we make society work, together.Citizenship education gives people the knowledge and skills to understand, challenge and engage with the main pillars of our democracy: politics, the economy and the law. (Citizenship Foundation 2017)

Defining Digital Citizenship

I took a moment to compare the digital citizenship outlines of several frameworks (ISTE Digital Citizenship Standards for Students, Google For Education Digital Citizenship Curriculum, and Common Sense Education Digital Citizenship Curriculum).  They share these tenets:

• Maintaining digital identity and reputation
• Positive, safe, legal and ethical online behavior
• Ethical and legal use of intellectual property
• Maintenance of personal digital privacy and security
• Information literacy/research skills

By GDJ [CC0],
via Wikimedia Commons

The knowledge and skills represented by these frameworks identify necessary competencies for safe and effective interactions in a global, online environment.  These competencies promote legal and ethical behavior, rights and responsibilities, and even personal and professional relationships. This is starting to sound like a global citizenship class and not merely a computer class.

So What?

The more I compare digital citizenship to traditional citizenship, I feel fairly confident that we are muting the importance of the digital citizenship curricula by framing it as technology skills.

The role of a teacher is to promote the development of knowledge and skills necessary for success as a productive adult.  As such, I feel teachers need to lead the charge by taking a closer look at the global skills our students will need when they leave our care.

Let’s move from teaching about digital identity as a way to stay employable toward lessons on how technology is the new historical recorder.  In history as young as the 20th century, newspapers, encyclopedias, and books only recorded the activity of famous citizens - those noteworthy for music, acting, scientific feats, or politics.  With the internet, there is no more bias toward fame/fortune.  When a picture is posted or a comment made, it becomes a permanent part of history.  The question isn’t “Would you want your boss to see that” it is “Is that the historical record you want people to judge you by”.

Safe online behavior isn’t just taught to prevent cyberbullying or becoming prey to criminals.  It is a course in legal rights and responsibilities.  It is the online version of reminders to walk in a group at night, lock your doors, let the law help you with harassment issues, etc.  It is knowing how freedom of speech extends to Internet posts.

"Bill of Rights" by Nick Youngson.
Available through CC BY-SA 3.0

On a final thought related to reframing our digital citizenship curricula, in traditional citizenship classes in America, immigrants and school-age students learn the history and events that shaped our culture.  Perhaps we ought to add that to our digital citizenship curricula.  I’m not suggesting students learn the history of the Internet, but rather, to learn a little more about the global cultures they could encounter on the web.  In America, it could be very powerful to know that our freedom of speech gives us greater access to information and more liberty in our posts than nearly any other country in the world.  Teaching this concept as means of understanding the perspective of others they may meet online and as a way of encouraging awareness of personal liberties would give more heft to classes that largely feel like a computer course.

Now What?

Whether you are a parent, teacher, coach or random Internet surfer who came unwittingly across this blog, I challenge you to consider whether you have the skills to engage globally, in a society that will largely interact online.  Digital citizenship classes may not be posed to get to you there yet, but hopefully, this post will open your eyes to what is missing and encourage you to think bigger.

References
Citizenship Foundation (2017). What is Citizenship? Retrieved from: http://www.citizenshipfoundation.org.uk/main/page.php?427

Conversation - the Gaping Hole in Social Media Learning Networks

I can't believe I'm saying this - me - a type D personality on the DiSC Personality test - a "do-er".  Well here you go world - I'll even put it in writing.

I need a little more conversation over here.

Tasked with building a personal learning network through social media, I have to tell you - I was psyched.  I LOVE Twitter chats.  Sitting on my couch in my pjs, while the husband watches 1970 sci-fi flicks, I can engage in dialogue around educational leadership (#DLNchat). I love surfing Twitter to catch up on emerging "awesomeness" reading posts from @Getting_Smart. I couldn't wait to see what else was waiting for me in LinkedIn, Google+, and Facebook.

Google+
Prior to searching out a personal learning network, I used Google+ to share class photos with families and colleagues.  As the ugly step-sister in the social networking world, Google+ served as a quiet media outlet where all of the other important posts of the day wouldn't bury the fun images of my students engaged in project-based learning.

I'm sad to say my reluctance was only reinforced when the first group I joined turned out to be a middle-eastern sales ploy with posts on obscure technology devices.  The group had 34 thousand members.  How could that be a scam?

So, I decided to look for people instead of groups.  Again, disappointment loomed.  These really amazing people I found could be sorted into two groups.  One group made a big splash of posts never to be heard from again.  The other group is full of people on their soap boxes.  No one asked provocative questions to spark conversation.  No one posted looking for ideas.  Google+ was a real minus in my book.

LinkedIn
"Look at me!"  If I remind myself that PLN is personal - LEARNING-network not personal SOCIAL network, I am able to engage with the interesting reads that land on my LinkedIn feed. TeachThought posts regularly and the content is outstanding.  I get excited when I see their logo appear on my screen.

Just in the last week, I decided to branch out and post articles that I found on other sites instead of only "liking" and "sharing".  This "bold" move brought a few more connections my way, but it left me feeling like something was missing.  It was great for the ego that others like my ideas, but where are those who want to have a conversation about the post?

Facebook
With more than one BILLION Facebook pages, I was confident that I would find people willing to talk in this venue.  I am a member of a group called "Teacher Idea Sharing", but it has been quiet since last year - seriously, not a single post since October of 2016.  It generated a few good conversations, but I guess like all non-essentials: out of sight, out of mind.  So, I sought new groups and sent join requests to two (Teachers Helping Teachers Grow and Instructional Designers in Education).  As of the writing of this blog, however, I haven't been accepted Instructional Designers, but I have fallen in love with Teachers Helping Teachers...

What, So What, Now What
In short, after a week or two of trying to make new friends, I'm going back to my old hang-out: Twitter. Folks who tweet are friendly, frequently willing to engage in discussion, adept at maintaining momentum and darn it, they just plain like me.  For anyone reading this blog hoping to glean guidance on building his/her own PLN, my advice is to think about your learning style.  If you just want to read and process on your own, LinkedIn and Twitter offer current and relevant reading material.  If you want to socialize and are willing to be patient to find the right group (Goldilocks style), Facebook has great potential.  For those who are social learners and need to talk to process content, come hang out with me on Twitter (@outofboxed), we can learn together!

Hungry for the Truth

"Reeses Peanut Butter Cups to Be Discontinued by Hershey's Before..."

Have you seen a headline like that recently?  Not only did I see it in my Facebook feed, I heard morning show DJs talking about the issue.  That makes it real right?!

As a teacher, I have spent countless hours coaching students to validate information.  Look at the website address.  Investigate the author.  Beware of adds.  Research the mission of the of the website.   In short - do your research.

When the delicious chocolate, peanut butter treat was threatened in headlines and when challenged to determine "real or fake" by Dan Russell's November 2015 blog post, "Fake or real?  How do you know?", I followed my own advice.  I let Google do the interrogation.

Szerelmi gyilkosságok (3. évad) by Lwp Kommunikacio.
Made available by CC by 2.0

I read blogs of others on the search to answer the challenge posted by Russell (2015).  I opened web search results to determine whether I could trust the source.  I researched authors.  I dug and read and researched.  And in the end, I fell back on my math/science background (you can't prove theories true you can only prove them to be false).  I determined that all signs supported the artifacts as fakes.

A healthy dose of skepticism a day keeps the frauds away.

In fair disclosure, I incorrectly surmised that a quote attribution to Thomas Jefferson was fake.  In a numbers game, however, 7 out of 8 is a decent rating when tallying the number of times I was misled by online content.

So my takeaway to share?  HURRY - go buy those Reese's Peanut Butter Cups!  Not because they are going to disappear from shelves, but because in this world of fake news and Photoshop, you are going to need some sustenance to fuel you while you research to uncover the truth.

A Reese's Peanut Butter Cup, Big Cup. by Evan-Amos.
Made available by Wikimedia Commons CC0 1.0

References:

Russell, Dan (2001.November, 11) Fake or real?  How do you know? [Blog post]. Retrieved from: http://searchresearch1.blogspot.com/2015/11/search-challenge-111115-fake-or-real.html

Methods for Online Teaching and Learning (EDU 654) - Personal Reflection

The close of my first semester as a graduate student (attempt number two) has arrived and in turn, the expectation of reflection on my experience and learning.

The course outcomes for Methods for Online Teaching and Learning can be synthesized to the development of online instructional strategies and the development of best practices in encouraging multi-directional communication and feedback between students and instructors.  If I begin my journey here, it is easy to see what I have learned (and what I still need to learn!).

Online Instructional Strategies
Online instruction is a dichotomous world of asynchronous events and synchronous events. Current learning models throw environment into this mix - where a student may be learning from home or from a brick and mortar school, or from...  The models are varied and the best "use" of the instructor can be argued, but my learning distilled two important characteristics of effective online instruction: student engagement and class discussions.

Discussions - It could be argued that discussions are one way to engage students, but my reading and experiences in EDU 654 made it obvious that discussions are the wormhole to deeper learning that also allow teachers to build community, perform formative assessment, and help students form the connections with material that enable them to do more than regurgitate learning.  Choosing the format (casual versus formal), the location (in a learning system versus social media), and even the roles of participants (leader, participant, questioner, antagonist, summarizer, etc.) has a great impact on the educational outcome.  As if those decisions aren't big enough, teachers still have to find ways to engage students in the conversation.

Which leads me to characteristic two of an effective online learning environment:

Engagement - Learning style inventories and movements such as Universal Design for Learning have come into play because research has solidified the belief that student learning is proportional to student engagement. (proportional - my first attempt at a master's degree was a masters in math)
Engaging students in online learning environments is more challenging from the perspective that an instructor can no longer use volume/tone of voice and proximity to maintain a student's focus.  However, because online learning can be anonymous, social stigmas that inhibit participation in face-to-face learning can be reduced to allow a broader audience.  Ultimately, the same rule for student engagement in a face-to-face classroom applies to an online environment: consider the needs of your students and antagonize and/or incentivize their participation while meeting their needs.

Self-Assessment of My Development of Online Instructional Strategies - Experience has taught me how to build relationships and use learning styles to personalize learning in a traditional classroom. This skill set translates fairly easily to an online environment.  Where I would like to continue to develop personally is finding ways to get students to take more of a leadership role in asynchronous discussions.  Building personal connections and seeking information relevant to their own ideas feels like a great way to maximize student learning.  I would also like to continue to develop stronger skills in facilitating synchronous, online learning experiences.  This is a deep skill set that requires TPAK at a mastery level that I have NOT yet achieved.

Communication and Feedback
While not part of Methods for Online Teaching and Learning, one of the best examples of the power of communication and feedback on learning is the video Austin's Butterfly: Building Excellence in Student Work. First, this video is a clear demonstration of the power of meaningful feedback.  Through continued pursuit of a high standard, a first grade student constructs an image of a butterfly that begins as a rough image of a winged insect but, with the help of peer feedback, becomes a textbook-worthy illustration.  You read that I said first grade student right?!  That means the feedback came from peers in first grade also. Peer feedback is the second part of the importance of this video in illustrating my learning.  Coaching of the instructor to build a community of high expectations led to peer feedback eliciting outstanding results.

The connection between this video and what I learned in Methods for Online Teaching and Learning comes down evaluating the best possible role of the teacher in the classroom.  Is it the sage on the stage?  Is it the guide on the side?  Can it be both? Communication and feedback are the key to answering these questions.  Communication pathways between students and between teacher and students are what establish the classroom culture.  If cultivated well, the vital feedback necessary for growth and learning can come from peers or the teacher.  The role of the instructor then becomes that of facilitator - a sometimes leader, a sometimes participant, an all-time instructional leader.

Self-Assessment of My Development of Communication and Feedback in My Classroom
A lot of the activity in the classrooms I supervise are evaluated with performance rubrics.  This inherently requires communication between student and teacher to help the student ensure the performance or artifact of learning demonstrates proficiency.  What doesn't come as naturally is the peer feedback and communication.  As I continue in my role of curriculum and instructional design manager, I will endeavor to provide the professional development necessary to my staff to establish this multi-dimensional world of communication and feedback.  Based on my learning from this course, I believe this will amplify the learning in the classrooms.

In Conclusion
Teaching is an art form.  There is no scientific formula that makes a perfect teacher.  Online and blended instruction only add to variables that a teacher must balance for an effective classroom. Methods for Online Teaching and Learning illustrated this art form and its complexity.  As it is only my first course in online pedagogy, I am in awe of the remaining techniques to be learned.

Growing Pains (a personal reflection; not an assignment)

I think everyone comes to a point in life where they are motivated to effect change; tired of a job, of a number on a scale, of repeated attempts for success at a project that continuously fail.  Sometimes, this catalyst comes from an "ah ha moment".

In October of 2017, sitting in a breakout session at a conference of educators looking to "disrupt" their educational system, I ran full-speed into a wall.  Luckily it was a metaphorical wall that gave me pause to realize, I had a lot to learn.  Surround by a table of online instructional design professionals who were light-years ahead of me in terms of at least pedagogy and training, if not also experience, I realized that I needed change.

In seeking out resources to fuel this change - a better understanding for methods, theories, and practices in effective online instructional design - I landed myself in a graduate program for individuals with a similar learning goal.  One hundred pages into the course text and my newly educated self paused to reflect on how my efforts line up with best practices.

This is what I saw in my work:

 (Brooks, 2017)

Have faith, I reflect in jest and with the strong sense of humor that keeps me moving toward solutions.

All humor aside, as I digest the information I am gathering on this journey in my EDU 654.7 Methods for Online Teaching & Learning, I am glad that so early in the class I already have cause for reflection; that I already have growing pains.  I am glad that I can see a path for change.

As an educator, I hope to remember that learning and challenging paradigms is uncomfortable for students too.  And I close with the hope that I remember this pain and fear and desire for change with every interaction with students.  May my empathy provide the support they need to grow.  

Good luck to all you educators out there.  May your personal growing pains be a gentle reminder of the vulnerability of our students.

"If we could change ourselves, the tendencies in the world would also change." Mahatma Gandhi 

Brooks, Gary. 2017, January 21. Growth vs. Proficiency and all that stuff....Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-e9jHtw-HA