five | Digital Citizenship
One area of consideration that administrators often overlook is the appropriate
use of technology within districts. They ask users to sign and support acceptable
use policies (AUPs) but often don’t make it clear what they mean or how to use
technology appropriately.
Throughout the three sets of NETS, ISTE identifies that all users in a district
should understand the “social, ethical, and legal issues and responsibilities as
related to technology.” To accomplish this, it is the obligation of all educational
leaders to lead by example.
Multiple resources help to provide a framework for these issues. For example,
the ISTE book Digital Citizenship in Schools by Gerald Bailey and Mike Ribble
identifies nine themes for users to break down digital citizenship into respective
components and provides resources for educational leaders to begin setting up
plans and programs within their districts.
All leaders need a springboard to open the discussion with their faculties and
staff about appropriate technology use. Educators can then provide that information
to their students, as everyone needs to work together to identify and
understand the appropriate and effective use of technology in education.