Nearly all of the ISTE Standards list digital citizenship as one of the aspects of education technology that all members of a school or district should support. Specifically, the standards tend to focus on the safe, legal and ethical use of technology in schools.
This is certainly at the heart of the ideas behind digital citizenship, but as technology integration grows, not only in schools but in society as a whole, I believe the concept of digital citizenship will continue to expand.
When I wrote my first book, Digital Citizenship in Schools, with Gerald Bailey, we considered where this might lead on a bigger scale. The idea was to create a framework of defining elements that provide a structure for digital citizenship education on which everything else could hang. As a result, we identified nine key elements that help define how to best use technology in every school, home and community. They’re organized into three primary categories:
Respect
Digital access: Advocating for equal digital rights and access is where digital citizenship starts.
Digital etiquette: Rules and policies aren’t enough — we need to teach everyone about appropriate conduct online.
Digital law: It’s critical that users understand it’s a crime to steal or damage another’s digital work, identity or property.
Educate
Digital communication: With so many communication options available, users need to learn how to make appropriate decisions.
Digital literacy: We need to teach students how to learn in a digital society.
Digital commerce: As users make more purchases online, they must understand how to be effective consumers in a digital economy.
Protect
Digital rights and responsibilities: We must inform people of their basic digital rights to privacy, freedom of speech, etc.
Digital safety and security: Digital citizens need to know how to protect their information from outside forces that might cause harm.
Digital health and wellness: From physical issues, such as repetitive stress syndrome, to psychological issues, such as internet addiction, users should understand the health risks of technology.