This unit comes from a research project at the Kansas State University. The curriculum poses different scenarios for students and teachers to discuss in class and gives students the opportunity to discuss and evaluate digital citizenship from many different perspectives. The unit starts with a four stage technology learning process to give students a framework. The goal is to provide an ‘internal compass’ for students digital life.

A. Four Stage Technology Learning Cycle

1. Awareness: Knowledge of technology and how it affects others and myself.

a. Recognition of inappropriate use of technology
b. Consider appropriateness of one’s own actions
c. Differentiation between misuse and abuse
d. What are the implications of my actions

2. Understanding:Ability to grasp the uses of technology that are considered appropriate or inappropriate.

a. Am I violating laws, policies, or moral codes by using technology in this way?
b. Have I heard of similar situations? What was the outcome?
c. Does Digital Citizenship provide direction for determining the appropriateness of my actions?

3. Action: Using technology in the most appropriate way with the information available.

a. Have I made the best decision given the information available?
b. How would other, that I respect, act in the same situation?
c. Do the tenants of Digital Citizenship support my action in this situation?

4. Deliberation: Thinking about how technology was used and determining if it was appropriate.

a. Am I satisfied with my decision?
b. Am I satisfied with the outcome of the situation?
c. Did my behavior have a positive or negative influence on others?
d. Do I go back and evaluate how I used the technology and look for changes that might be considered for the future?
e. Do I think about the nine areas of digital citizenship and see if there are improvements that should be evaluated?

B. Digital Citizenship Themes:

1. Digital Rights: Freedoms extended to everyone in a digitalworld.
2. Digital Safety:Physical well being in a digital technology world.
3. Digital Security (self-protection):Electronic precautions to guarantee safety.
4. Digital Access:Full electronic participation in society.
5. Digital Etiquette:Electronic standards of conduct or procedure.
6. Digital Communication: electronic exchange of information.
7. Digital Responsibility: electronic responsibility for actions and deeds.
8.Digital Education: process of teaching and learning about technology and the use of technology.
9. Digital Commerce:electronic buying and selling of goods.

C. Digital Compass Themes: A series of scenarios that ask students to identify their own ‘Internal Compass.’

1. Wrong Direction:
2. What’s the Big Deal Direction:
3. As Long As I Don’t Get Caught Direction:
4. It’s an Individual Choice Direction:
5. Depends on the Situation Direction:
6. I Don’t Know Direction:
7. I Am Not Sure It’s the Wrong Direction:
8. Right Direction:

Digital Citizenship Web Site: Kansas State University