Today's topic is number 5 of 9 -- digital etiquette, sometimes referred to as "netiquette". Digital etiquette is exactly what it sounds like -- proper conduct when using digital tools. In fact, when people think of digital citizenship, etiquette tends to be the first thing they think of. Sometimes digital etiquette is thought of as a list of "don'ts":
- Don't share personal information online.
- Don't talk to strangers online.
- Don't meet someone in person that you've only previously met online.
- Don't share passwords.
- Don't use inappropriate language.
- Don't be a cyberbully.
Often, those "don'ts" are shared after an incident has occurred. It might be better to start with a list of "do's" as soon as kids start to use digital tools -- which can be pretty young!
- Keep personally identifiable information to yourself online.
- Only interact with people you know personally.
- Keep passwords confidential.
- Interact with people respectfully.
A common knee-jerk reaction to an incident of improper digital etiquette is to ban the use of the technology -- take away the phone or computer, stop someone from using an account, or close/deactivate an account. Sometimes, these kinds of punishments are necessary, ultimately, what should be done is use the incident as a teachable moment by reinforcing the learning about digital etiquette -- help the child understand what he or she did wrong and what the proper way to behave actually is.
One easy way to reinforce digital etiquette in the classroom is to give kids the opportunity to use digital tools and remind them of the expected behavior before and during use. There are also plenty of online resources. A simple Google search of "digital etiquette lessons" will return many results, including some from familiar resources:
- Lesson ideas from BrainPop
- A lesson idea using Pixton
- A list of resources from Edutopia
- An interactive lesson created using TedEd
- A Prezi lesson created by another teacher
- A nice list of resources from one of my favorite people to follow on Twitter, @cybraryman1
If you're interested in planning any digital etiquette lessons for your students, let me know if you want any help! I can help you find resources, develop lessons, even come facilitate lessons with you!
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