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Interland: Digital Citizenship tool


This week's topic of discussion and study is on digital security and digital citizenship. A buzz phrase that has been around in public education for years, but do we really know what it means and how to ensure that our students are safe online?!

What is digital citizenship: ISTE defines digital citizenship as, "Students recognize the rights, responsibilities and opportunities of living, learning and working in an interconnected digital world, and they act and model in ways that are safe, legal and ethical." (ISTE Standards)

Digital citizenship is housed under a larger umbrella of "digital literacy" or "information literacy" and is something that school librarians should be teaching directly to students in PreK-12 or collaborating with other teachers to ensure students are learning their rights and responsibilities online, as all students can now be defined as digital natives. One tool that can help teach students these important skills is "Interland" or Be Internet Awesome by Google. 

Interland is a gamified tool that guides students through four games with five topics of instruction:    

  • Be Internet Smart--Share with care
  • Be Internet Alert--Don't fall for fake
  • Be Internet Strong--Secure your secrets
  • Be Internet Kind--It's cool to be kind
  • Be Internet Brave--When in doubt, talk it out
Google has included an Educator's Guide with downloadable lesson plans and is aligned with ISTE standards. With topics like "cool to be kind" and "talk it out" this tool also aligns with SEL initiatives to support students mental and emotional wellness. 

These materials are recommended for students in grades 2-6 and can be completed whole class or small group, as well as in no particular order. The lesson plans and discussions can stand alone from the game interaction, but who doesn't love an follow up game for application of ideas learned?!

This is by no means a one and done resource for teaching digital citizenship skills, but it is a great tool for the any teacher looking to add learning and engagement in Digital Citizenship at an early age. 


ISTE standards: Students. ISTE. (n.d.). https://www.iste.org/standards/iste-standards-for-students

Comments

  1. JasmineJune 7, 2023 at 7:44 PM

    Hey, I am in your LIS 568 class. Interland sounds like a great and accessible tool for students and teachers to learn more about cyber security.

    ReplyDelete

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