Similar to what I had touched on in my post about digital literacy, digital citizenship is a major component to teaching for many reasons, now more than ever. As we continue to dive deeper into a digital realm, it’s no surprise that our students will be navigating through an online world almost as much as the natural one. In a way, they are as much a citizen of that online world than they are of the country they live in.
In EDUC 402 (Diverse Classrooms), we discussed the idea of creative tension. For our example, my group decided to discuss the idea of cellphone access in class and in schools. While we all agreed that cellphones pose many threats to the wellness of our students, it’s naive to believe that merely asking them to put them away will limit their exposure to these worlds of social media. What is even more daunting is that even elementary students are victim to the addictive nature of social media apps, online games and streaming services, but what feels more dangerous is that they often do not understand the weight of the decisions they make online. This is why digital literacy is so important to teach in schools. However, I think that it goes beyond this. It’s not only important to teach them how to behave online and what is safe vs. unsafe, it’s also important to teach wellness and balancing this dual-citizenship. Too much screen time can cause lack of sleep or poor sleep quality, emotional dysregulation, shortened attention spans and co-dependance. As teachers, it’s important to show that we can access online as a tool for entertainment or for academics; however, it’s also just as fun and beneficial to use our hands in our learning and to navigate an outdoor world as well. It’s up to us as educators to guide those experiences and to create passion so that may translate into our students as well.
It’s not to say that it’s our job to prove that playing outside is just as much fun as scrolling TikTok, but it is our job to look out for the overall wellness and safety of our students. I have a big passion for outdoor learning, but I also do fall victim to my own digital world. Balance is key.
