We teach our children about having good manners by reminding
them to say please and thank you. We teach them to be kind and respectful to
others. We teach them that it’s not what we say, but how we say it that can affect
the message being conveyed. We help our children work through the ups and downs
of developing friendships. We keep them safe by reminding them to put on their
seatbelts when we are in the car and only let them go to the homes of others
that we know and are comfortable with. We believe that it takes a village to
raise our children, but have you noticed that your child’s village has spilled
over into the digital community? Do you know who is in this village? Do you
know what your child is posting online and to whom? Do you know what trail of
information your child is leaving behind? Do you know that once something is
posted online, it never goes away? You are very much a part of your child’s
real world, but are you also a part of your child’s digital world? If not, you
should be.
Most adults did not grow up with technology and are often
referred to as digital immigrants because we can remember the days of no
computers, cell phones, tablets, etc. Today’s children on the other hand can’t
imagine a world without this technology. They do not fear it and embrace every
opportunity to use it for communication, entertainment and information. There
is no doubt that technology is a powerful tool, but in the words of Spiderman,
“with great power comes great responsibility.”
Our students may be growing up in a world of technology, but
that doesn’t mean that they have the life skills to effectively and responsibly
use it. Technology is a great tool for learning, conducting research, and
communicating. Unfortunately, however, we often hear how students use digital
tools inappropriately for plagiarizing, cyberbullying, cheating, sexting,
oversharing personal information, and meeting online strangers in person. As
parents and educators, we have a responsibility to train and guide them on how
technology fits into their lives. They need to learn that decisions they make
online today can have long-term implications tomorrow. We want our students to
be safe and to be positive members of the digital community, but they aren’t going
to get there by themselves. We need to take an active role in their digital
life by being aware of what they’re doing online, monitoring their online
activities, and most importantly serving as positive role models.
Have you ever Googled yourself before? If not, you might be
surprised to see what your virtual identity looks like
because everything you do online is collected into a digital dossier,
otherwise known as your digital footprint. This footprint is traceable by
others and is virtually impossible to eliminate. Our students must become
aware of their digital identity, so that they can learn how to manage and
develop it into a positive one. It is imperative that they keep themselves and
their personal information safe as the lines between the digital and real world
have become blurred.
Our digital reality is that technology is very much a part
of all our lives and it is here to stay.
For our students, they are interacting digitally more and more everyday
with content, one another, and in various communities. Google, Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat and Instagram
are but a few of the tools they are using to conduct their interactions. The
tools they use tomorrow may change, but what won’t change is the need for our
students to be educated on digital responsibility, citizenship and creating a
positive online footprint. Together as parents, teachers and community members,
we must be the village that works together to raise our students into digital
leaders.
