Digital Citizenship | Civics - Lets get this conversation started!

Looking to Connect Your Students? Social Media? Edmodo or Wiki? Here are some ways to get students thinking critically about digital citizenship. Letting them learn and practice in a safe social learning environment such as Edmodo or Wikispaces can open up opportunities to explore and discover, learn from their mistakes, and discuss what it really means to be a digital citizen. Social spaces, such as Edmodo or Wikispaces, allow you, your students, and even their parents, to: Understand the importance of making safe choices Learn good behaviors when collaborating with other students and experts Create a 24/7 environment to communicate, create and collaborate Employ Project-Based Learning
Inspired from: Digital Citizenship Starter Kit created by Common Sense Media Source: http://www.commonsensemedia.org/educators

Teaching Digital Citizenship | Activities to consider: Discuss what it takes to build a positive online community and how you expect member to contribute responsibly. Take the We the Digital Citizens Pledge having your students sign and solidify their commitment. Start the conversations about key concepts of digital citizenship Internet Safety & Security Cyberbullying Relationships & Community Digital Identity Information Literacy Leverage teachable moments that arise on and offline to reinforce key concepts.

Civic Education Resources

Center for Civics Education The Center for Civics Education has specific standards that all teachers can use across all grade levels. Some of the questions to explore include, "What is government and what should it do?" and "What are the roles of citizens in American democracy?"

iCivics
URL: www.icivics.org iCivics (formerly Our Courts) is a web-based education project designed to teach students civics and inspire them to be active participants in our democracy. iCivics is the vision of Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, who is concerned that students are not getting the information and tools they need for civic participation, and that civics teachers need better materials and support. More about iCivics.com: www.icivics.org/About

Civilization
Perhaps you'll use one of the many versions of Civilization to explore governmental structure, and pair it with important lessons and activities on American democracy. You would have to focus the gameplay itself, as well as make sure it explores the learning you need it to. Another idea is exploring races, classes, and worlds in the latest online MMO (massively multiplayer online role-playing game). Players could travel to various worlds and interact with different characters to explore personal freedoms and rights.

Freedom Riders: Democracy in Action (PBS American Experience)

URL: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/freedomriders/ The story of the Freedom Riders offers students a window into the Civil Rights Movement that allows them to identify more closely with the sacrifice and courage that was needed to secure civil rights for all Americans.
AMERICAN EXPERIENCE has partnered with Facing History and Ourselves to develop a full study guide, allowing for the distribution of the Freedom Riders film and companion teaching materials to classrooms nationwide. Additionally, Facing History offers educator workshops across the country and online to train teachers in using the Freedom Riders curriculum in their classrooms.

Facing History and Ourselves

Facing History and Ourselves is an international educational and professional development nonprofit organization whose mission is to engage students of diverse backgrounds in an examination of racism, prejudice, and antisemitism in order to promote the development of a more humane and informed citizenry. www.facinghistory.org PBS Teachers' Domain Teachers' Domain is an extensive library of free digital media resources produced by public television and designed for classroom use and professional development. These classroom resources, featuring media from NOVA, FRONTLINE, Design Squad, AMERICAN EXPERIENCE, and other public broadcasting and content partners, are easy to use and correlate to state and national standards. www.teachersdomain.org