submitted by Fiona Beal

It is important to start teaching about Internet safety, digital citizenship, and digital footprints when students are quite young, so I started with a Grade 2 and a Grade 3 class last week.

1. Familiarize yourself with Digital Citizenship 

There are plenty of excellent resources available on the Internet. Read through them and make notes for yourself.
a) A must-have list of resources on digital citizenship for teachers
b) 13 digital citizenship terms teachers need to know
c) A great animation explaining digital citizenship
d) An awesome digital citizenship graphic for your classroom
e) Two must have digital citizenship posters for your class

2. Start with a discussion on Digital Citizenship and Internet Safety

Introduce the discussion with posters such as these two – All digital citizens and ‘I am a digital citizen’ shared by Educational Technology on Facebook (Posters like this could be created as part of the practical part of the lesson featured below if desired).

Try to elicit answers in the discussion such as:

•Make sure your parents know when you are going on to the Internet
•Don’t give away your address
•Don’t give away your full name
•Don’t meet new people online without your parents’ or teacher’s permission
•Don’t give out your phone number

3. Watch a short video related to Internet Safety

I found that the Grade 2s and 3s enjoyed watching this video called ‘Internet Safety for Kids K-3’

4. Start making Internet Safety posters with your class

I found a lovely idea for this on a post entitled ‘Internet Safety posters’ showing the posters a Grade 3 class at Wells Kids Elementary School (http://weskids.com/) created on Internet Safety. I loved this idea and we set about creating these using Microsoft PowerPoint which is a great tool for creating posters! here are some examples from the Well Kids Elementary School shown in the post mentioned above.

Have you created any good lessons on Digital Citizenship that you could share with us?