Citizenship in the Digital Age

Citizenship has always been a part of classroom evaluation.  In that traditional classroom citizenship was based on treating others with respect in both your words and your actions.  Grades were distributed on a scale of (S)atisfactory - Needs (I)mprovement - and (U)nsatisfactory.  It was generally pretty easy to get a good grade in citizenship.  Although, I grew up in a small town and I had 14 aunts and uncles, two grandmothers and a couple of great-aunts that lived nearby.  If I wasn't a good citizen at school or in our community my mother usually knew about it before I got home.

Today, we live in a digital age where defining citizenship may be a little more challenging.  I think the expectations can be very similar.  That is, treat others with respect in both your words and your actions.  In the digital age the classroom and community has expanded to include areas never considered before.  Words and actions take on a whole new powerful meaning.  In the digital age students are communicating with the world through internet blogs, e-mail, social networking, cell phones, texting, and websites.  Educators still recognize the need for their students to practice good citizenship in the classroom and these values are taught everyday.  However, it is easy to overlook how these same values apply to the digital world.  This new age technology has given us freedom from cords and cables but not from good citizenship!  Why do people behave badly when it comes to these new age tools.  I believe it's because they don't know any better.  Schools have failed to embrace the technology and therefore failed to teach our kids the appropriate use of these tools

My challenge here today is for educators to address citizenship in the digital realm.  The following constitute a list of areas in the digital world that need to be addressed immediately.

Cell phones - talking when others are speaking or talking on the phone while talking with someone else.  This has probably provided the most opportunities for poor citizenship to both adults and children.  "Don't talk when others are speaking."  How many times have you seen someone walk up to a fast food counter and order food while talking to someone on a cell phone.  I have been in a meeting where the facilitator asked a question. A participant at the meeting was answering the posed question when the facilitator's phone rang.  He answered the phone a had a 5 minute conversation in the middle of the meeting.  I don't believe in either of these examples the people involved meant to be disrespectful.  Bystanders all recognized it as bad behavior.  Why didn't the cell phone users?

Texting - texting while driving, while in class, texting non-stop!  I've included this video from ATT because it involves real people from my home state of Missouri and because in the end we see how meaningless most text messages are that we have to read right now!



I have sat in a restaurant with my kids and had to tell them no texting, put your phone away, take your headphones out, unplug from the electronic world for 30 minutes and plug in to the human world for that time and chat live with your family.


Social Network Sites/Email

       Twitter - don't tweet when you are supposed to be listening to someone else speak.  It's just not polite and is a terrible form of listening.  I will admit in the twitterverse some speakers encourage    twittering during presentation and even provide quotable tweets during their presentation.  In situations like that twittering is not only o.k. but it is part of the learning activity.
    
       Facebook - Same as sending notes when we were kids.  Don't write it down unless you are willing to own it and in the internet world if you write you own it forever!  Sarcasm in online communication is really risky business.  Sarcasm is generally not good in face to face communication but in online communication you can't read body language, facial expressions or tone.  The potential for misunderstandings is huge when you use sarcasm online. "Don't air your dirty laundry in public."  No one wants to read line after line of hateful obscene language while two friends have it out online in front of the world.  If you have a beef with someone, go meet them and speak in person or at least pick up your cell phone and call them.
  
       E-Mail -  I'll be honest there are a lot of emails people send me asking questions or wanting clarification on policies and such.  I just won't answer them.  Most of the time I'll call and talk on the phone or go by and visit face to face.  It's probably more poor writing ability.  I look at it this way: I have already written something that has created confusion about an issue.  Can I write my out of the confusion or will I just add another layer of muck on top of it?  Exactly, that's why I call. As stated earlier, don't write it if you don't mean it and aren't willing to own it.  If it's a business email account then make sure the message is about business.


Digital Photography/Digital Movies & You Tube Videos - Photo shop is not for creating new embarrassing photos of your soon to be enemies.  It was meant to enhance photography.  Many friendships have been lost over photo pranks that were meant to be funny but instead were viewed as harassing and hurtful.  Nude images require a signed release from a model that is at least 18 years of age.  Otherwise it's not called photography its called kiddy porn! And it is against the law to have it on your computer or your phone.  You should always have permission of the participants before you publish a video to the internet.  Just because it might be legal doesn't mean that it demonstrates good citizenship.

Laptops/Ipads/Tablets - Just because I own a hammer doesn't mean that I will walk into your classroom and begin banging on the desktops.  Likewise, use your office tools where it is appropriate to use them.  If you are sitting at a choral concert, enjoy the live music.  You can catch up on your Google reader later.


IPODS/MP3's - Get the buds out of your ears.  You won't believe the conversations you are missing.  It's just not polite to have a conversation with someone with buds in your ears.  It's like saying: "I need to talk with you but I can't bear to listen to your voice without the soothing tones of ANTHRAX blasting in my ears."  Just because headphones are the size of rosebuds and when you are wearing them you don't look like a pilot getting ready to take a heading down runway one-niner in a Boeing 747 doesn't mean it's o.k. to tune everyone out.

In education we have a responsibility to embrace technology, even the annoying technologies that make us uncomfortable.  By embracing technology we get the opportunity to demonstrate the proper use of these tools and to teach our kids to be good digital citizens.  My old shop teacher "L.G." taught me a lot about using a hammer and a screwdriver.  If I was in his class today I think he'd be teaching about how to use my electronic tools.