Digital Citizenship- Week 1

As I was reflecting on the readings/viewings this week, coupled with the struggles I face in the classroom and a recent lesson, the following came to mind. 

One of the comments I made concerning the documentary InRealLife (2014), is that is it quite one-sided in terms of focusing on the negative aspects of the internet. Whether this or any other contentious issue, I feel it is necessary to be educated about both sides of the argument in order to better express and defend one's stance. 

For a recent lesson on writing a persuasive essay, I showed "There's a Cell Phone in your Student's Head" as an argument to ban cell phones in our school division. One of the reasons I showed it was the research referenced that states that students perform worse academically in the presence of their phone, particularly if they are learning something for the first time. I found this interesting, as I see students' cell phones in high school multiple times per class, whether or not they are in use. As referenced in the video, I'm aware that my students, colleagues, and myself are prone to having a fractured presence due to cell phones and the ramifications that may have.


The other video, an interview with Simon Sinek, reiterates some of the ideas stated in the InRealLife documentary (2014), particularly when he references the release of dopamine we experience when we receive a "like", for instance. This is the same physiological reaction we have to alcohol or gambling. He points out that laws are in place concerning alcohol and gambling, but not phones. This, coupled with the struggles adolescents face during a stressful, transformative period, proliferates cell phone use.

Sinek isn't proposing that cell phones should be banned. He simply states that, like alcohol and gambling, moderation is key.



However, I was presenting both sides to the class in order to not be biased and allow them to choose the side they wanted to argue. The next video I showed focused on the use of Twitter and educators' ability to collaborate and students' ability to connect with other classes and stakeholders around the world.

Doing so allows for more authentic experiences by connecting students and teachers to one another, thereby redefining the traditional classroom, as it is not limited by the constraints of the physical classroom. Additionally, the metaphors of the industrial or mechanistic paradigm of education, such as learning silos, are challenged through collaboration. Social media and smart phones can be leveraged for more transdisciplinary teaching and problem based learning (PBL).

Being something that the students feel passionately about resulted in more authentic writing. After viewing these videos and consulting sources they sought, many of them found that although they don't want phones to be banned, there is stronger evidence for banning phones. I found this to be a surprising and mature realization for grade 10 students.

Whatever one's stance is, it is paramount that students are aware of how to practice digital citizenship. Some of the aforementioned points are in keeping with  Ribble's nine elements of digital citizenship (2015), such as the idea that one must be cognizant of their digital health and wellness and digital etiquette.

References:

Kidron, B. (Director). (2014). InRealLife [Video file]. First Run Features. Retrieved January 10, 2020, from Kanapy.

Ribble, M. (2015) Digital Citizenship in Schools. 3rd edition, Washington, DC: International Society for Technology in Education.