NETS*T Four and Five

4. Promote and Model Digital Citizenship and Responsibility

Part of the focus of the unit that we just finished was copyright and digital citizenship.  I knew some of the copyright information, but there were a lot of surprises as well.   If you are interested, check out this site – it’s a bit silly, but describes a dense topic in a fun, interactive way.  

Copyright Bay

The second aspect of this standard is digital citizenship and responsibility.  Both of these are hot topics and are important to share with students.  Very young students need to know that the internet is public and that they have to be careful who they talk to and what they tell people they meet online. 

Digital citizenship is vital as well – especially to our middle and high school students.  With the recent suicides over cyber bullying, it is important to emphasis that what they write on Twitter or Facebook or a blog has real, and lasting, consequences.  And its public, out there for anyone: classmates, teachers, parents, community or church members to read. 

Both of these issues are very real to me personally as well – I have a young son, it will be my job as a parent to make sure that he understands the dangers, to himself and others, of improper behavior on the web.  And I need to make sure I follow the same rules.  I guess the rule of thumb – If you don’t want your mom to read it, don’t write it on Facebook- applies!

Teachers understand local and global societal issues and responsibilities in an evolving digital culture and exhibit legal and ethical behavior in their professional practices. Teachers:

a.        advocate, model, and teach safe, legal, and ethical use of digital information and technology, including respect for copyright, intellectual property, and the appropriate documentation of sources.
b.       address the diverse needs of all learners by using learner-centered strategies providing equitable access to appropriate digital tools and resources.
c.        promote and model digital etiquette and responsible social interactions related to the use of technology and information.
d.       develop and model cultural understanding and global awareness by engaging with colleagues and students of other cultures using digital-age communication and collaboration tools.

5. Engage in Professional Growth and Leadership

This one seems like the easiest of the five – Stay Engaged!  And isn’t that what we want our students to do?  I like to explore new technology, talk to others in my field about what is engaging to them or debating hot topics.  I have no experience in the larger teaching profession, but in my previous experience leadership roles come fairly easily to me and I really enjoyed my time spent on professional development, networking, and sharing ideas. 

Teachers continuously improve their professional practice, model lifelong learning, and exhibit leadership in their school and professional community by promoting and demonstrating the effective use of digital tools and resources. Teachers:

a.        participate in local and global learning communities to explore creative applications of technology to improve student learning.
b.       exhibit leadership by demonstrating a vision of technology infusion, participating in shared decision making and community building, and developing the leadership and technology skills of others.
c.        evaluate and reflect on current research and professional practice on a regular basis to make effective use of existing and emerging digital tools and resources in support of student learning.
d.       contribute to the effectiveness, vitality, and self-renewal of the teaching profession and of their school and community. 

(http://www.iste.org/standards/nets-for-teachers.aspx)