Thing 4: Digital Tattoo (Thing 17)

My first thought upon reading the title of this assignment was a question: why call it Digital Tattoo? Tattoos can be removed, but I am pretty sure Digital Tattoos are permanent. I was drawn to this assignment because a class I am working with had an encounter with unexpected inappropriate content. Everything turned out okay, but the teacher was left with concerns about how to ensure her students' safety while online. I designed a series of lessons for the students where I hoped to facilitate dialogue. My exploration for this lesson led me to some things I like. I think this Digital Intelligence or "DQ" image is great to use with teachers so they can begin to see all the facets of digital citizenship. I especially like the quote from the site, "the acquisition of these abilities should be rooted in desirable human values such as respect, empathy and prudence. " Teachers who are not digital natives are not coming to the table with notions of what we should teach, but not the experience of being a youth in a digital age.

We already teach the values of respect, empathy, and prudence toward one another in face to face encounters. In my research for how to work with the students on what to do when some unexpected content emerges I found a great video on Flocabulary. I wish it wasn't a paid site, or rather, I wish I had a subscription to it. I used the video on Digital Citizenship to open the dialogue. Then I presented some cases that highlighted digital dilemmas on Google Classroom. The students were very engaged in the lessons and had a lot of thoughtful contributions to the discussion. I highly encourage people to check out Flocabulary if you haven't see it yet. I have used Netsmartz as well with students, but I wanted to branch out for this class. The next thing we are going to talk about is branding and how they want their "brand" to look on the internet. We will explore brand reputations of popular products. I am going to incorporate the 9 points students need to know about digital citizenship from this site. We really need to try to step into the shoes of our students and children to see what their natural impulses are and how they could turn into unwanted permanent tattoos. I definitely think there should be differentiation for differently aged students. The message can remain the same - think before you post - is it kind? is it helpful? is it something I would want my grandmother to see? We are in some uncharted territory. I think the students can be a strong voice for each other in thinking about what to do. One idea I have is to have the students make an internet etiquette guide (similary to Miss Manners) that they could share on a class webpage. Maybe it will catch on....