Red Alert: The App is Not the Problem

I can no longer remain silent about this.

I’ve seen posts warning parents about the dangers of this app and that app with all sorts of sensational headlines. But, I have a spoiler alert for you: The app is not the problem.

We are so afraid that we can’t control or monitor what our teens are doing that we’ve labeled certain apps as “RED ALERT” when that red alert should really be placed on us. I get it though, it is easier to place blame on the app than to acknowledge or address the source of the problem.

Blocking and banning certain apps or sites will not change behaviors. Look at all the violence happening around our world. Somehow, we have forgotten that we are all members of the human race and what happens to one of us — happens to all of us. To quote from one of my all-time favorite movies, the Dead Poet Society, “That you are here — that life exists, and identity; that the powerful play goes on and you may contribute a verse. That the powerful play *goes on* and you may contribute a verse. What will your verse be?”

So, the solution begins with each of us. It’s time to contribute our verse to this critical conversation. We need to engage, educate and mentor our society on the choices and consequences of being human. We need to model what respect for ourselves and others really looks like and to invest in building community wherever we go.

I think the hack needed for education really begins and ends with the ability to humanize the person next to us, as well as across the screen. When we can do this, we can change culture and build communities at the local, global and digital level simultaneously.

Let’s stop the blame game, address the underlying problem and celebrate what makes us human.  

Students are the Solution at #DigCitSummit

 

#digcitsummit student speaker Timmy Sullivan

As I reflect on the 1st Digital Citizenship Summit this past weekend, my heart is full.

My favorite part of the Summit was the presence and voice of students. The only permanent solution to changing school climate, addressing bullying/cyberbullying and learning how to humanize the person next to you, as well as across the screen is more student voice.

We need more students like Timmy Sullivan, our invited high school speaker from Burlington High School in Massachusetts. His session was packed as he shared the need for more student voice in personalizing learning. His impressive online presence is a reflection of both his choices and character which further exemplifies what it means to be the same person both on and offline.

How do we get more student voice in our classrooms?

1. We start early and often. We embed digital citizenship into everything we do both online and offline.
2. We model and teach empathy in everything we do, in every classroom, both in and out of the classroom.
3. We encourage our students to do digital citizenship – not just read or write about it.

Our students are the solution. Engage them in this critical conversation.

My son sharing closing remarks #digcitsummit

How will we get more students like Timmy Sullivan in our classrooms and in our communities? More student voice. We need to begin this conversation before devices are in the hands of our toddlers. We need to have our elementary aged students, like my son who joined me on stage for the closing remarks do digital citizenship and experience what empathy kindness and global collaboration looks like through projects like blogging, Global Read Aloud, Mystery Skype, etc.

If we start with our youngest learners, we will model best practices and will make digital citizenship a verb. As a result, we will help produce socially responsible, ethical and savvy students who think and act at a local, global and digital level simultaneously – like Timmy Sullivan and my son and all students – everywhere.

*A HUGE thank you to my current and former students who helped plan, volunteer and present at the Summit! You are why I do what I do! #FYS15 #ed536 #ed570

*Some of my other favorite examples of students “doing” digital citizenship: iCitizen Project and the iConstitution, for students by students.

Trolls & Trolling: How Do We Empower Others?

This post is for Curt Schilling. You are my #digcit hero and an all-star dad. I want to share your story with other educators, students, administrators and parents on a digital citizenship (#digcit) chat on Twitter on 3/11/15 between 7-8PM ET and I hope you’ll join us.

In 2011, I co-founded the #digcit chat with one of my graduate students. The chat was a direct result of the digital citizenship course I created and taught at the University of Saint Joseph in West Hartford, CT. Every 2nd and 4th Wednesday of the month, the #digcit chat connects educators, students, administrators and parents from around the world.

I teach digital citizenship and digital literacy courses at both the undergraduate and graduate level.  Just recently, both my undergraduate and graduate students completed a #creepU assignment. It was a similar assignment to what you did to find the men responsible from sending the inappropriate tweets about your daughter. The students picked a school and examined public student accounts which lead them to multiple social media tools (which were all public). The #creepU assignment was a teachable moment and by no means was meant to shame the school or the students. Last month, we hosted a #creepU chat on Twitter to share our results and urge other teachers to assign the same assignment. Here’s the #digcit agenda from that chat and the archive from the actual chat. The big take-away from the assignment was that digital citizenship is a 24/7 conversation and must be taught in K-12 schools.

How do we help our students realize that your daughter could be their sister, cousin, neighbor? friend? Our students need to be mindful of the choices they make both on and offline and learn to humanize the person next to them, as well as across the screen. I believe it starts with teaching empathy and providing students opportunities to not just read and write about it, but to do it. We need to teach our students how to think and act simultaneously through a local, global and digital lens.

Next Wednesday, I’m going to host a #digcit chat on “Trolls & Trolling” and discuss the seriousness of it, how to prepare our students to handle it (and our teachers to teach it) and best practices on how to find and confront the troll(s). I hope that you will be able to join me and perhaps co-moderate the chat.

PS: I’m a diehard Red Sox fan too and the only official team jersey I own has your name on it! I’ll be extra proud when I wear it again to Fenway because you have now empowered a global audience to stand up to cyberbullies and trolls! Props to you #38!

Connected Educator Month #ce14 + Connected Student Month #cs14 + #digcit + #stuvoice during National Bullying Month in October = Grandslam

What a combination! Excited to get more student’s involved during the month of October in conjunction with Connected Educator Month and National Bullying Month. I’ll be co-moderating the #digcit chat on October 8, 2014 at 7pm EST with my #ed536 graduate students.  We will encourage connected educators to engage their students in #cs14 activities during the month to promote digital citizenship awareness – including more opportunities to do kindness, model empathy, create positive school climate, and stop bullying.  If there is ever going to be a solution – we need our students to take the lead!  Please join us all month long using the #cs14 hashtag in conjunction with #ce14 and invite your students to join the #digcit chat on October 8th!

Resources to help you plan #cs14 activities:

Stomp Out Bullying; PACER Center; Common Sense Media – Resources for National Bullying Month; Spark Kindness; BullyBust; National Child Traumatic Stress Network; StopBullying.

Would love to hear what activities you are planning for #cs14! Count us in for any opportunities to connect and collaborate!

Creating Positive School Culture – How Do You Do It?

I am so inspired when students create solutions and I’m curious how teachers are engaging students in this critical conversation.

• How are students creating positive school culture in your classroom and school?
• Why is student voice so important?
• How can we help empower students?

I have always loved sharing student examples like @westhighbros, #SandersTHS and #YouthCC.  Currently, my new favorite student creation is “Rethink” created by Trisha Prabhu.  Her 2014 Google Science Fair project was created to combat cyberbullying.   All these examples illustrate that one person can create a positive change.

Last spring my undergraduates created an iConstitution for students, by students.  We would love to have more students add their voice and story to this project.  More students actively doing kindness and empathy will directly influence how we treat each other both on and offline.

As we prepare for the 2014-2015 school year, here are a few of my favorite resources:

• The new and approved digital citizenship survival kit created by Craig Badura
• Erase Meanness created by Eric Johnson
• The Empathy Toy created by Twenty One Toys
• Spark Kindness created by SPARK Kindness
• CritterKin created by Jena Ball and Marty Keltz

Please share your ideas, lesson plans, resources – we want to encourage more student voice in creating a culture of kindness and empathy.  Please join me and the #digcit chat team every 2nd and 4th Wednesday of the month at 7pm EST.  Our next chat is Wednesday, 9/10/14 with Eric Johnson joining us as a guest moderator.  The chat is open to everyone – including students, educators, parents and community members.