Digital Rights and Responsibilities question 5

Introduction to Digital Rights and Responsibilities

        From the first day of the school year, students are instructed to follow the classroom and school rules. Students learn the expectations of responsible behavior in the classroom, the hallway, the bathroom, the cafeteria, the playground, the bus and so forth. Teachers help the students learn the rules through role play, assemblies, and class discussions. Positive behavior support rewards those students acting as responsible students throughout the school day. At home, parents establish rules and expectations for student behavior. Just as it is important to establish these rules and expectations for the school and the home, it is imperative that parents and educators establish similar rules and expectations for responsible behavior in the digital world. Students need guidelines and boundaries and are often successful when they know and understand the expectations. Educators and parents must model appropriate use of technology at home and at school. They must teach students about responsible use of technology. Through effective modeling and teaching, the students can successfully and safely participate in today's digital society.
        As stated within the NETs standard for digital citizenship, students are expected to "advocate and practice safe, legal and responsible use of information and technology" (International Society for Technology in Education, 2007). Digital rights and responsibilities address this component of the standard. Parents and educators need to work together, use available resources, and create opportunities for our students that promote safe, legal and responsible use of technology. As students participate in the digital world, they have to learn about internet safety, the best practices when using information online and the responsibilities that accompany technology use. With access to so many different websites, it is very easy to misuse technology. By teaching our students the best practices for technology use and the consequences for misuse, we can prepare them to make informed decisions as they collaborate, communicate and participate in the digital world.