spacer
Home Biography Philosophy Courses Standards

NETS Standard 4: Promote and Model Digital Citizenship and Responsibility (more at ISTE)

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:
  1. 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. 
  2. address the diverse needs of all learners by using learner-centered strategies providing equitable access to appropriate digital tools and resources. 
  3. promote and model digital etiquette and responsible social interactions related to the use of technology and information.
  4. develop and model cultural understanding and global awareness by engaging with colleagues and students of other cultures using digital-age communication and collaboration tools.
Examples of my work for this standard. How I apply this standard in my teaching.
  • In an age where so much information is accessible with the click of a button, it is important to teach students how to access this information and use it in the proper way. While most students will know how to use search engines, they may not know what sites are approved to use and/or have access to those sites. It is vital that students have access to digital materials, especially those that are used in school. Many schools will buy rights to use material that is online, such as video libraries or databases of journals, so it becomes important for the teacher to make sure that the materials that are used are accessible to students. By using materials that are only accessible via the school, it allows teachers to make sure that students are retrieving information that is factual. Also, using material that schools have access to, allows all students to be able access that information while at school at any time they want.

    When giving students access to digital materials, it is vital to tell students about plagiarism and how easy it is to tell if students do plagiarize. It is important to explain how serious of a crime plagiarism is, and that it if caught, their lives could be changed forever, in a negative way. The first thing that must be done is to teach students how identify sites that acceptable to use. This may be as simple as making a list of sites that may be commonly used but are not accepted in the educational world. The next step would be to teach students how to properly cite websites and digital materials, especially those where ideas are directly taken from. Last, I would explain how to find out if their work, or works they are using, can be seen as plagiarism, by using websites that are easy to access from anywhere.

    With so much media being accessible via the Internet, it is necessary, as an educator, to make sure that you are not using copyrighted material. When using videos, it is important to make sure that the videos are from the source itself, and not illegally posted. Many media outlets will have video clips that are downloadable or linkable, so this is a safe way to ensure no copyright infringement. When using images, it is important that you do not blatantly steal from sources. This is usually evident by watermarks or copyright marks on the images themselves. To avoid this, use images that you have legal access, which may be through programs you own, Fair Use, or use your own pictures. In regard to music, using clips that are available online or from your personal catalog (as long as it is not downloadable) is usually the safest way. However, it may be possible to directly contact the artist and ask for permission. To make sure you do not infringe on copyrights, you can simply access the government’s website on Fair Use.
My favorite resources for this standard.

Created by Joshua B. Frisch - Last Updated: April 2011