Digital Literacy - A Stakeholder Effort

Article: "Making Sense of Digital Literacy Education" by Ian Quillen (July 2, 2010)

Synopsis of the Article:
The article describes some actions that the Common Sense Media (CSM) organization took to create a curriculum on teaching digital literacy in schools.  After much research and observation on how young people bully each other on social networks, CSM's chief education and strategy officer, Linda Burch realized that the position of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the U.S. DOE is correct in saying that schools should teach digital literacy to all students.  Based on findings, a new curriculum was created by CSM: Digital Citizenship in a Connected Culture, which is composed of five units: Digital Life, Privacy and Digital Footprints, Self-Expression and Identity, Connected Culture, and Respecting Creative Work.  The curriculum follows New York's State Standards and is being aligned with the Common Core State Standards as well.

Things to Consider:
1.  Do you believe CNMI PSS should adopt the Digital Citizenship in a Connected Culture curriculum?  See http://www.commonsensemedia.org/educators/curriculum for more information.
2.  Do you teach (formally or informally) digital citizenship to your students?  How do you monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of your teaching?
3.  Do you think that teaching digital literacy is the responsibility of teachers?  Please explain in 1 or 2 sentences.

Reflection:
Just recently I was reminded of something by my colleague, Elvira.  She attended an Anti-Bully session in Saipan and she shared something with me that made sense, one which I never actually sat to think about before.  Anger is a natural, human emotion, we should accept it.  Violence, on the other hand, is a learned behavior.  It should be controlled, prevented, and stopped.

After reading "Making Sense of Digital Literacy" by Ian Quillen (2010), I am reminded of what Elvira said.  Our behaviors are learned.  For many people, these lessons are taught at home by parents, guardians, and any relatives we look up to.  Quillen's article rests on the fact that students' behaviors online should be taught at school.  From my understanding, Quillen states that a school system is responsible for doing this.  I disagree.

A child's upbringing is a community effort.  A child's first classroom is in his/her home.  Parents are the first and foremost teachers who children learn from.  If parents teach their children manners, respect, courtesy, generosity, etc., then their acceptance to learning and practicing digital citizenship in school will be inevitable.  In contrast, if parents show their children rudeness, selfishness, hate, etc., then teaching digital citizenship will be like wading through molasses.  This is not to say that it is solely the parents' responsible to teach children.  In some case, parents do.  It is the influence of friends, other adults, in other words, community members, who may influence a child to go against their parents' teachings.  

Even with all of our efforts to educate students on the harmful effects of bullying and cyber-bullying, the problem is still here.  I just read an article about 12 and 14 year-old girls who are charged in the suicide of 12 year-old Rebecca Sedwick in Florida last week because she was cyber-bullied.  She died on September 10, 2013 and after investigating, the two girls were finally charged in October. See http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20745709,00.html.  After learning of Rebecca's death, the 14 year-old posted on her Facebook account that she knew she bullied Rebecca and that Rebecca killed herself, but she doesn't care (she used a more hateful expression though).  Interestingly (and disgustingly) enough, the 14 year-old's mother was arrested on Friday, October 18, 2013, for brutally beating two boys.  See http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/florida-mom-teen-accused-bullying-girl-committed-suicide-arrested-child-abuse-charges-authorities-article-1.1490366.  This, in a way, proves what I just mentioned about what parents do and teach influence their children.  

Yes, we as educators have the obligation to teach our students responsibility and citizenship when using technology, but in order for our students, our children, to grasp and appreciate digital literacy, the partnership of all stakeholders is necessary.