Participate 1.1.1 Character Traits Quest

KAREN'S TAKE ON DIGITAL CITIZENSHIP!

DIGITAL CITIZENSHIP QUEST

OUTSTANDING EXAMPLES LIST

OUTSTANDING EXAMPLES LIST

 

 

 

 

 

 

The three most impressive character traits of an exemplary citizen within a digital learning community are academic integrity, creating collaborative learning environments, and promoting equitable access for digital learning.

Academic Integrity:

First of all, we know that digital tools can create new challenges for educators in making sure that appropriate computer behaviors are taught, modeled, and enforced and made into the culture of the entire classroom. Teachers can use proactive steps to prevent plagiarism by the way they design activities and assessments that encourage higher order and critical thinking instead of text-based research and responses.Maintaining a safe internet environment for the class involves websites that are selected for the students, and proper consent from guardians.  Educate and model safe software and ways to stay safe on the internet.

Create Collaborative Learning Environment

Learning environments should encourage students to feel safe in expressing opinions, challenging other views, and knowing that they will not be reprimanded.  Teaching and modeling trust and open communication and allowing students to bring their own unique cultural attributes and experiences to the groups are necessary for successful collaboration that can be learner-centered and structured to support diverse students.  

Equitable Access

ISTE NETS Standard 4 also indicates that you will "address the diverse needs of all learners by ...providing equitable access to appropriate digital tools and resources."  Many people feel that this simply meant access to internet or hardware for online learning.  True components of equitable access are influenced by the teacher so cultural and individual needs of the students are met. Equitable access might mean access to content and the opportunity to respond to that content, and access to teachers who know how to use certain digital tools or resources.   

 *Some additional resources that address collaborative learning environments:

M.B. Tinzmann, B.F. Jones, T.F. Fennimore, J. Bakker, C. Fine, and J. Pierce. NCREL, Oak Brook, 1990
This article discusses basic characteristics found in successful collaborative classrooms: flexible relationships between teachers and students, new approaches to instruction, and composition of the collaborative classroom. New and multiple perspectives on issues and representations are discussed. The authors talk about the opportunities for students to participate in self-regulated learning and relate this to motivation for learning. The teacher’s approach to instruction changes as the instructor becomes a mediator and creates a classroom that allows students to hold maximum responsibility for learning. Classroom control, time management and individual student differences are discussed as challenges and conflicts.

 
Palloff, R., & Pratt, K. (2005). Collaborating online. San Francisco, CA

This book provides educators with direction and strategies for fostering student engagement through collaboration. The importance of learning outcomes, clear directions for completion, assessment, reflection opportunities, and learning cycles are discussed in detail. Using technology for collaboration, virtual teaming, and non-traditional methods for learning are an integral part of this book and the advise and examples are extremely helpful. In addition to the writing, the book shares quite a few resources for case studies, articles, and other resources as part of its composition. “ This book helps education professionals improve the practice of online teaching and learning by providing concise, practical resources focused on particular areas or issues they might confront in this new learning environment” (Palloff & Pratt, 2005).