Digital Citizenship: How to Create a
Positive Online Community
Core Curriculum Action Plan- Lesson One
School Counselor: Veritza Kostovki Date: September 2015
Activity: Students will establish group norms to create a positive online community that promotes responsible and respectful digital behavior within their classrooms.
Students will collaborate in creating a digital citizenship pledge outlining their collective social norms for exploring in and interacting with the digital world.
Grade(s): Sixth Grade (477 students)
ASCA Mindsets & Behaviors (Domain/Standard): Social/Emotional
M 1- Belief in development of whole self, including a healthy balance of mental/social/emotional and physical well-being
B-SS 9- Demonstrate social maturity and behaviors appropriate to the situation and
environment
Learning Objective(s) (aligns with Competency)
Students will be able to:
1. Establish expectations and norms for the group related to appropriate online
behavior.
2. Participate respectfully and responsibly in an online community
3. Collaborate on a classroom motto about digital citizenship
Materials:
Copy of the “We the Digital Citizenship” Handout, Poster-Citizenship Pledge, markers, pens,
Procedure:
1. Entrance and exit ticket- Students will complete the following Likert Scale by circling the best answer:
Not at all1 / Just Barely
2 / Maybe
3 / Absolutely
4
i. I know the difference between an online community and an offline community.
ii. I can think of at least three online and offline communities that I am a part of.
iii. I understand the definition of “Digital Citizenship”
2. Discuss how participants in a community (e.g., your class) ought to agree on what’s appropriate and what’s expected to create a safe space (a shared set of norms and expectations) related to digital citizenship. (The goal is to help students build and maintain a culture of digital citizenship for classrooms online communities).
3. Ask students questions and facilitate a class discussion:
a. Are you a part of any online communities?
b. What kinds are you part of ?
c. How are online communities different than offline communities?
d. What are some examples of how you can be good members of one of these online
communities?
4. Define, explain and talk about the term digital citizen.
5. Discuss the term pledge and have students verbally answer questions (see digital pledge
handout/questions attached).
6. Divide the class into small groups of two or three students and distribute copies of the
“We the Digital Citizenship Pledge” student handout.
7. Instruct students to brainstorm for five minutes in their small groups about additional
expectations that they feel are important for an online community. Have them fill out the
last two bubbles on the handout.
8. As a whole class, students will share their ideas and decide on expectations to add to the
poster version of the “We the Digital Citizen Pledge”.
9. Define and talk about a motto and what motto can be used that encapsulates the class
pledge. Provide examples such as Nike’s- Just Do it . Add the motto to the poster.
10. Invite students to sign the pledge poster to indicate his/her commitment.
11. Close: Students will complete an exit ticket. Index cards will be provided to answer the
(same) Likert Scale questions that were asked in the introductory activity.
Plan for Evaluation: How will each of the following be collected?
Process Data: Attendance and entrance/exit tickets will be collected.
Perception Data: Perception data gathered, tallied and compared from exit/entrance tickets of questions based on a Likert scale.
Outcome Data: Data pertaining to discipline and bullying referrals will be collected through the counselor and administration student information system. Data will be compared from the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th nine weeks of referrals due to “bullying”to see if there was a reduction of behavior referrals due to bullying.
Follow Up: Counselors will follow up on all complaints and referrals regarding bullying or possible bullying behaviors. Counselors will follow up with all students involved in any “bullying” allegations and follow county procedures that include:
● Peer mediation if appropriate
● Individual counseling
● Contacting parents and offering outside counseling resources
● Attending group counseling
ASSESSMENT
1. When you sign a pledge, you are ______.
a) signing a letter to a friend
b) making a promise to do something
c) explaining why something is true
2. Why do many teachers go over classroom expectations every year?
a) They want to build a classroom community that has common expectations.
b) They want to have students debate the classroom rules.
c) They want to tell students what to do.
3. Which of the following statements probably is NOT on a digital citizenship pledge? a) We pledge to stand up to cyberbullying.
b) We pledge to finish all of our homework every night.
c) We pledge to keep private information private.
Entrance Ticket
Please read the questions below and circle the best answer.
1. I know the difference between an online community and an offline community.
Not at all1 / Just Barely
2 / Maybe
3 / Absolutely
4
2. I can think of at least three online and offline communities that I am a part of.
Not at all1 / Just Barely
2 / Maybe
3 / Absolutely
4
3. I understand the definition of “Digital Citizenship”
Not at all1 / Just Barely
2 / Maybe
3 / Absolutely
4
Exit Ticket
Entrance Ticket
Please read the questions below and circle the best answer.
1. I know the difference between an online community and an offline community.
Not at all1 / Just Barely
2 / Maybe
3 / Absolutely
4
2. I can think of at least three online and offline communities that I am a part of.
Not at all1 / Just Barely
2 / Maybe
3 / Absolutely
4
3. I understand the definition of “Digital Citizenship”
Not at all1 / Just Barely
2 / Maybe
3 / Absolutely
4
Perception Data – Average response for all students pre- and post- test – 6th grade
i. I know the difference between an online community and an offline community.
ii. I can think of at least three online and offline communities that I am a part of.
iii. I understand the definition of “Digital Citizenship”
Not at all1 / Just Barely
2 / Maybe
3 / Absolutely
4