Understanding
Digital Citizenship


      Dr. Alec Couros
  Middle Years Conference
         April 2011
#myc11



   bit.ly/myc11
internet ʻsafetyʼ
offensive content
What Is Considered Offensive?
1966
1971
1991
1996
2006
How is the Web Different?
=
“Pornography makes up 37% of
the total content of the Internet.ʼ”

           =
cyber predators
“Posting personal information online
 does not, by itself, appear to be a
   particularly risky behaviour.ʼ”

         “Social networking sites ... do not
          appear to have increased risk of
         victimization by online molestors.ʼ”
Sexual predation is a concern ...
existed before the Internet, but is
    overblown by the media.

       Bullying & harrassment are the most
        frequent threats faced by minors
              both online and offline.
hate, racism, violence
“Some of the comments on
           Youtube make you weep for the
            future of humanity, just for the
             spelling alone, never mind the
             obscenity and naked hatred.”
@leverus
                     (Lev Grossman)
CONTROL

                  FEAR


PREDICTABILITY


             VULNERABILITY
BYOC
digital citizenship
“Digital citizenship isnʼt just about
   recognizing and dealing with online
hazards. Itʼs about building safe spaces &
   communities, understanding how to
manage personal information, and about
 being Internet savvy - using your online
presence to grow & shape your world in a
safe, creative way, and inspiring others to
         do the same.” (Digizen)
media literacy
Info. Literacy ≠ Media Literacy
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/07/24/obama-in-berlin-video-of_n_114771.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/07/24/obama-in-berlin-video-of_n_114771.html
Easily Copied
Easily Copied   Instantly Shared
Easily Copied   Instantly Shared




Easily Edited
Easily Copied     Instantly Shared




Easily Edited   Viewable by Millions
PRIVATE   by DEFAULT




PUBLIC    with EFFORT
PUBLIC    by DEFAULT




PRIVATE   with EFFORT
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/07/24/obama-in-berlin-video-of_n_114771.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/07/24/obama-in-berlin-video-of_n_114771.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/07/24/obama-in-berlin-video-of_n_114771.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/07/24/obama-in-berlin-video-of_n_114771.html
network literacy
Network Literacies



                  •   “Understanding how
                      networks work is one of
                      the most important
                      literacies of the 21st
                      century.” (2010)



@hrheingold
There are those who ʻgetʼ it ...
Naheed Nenshi




Howard Rheingold

                   http://www.anduro.com/calgary-mayor-race.html
Justin Bieber
Amanda Hocking
Maria Aragon
Rebecca Black
and those who donʼt ...
“parents spotted Facebook
  comments she wrote describing
students as ʻgerm bagsʼ and parents
     as ʻsnobbyʼ and arrogant.”
“Cisco just offered me a job!
Now I have to weigh the utility
  of a fatty paycheck against
the daily commute and hating
            the work.”
digital identity
37% of Canadian parents
  share sonograms online
                           84% of Canadian toddlers
                            have an online identity
Digital Footprint
kids start young



Digital Footprint
choices are made


Digital Footprint
schools also
 contribute
strategies ...
awareness
http://www.flickr.com/photos/will-lion/3356252350/
tools
personas
distributed identity
portfolios
Owning a domain name is
about claiming your piece
of the internet. You’re no
longer renting, you’re a
home owner.
                             http://www.flickr.com/photos/35723943@N00/2379057597/
Best Job in the World
On Digital Video

                     •   “Ten years ago, not one student in
                         a hundred, nay, one in a thousand,
                         could have produced videos like
                         this. It’s a whole new skill, a vital
                         and important skill, and one
                         utterly necessary not simply from
                         the perspective of creating but
                         also of comprehending video
Stephen Downes           communication today.
conclusion
digital citizenship
digital citizenship
digital identity
digital identity
Embrace Our Reality
Let Go of Control




http://www.flickr.com/photos/admitchell08/2574455073
Become a Resident
Learn to Navigate Our (Digital) World




                                        http://www.flowtown.com/blog/the-2010-social-networking-map
Rethink Our Role As Educators
Understand When & How to Be Private




                                      http://www.flickr.com/photos/dolmansaxlil/4802611949/
Understand When & How to Share




                                 http://www.flickr.com/photos/dolmansaxlil/4802611949/
Create & Share with Others




                             http://www.flickr.com/photos/dolmansaxlil/4802611949/
“Iʼve had a lot of people come up to me
 and say ʻI know not to say bad things. I
think before I say somethingʼ. And thatʼs
   amazing because [they] actually are
        being affected by my video
Don’t limit a child to your
own learning, for he was born
  in another time. ~Tagore


       http://couros.ca
     couros@gmail.com
          @courosa

Understanding Digital Citizenship - Middle Years Conference