A couple of years ago I attended a workshop which focused on introducing parents to the concept of digital citizenship.  A central theme emphasized was that in order to be a good digital citizen, one must apply principles of citizenship in general. As adults, parents or teachers, we have a duty to act in ways on line that our children or students can model. We create the norm that can then be followed. We can be thoughtful about how we communicate digitally and utilize clear and respectful language even though the people we are communicating with are not directly in front of us.

Digital citizenship must be introduced in our school systems as part of the curriculum. It should also be part of every project and every interaction with the digital world for ourselves as teachers and parents so we can create a safe and respectful environment for our students to model and learn from.