The Technology Tail

I recently read an article on Komo News regarding Americans and their inability to discern fact from opinion. This made me think about he ideas in the text by Chayko and Rheingold regarding CRAP detection. In a survey of over 5,000 people just 26% were able to correctly identify the facts and 35% were able to identify the opinions. This is incredibly problematic, especially when it comes to politics.

I take my role as a kindergarten teacher seriously and have a deep understanding that children’s online habits, behaviors, and skills start with me. I’m struggling with how I can teach digital citizenship in a way that is developmentally appropriate. For example, we have conversations about digital footprints, how once you put something on the internet it’s there forever, how important passwords are for protection, etc. We also talk about the kind of information that you share on the internet and what you keep private. Later in the year I teach a mini unit on fact vs. opinion and I’m really interested in using news articles (e.g., Scholastic News) that are accessed via the internet to allow kids to apply their understanding of the concept. I guess I’m just sitting with the uncertainty of whether or not I’m doing enough to support my students’ ability to navigate the web responsibly. I’m also looking for more tools to teach digital citizenship and start to build students’ awareness of the internet and how to use it safely.

I was digging around and found a blog post where a teacher has listed some quality picture books to use to teach digital citizenship. Some of the topics include communicating with strangers and inviting them over, learning to balance screen time and be intentional with its use, purchasing things online without parent permission, and much more. I’m excited to look into a few of them!

http://ditchthattextbook.com/2018/03/22/teaching-digital-citizenship-with-picture-story-books/