UNIT 13: Promote Digital Citizenship and Positive Online Behavior

In this unit, you’ll learn:

• How to protect yourself with good, strong passwords
• How to recognize hoaxes
• What makes up your digital footprint
• How to manage your online identity
• The importance of privacy settings
• How to build resilience to be able to handle challenges

I'd argue that this should be the first unit, but sometimes you don't know what you don't know.  This may be the final unit in the first stage of becoming a Level 1 Google Certified Educator, but it is by no means, the least important.

Kids think they know everything about being online because "online" has always been there for some of them. They never worried about Y2K crashing the tech world, and have always had a time when what happened in school was talked about in social media before they got off the bus.  But that doesn't mean someone really taught them about being a good Digital Citizen.

You will need to show them that for each one of them that thinks they know everything, someone, somewhere else, actually does know more.  There are no perfect passwords, but there are stronger passwords.  Teach them how to create personal, memorable, but strong passwords. 

Some people make a living off of lying and hoaxes.  Teach them how to recognize these, by showing them what WILL be asked for, and what will NEVER be asked for.

Show them how to not only Google themselves, but to use multiple searches, and free programs to Creep for themselves, and their friends.  They may think it's funny - until they find it's creepy.  Better they realize in a safe place what is already out there.  Or at least show them how to search about you, and report from home about what they find on themselves.  Then show them how to clean it up - and how to bury what can't be removed.

Then show them how to be private - now that they know WHY they should keep things private.  And why privacy settings don't mean you should share things you wouldn't want to be public.  If you wouldn't say it face to face, and wouldn't want to do it in public - don't think a setting will always protect you.

The internet is an awesome place, and can really make it seem like a small world, able to show us all the wonders of the world in a 40 minute class, in a small town, in a small school.  But in a single second, a poor decision can live on forever - teach them how to protect themselves, and how to protect each other.