Digital Citizenship

Students in District 73.5 have unprecedented access to technology. This has approach has made the embedded nature of digital responsibility and respect a priority for our district. Our students have age appropriate periodic lessons regarding internet safety and other digital citizenship topics, however the approach of the district is one of integrated learning. Students are reminded of appropriate and purposeful use of technology often. Technology is almost always readily available to our students so this holistic approach is necessary and successful. Our digital citizenship model mirrors the digital passport framework from Common Sense Media. There are five main areas of digital citizenship referenced in Common Sense Media’s Digital Passport. The five areas we focus on are internet safety, privacy, cyberbullying, creative credit, and searching on the internet. Many of these items are embedded in our curriculum, but internet safety and cyberbullying are generally explicitly referenced on an annual basis. Not all of these topics are covered especially in the early grades.