How do you teach online safety and digital citizenship to K-12 students?

1 Start with the basics

Before diving into the more complex aspects of online safety and digital citizenship, make sure your students have a solid foundation of the basic concepts and terms. For example, you can teach them what personal information is, why it is important to keep it private, and how to create strong passwords and use encryption. You can also explain what cyberbullying is, how to recognize and report it, and how to support victims. You can use interactive games, videos, quizzes, and scenarios to introduce and reinforce these topics.

2 Use real-world examples and scenarios

One of the best ways to make online safety and digital citizenship relevant and meaningful for your students is to use real-world examples and scenarios that they can relate to. For example, you can discuss current events, news stories, or social media posts that illustrate the risks and consequences of unsafe or unethical online behavior. You can also create or use hypothetical scenarios that challenge your students to apply their skills and knowledge to realistic situations. For example, you can ask them how they would respond to a phishing email, a fake news article, or a request for personal information.

3 Incorporate digital tools and platforms

Another way to make online safety and digital citizenship engaging and authentic for your students is to incorporate digital tools and platforms that they use or are interested in. For example, you can use social media, blogs, podcasts, or wikis to create collaborative projects, discussions, or presentations that require your students to practice their online communication, research, and literacy skills. You can also use digital tools and platforms to model and monitor your students' online behavior, provide feedback, and celebrate their achievements.

4 Align with standards and objectives

Online safety and digital citizenship are not isolated topics, but rather cross-curricular and interdisciplinary skills that can be integrated into various subjects and domains. Therefore, it is important to align your online safety and digital citizenship instruction with the standards and objectives of your curriculum, as well as the needs and interests of your students. For example, you can connect online safety and digital citizenship to topics such as digital literacy, media literacy, information literacy, critical thinking, problem-solving, ethical reasoning, and social-emotional learning.

5 Foster a positive and supportive culture

Finally, teaching online safety and digital citizenship is not only about providing information and guidance, but also about fostering a positive and supportive culture in your classroom and school. You can do this by creating and enforcing clear and consistent rules and expectations for online behavior, promoting a sense of community and belonging among your students, encouraging respectful and empathetic interactions, and celebrating diversity and inclusion. You can also involve your students in creating and leading online safety and digital citizenship initiatives, such as peer mentoring, awareness campaigns, or clubs.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?