What is Digital Ethics?
Digital ethics refers to a set of guidelines on how one should conduct themselves online and address ethical challenges that come with technology such as privacy and social media. Before students can engage with 21st century learning, they must understand how to navigate with the tools and resources necessary for 21st century learning. And before students can learn about digital ethics, teachers must learn what it means to become a safe digital citizen. Technology is an extremely helpful tool in and outside the classroom, however, it can also lead to life altering consequences if treated lightly. This post will enlighten readers on the guidelines of digital ethics and providing insight on how you can become a proper digital citizen.
The Significance of Digital Ethics
No matter how hard we try, it is impossible to escape the influence technology has on our lives. To safely navigate online, becoming a digital citizen is no longer just an option but a necessary skill to harness inside and outside the classroom. Unfortunately, what we do can be publicized online whether we intend for it or not. So how can we as teachers and students prevent real-life consequences from happening due to how we behave online? Use the following considerations before posting…
- PRIVACY – Will your post/message jeopardize your digital privacy?
- CHECK YOUR FACTS – Is what your posting actually true?
- TOO INAPPROPRIATE – Will my boss disprove of what I post?
- NECESSARY – Do I actually need to post this?
Digital Reputation
We now live in an age where people are hired solely to research possible job candidates’ backgrounds online. You must remember what you post or how you present yourself online has the power to impact your life outside of social media. There are many misconceptions guised as protection for online safety such as…
- “If I delete my post then I’ll be okay.” – FALSE assume what you post can and will be archived
- “Only popular users can affect my online reputation.” – FALSE even if you feel like nobody is seeing your posts many people can still see your posts and use it against you
- “My account is set to private so I can post whatever I want.” – FALSE private accounts are never completely private
To understand more about the importance of digital footprint watch the follow…
Classroom Strategies for Digital Ethics
I know I just revealed the dangers of digital ethics but instead of basing how we conduct ourselves online through fear, we need to base our navigation online with empowerment. Technology like any tool can be used for good or evil. To ensure technology is being properly utilized follow the principles of digital ethics and always remember safety. To help your students understand how they can protect themselves you must first model the ethical behavior of a digital citizen. Demonstrate how to respectfully communicate through emails or Google Docs/Classroom comments. One of the best ways to demonstrate digital ethics is by using real-world examples that review the main obstacles of the online world – cyberbullying, privacy, and plagiarism.
Digital Learning: Innovation within the Classroom 