An
Information Literacy Guide for Upper Elementary and Middle School Students
regarding Responsible Internet Use
The focus of this guide
is to outline the skills and knowledge that upper elementary and middle school students
need in order to use the Internet in a safe and responsible way. “By teaching
our students the best practices for technology use and the consequences for
misuse, we can prepare them to make informed decisions as they collaborate,
communicate and participate in the digital world” (Behrens, n.d., para. 1).
Security-
Always keep your usernames and passwords private. The only people you should
share them with is your parents. Change your password regularly and use a
combination of letters, numbers and symbols.
Privacy-
Do not share any personal information about yourself or others online. Never
give out your address, phone number, school you attend or other identifying
information.
Netiquette-
Remember the “Golden Rule”. Do not say, post, or share things about others that
you would not want posted about you.
Digital
Footprint- Remember, what you post online does not really disappear.
It can be copied, shared and sent to others in the blink of an eye. Stop and
think before you post something that can impact your reputation or the
reputation of others. Be respectful of others when tagging or sharing posts.
Build a positive digital presence.
Information
Literacy-Be aware that not all information on the Internet is
accurate or credible. Get in the habit of checking the author’s reliability by
reading their biographies or cross referencing information. Sponsored links
that often appear at the beginning of search results are usually advertisements
and therefore are not the best sources for information. Use a variety of search
tactics to increase the opportunity to find accurate, relevant and current
information.
Copyright
and Plagiarism- Give credit where credit is due. When
using content that is not originally yours, you must cite the source. This is
true for written work as well a music and digital content. It is also unlawful
to illegally download music, videos and other content. This is called pirating
and is considered stealing. Be aware of copyright laws. (www.commonsensemedia.org)
References
Behrens, J. (n.d.). Digital citizenship: Are you a digital citizen?
Common Sense Education. Digital Citizenship.
Retrieved from https://www.commonsensemedia.org/educators/
Digital Citizenship Institute. Nine themes of digital citizenship.
Retrieved
from www.digitalcitizenship.net/Nine_Elements.html
The Walt Disney Company. Online safety tips for kids (and parents). Retrieved
from
Michelle,
ReplyDeleteYour guide is perfect for upper elementary and middle school students. It covers the key areas they need to be the most informed about in a high readability format. Privacy and the digital footprint parts are the ones I see them really needing to be knowledge about,especially since our adolescent interview assignment. I enjoyed it!
Michelle,
ReplyDeleteThis is very clear, thorough and helpful! The segment about your Digital Footprint is so important for technology users of all ages. I feel like many of us can easily forget that what we write, post or click on can be tracked and stored for years to come. These are all helpful tools, thank you!
Hi Michelle,
ReplyDeleteYou guide is really good and important. Students do not realize how important it is to be safe online. I like that you included digital footprint. Students do not realize when they post something it's out in the world for all to see and it's hard if not impossible to get it offline. I think you did a great job!