Being a Digital Citizen

What is a Digital Citizen?
A digital citizen refers to a person who has the knowledge and skills to effectively use digital technologies to communicate with others, participate in society and create and consume digital content. 
Digital citizenship is about confident and positive engagement with digital technologies. By educating students about digital citizenship, they will have the opportunity to develop an understanding about the following concepts: 

1. Digital and information literacy
2. Internet safety
3. Privacy and security 
4. Cyber bullying, relationships, etiquette and communication
5. Creative credit and copyright
6. Digital footprint

There are around 9 elements of a digital citizenship;

1. Digital Etiquette: Refers to the conduct one uses when interacting with others online. 
2. Digital Access: Technology users need to be aware that not everyone has the same opportunities when it comes to technology. Working toward equal digital rights and supporting electronic access is the starting point of Digital citizenship.
3. Digital Law: Copyright/Plagiarism Students need to realize how important it is to ensure they are producing work that is in their own words, and to be sure to give credit to those they are sourcing from.
4. Digital Communication: How do new communication methods like texting, cell phones, and social networking (twitter, Skype, etc.) fit in an educational classroom setting? What kind of positive outcomes might they enable? makes learning a lot of interesting and interactive.
5. Digital Literacy: Digital Literacy is the capability to use technology and knowing when and how to use it, and can be broken down into three sections.
6. Digital Commerce: “Learning to become an intelligent consumer is an important aspect of good citizenship. Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for students to go online and purchase items without thinking about the consequence. therefore it is the teacher's and the parent's responsibility to guide the students.
7. Digital Rights and responsibilities: Students need to follow and use technology responsibility inside and outside school. They should be informed of all the consequences that follows if they ever violet the rights and responsibilities.
8. Digital Safety and security: With the amount of personal information we as a society are putting online through social media sites, banking and online services, it’s important we are all aware of how to best protect this information from being accessed.
9. Digital health and wellness:Physical and psychological well being. Finding balance between on and offscreen time. Protect eyes and ears, posture, proper way to use keyboard. Looking at addictions Computer Ergonomics for Elementary Schools Digital Health & Wellness Visit Common Sense Media’s scope and sequence for lessons specific to the students you are teaching.

Being a digitally active tutor we need to be vigilant and make sure that all the students follow these elements of a digital citizenship. They have to know all the consequences that follows if they ever violet any of the elements. It is not enough to create rules,and policy. we must teach everyone to become responsible digital citizens in this new society.

You all can more about digital citizenship by clicking the following links.

https://digitalcitizenedu.wordpress.com/demo-2/the-9-elements-of-digital-citizenship/

https://www.teachthought.com/the-future-of-learning/the-definition-of-digital-citzenship/