Lesson Plan: Grade 8 Digital Citizenship Pilot Program

I. Project Overview:

Project Title

Digital Citizenship Grade 8 Program

Rationale We live in an increasingly technological world where we are spending more and more time online interacting with each other, sharing, creating, learning, communicating, shopping, and accessing information. Young Canadians need help to become better digital citizens of this digital world by exploring technology and taking risks in a safe environment to learn about issues such as online privacy, safety, ethical relationships, appropriate use of technology, cyberbullying, evaluating information, decoding online advertising, etc.

Target Audience

A class of grade 8 students at the secondary level will pilot the program with the direction of their teacher-librarian, and provide feedback for the possibility of extension of the program to rest of grade 8’s next year

Unit Time Constraints

Five sessions, one hour each in the library computer lab (with possibility of extending unit next year)

Format of delivery

Teacher-Librarian lead workshops on digital citizenship with introduction PowerPoint or activity, class discussion of topic & individual brainstorm, online interactive modules, summary discussion & individual feedback (journal reflection or anonymous online survey)

Project Scope

1. Introduction Lesson- What is Digital Citizenship, My Technology Inventory, vote on modules, baseline survey

2. Interactive Module 1: Co-Co’s Choco Match (recognizing & decoding online advertising)

3. Interactive Module 2: Instant Pigeon (online chatting simulation, ethical relationships, stranger contact, cyberbullying)

4. Interactive Module 3: MyFace (mock Facebook profile, safety & privacy management)

5. Conclusion Lesson- summary, reflection, & feedback (to improve program for next year)

Broad Learning Objectives

Recognizing and Decoding Advertising Behaving Ethically Online Managing Safety and Privacy

Big PictureCurricular Fits

Critical-thinking and problem-solving skills Communication Skills Citizenship and Ethical Behaviour Information Literacy Technological Competence Internet or Digital Literacy

Resources & Technology

Library Computer Lab (plus extra laptops to make full class set with backups) Up-to-date internet browser (ex: in my lab it only worked in Chrome) Have students bring their own headphones (have a few back up headsets for

those who forget or do not own headphones) Projector & speakers Microsoft PowerPoint & Word (to create teacher materials & student

handouts)

Learn Now BC student accounts (access point to School District subscriptions & resources)

Passport to the Internet (paid license program through School District No 58 to Media Smart`s Internet Literacy Program grades 4-8)

Printer (to print passport as students complete each module) Fluid Survey or Survey Monkey account (tool to create online anonymous

surveys to gather feedback) Digital Citizenship Student Journals to keep unit materials & reflections over

several weeksFinal Vision Project Submission

Lesson plans for a digital citizenship unit pilot program with learning objectives, student handouts, PowerPoints, online survey questions, and student feedback worksheet. These materials are intended for other librarians, grade 8 teachers, LIBE 477 instructor, other 21st Century Teacher Coordinators at my school, and my school administrator (as part of my 5 year growth plan)

II. Introduction Lesson

Time: 1 hour and 15 minutes

Lesson Plan:

Student Introduction Activity: What is your favourite or most used technology device or app, website, etc? Students and teacher write personal response on sticky note and one by one introduce themselves to the class/librarian. Sticky notes go on chart paper posted in lab. Discussion about the kinds of activities we engage with online.

Introduction PowerPoint: What is Digital Citizenship?Teacher Librarian discusses the definition, elements, and questions of digital citizenship with the class.

Pilot Group Feedback: Librarian does quick demo of Passport to the Internet program and students vote on the top 3 modules they would like to do. The students chose MyFace (where students will build mock Facebook profiles and learn about privacy management), Instant Pigeon (where students will engage in a series of interactive online chats to learn about ethical relationships online and dealing with stranger contact and cyberbullying), and Co-Co’s Choco Match (where students will encounter online advertising and learn to read between the lines). This will be the scope of my Final Vision for the pilot program. If the feedback on these modules is positive, we could expand the program next year to include Study Spaces (where students learn how to effectively search and evaluate the information they find online) and Web Café (where students learn to recognize whether a Web site is relevant and appropriate).

Student Activity: My Technology InventoryStudents brainstorm what devices, websites, apps, accounts, etc. that they use daily and record thoughts on the My Technology Inventory worksheet in their journals. Students will also map out their activities last week and how much time they spent online. Students record the number of hours per week on a sticky note and anonymously put it up on chart paper at the front of the class.

Digital Citizenship Survey:

Finally, to gather initial feedback, I had a group of grade 8s at my school complete an online survey http://fluidsurveys.com/surveys/library-vrs/digital-citizenship-survey/ of their digital citizenship using their brainstorming activity to help. I posted the link to the survey on my school and library webpage. I gave the students time to complete the survey (10-15 minutes). I also invited other

grade classes to take the survey on their own time to make the sample size larger. Here are some of the results from the survey that further support the need for digital citizenship education in our school:Of the 42-43 grade 8 students from my school that were surveyed anonymously online:

53.4% (23) are online more than 21 hours per week 76.7% (33) have a mobile device that can access the internet 75% (30) have Facebook accounts, 75% (30) have Instagram

accounts, 70% (28) have Snap Chat accounts, 40% (16) have Twitter accounts

76.2% (32) use the internet regularly to text/online chat, 71.4% (30) play games online, 54.8% (23) find information for school, 45.2% (19) share photos/video of themselves, 40.5% (17) find information for personal use, and only 16.7% (7) use email regularly.

31% (13) have social media accounts that they keep secret from the family & friends

46.5% (20) send more than 30 text messages per day 23.8% (10) report being bullied, harassed, or shamed online 23.8% (10) report interacting with strangers online every week or

more 18.6% (8) have tried “sexting” 26.8% (11) have used a credit card online 20.9% (9) report having never talked with their parents/guardians

about online safety and respectful behaviour 37.2% (16) report having no rules at home regarding using the

internet/mobile devices 76% (19) report having used vulgar or inappropriate language

(swear words, racial insults, homophobic comments, etc) in public spaces online (spaces other than a personal email or messages)

24% (6) report having used the internet to insult, embarrass, or shame someone

12% (3) report that others have shared or posted images or video of themselves engaging in illegal, sexual, or inappropriate behaviour

12% (3) report that they have shared or posted images or video of friends engaging in illegal, sexual, or inappropriate behaviour

25.6% (11) believe that they are 100% safe and respectful online, 53.5% (23) believe that they are safe and respectful online most of the time , 11.6% (5) say they sometimes take risks or are not respectful online, and 1 students stated I am NOT safe and respectful

online, 3 students said I do not know if I am being safe and respectful online

III. Module #1: CoCo’s Choco Match

Time: 1 hour

Overview:

A poster advertising Coco’s Crunch cereal leads students to this module, which simulates the online advertising spaces that young internet users often encounter. Students learn to recognize advertising material for what it is and to “read between the lines” of online advertising. Student must identify what is advertising and what is not. They are able to play the game when they have successfully identified all of the online advertising. See page 18 and 19 of the Teacher’s Guide for the answers and potential trouble spots. Students can use the help tool to read about the online advertising before they make a choice. This module is shorter than some of the other modules. (Passport to the Internet Teacher’s Guide, 2014)

Learning Objectives:

Recognizing and Decoding Advertising Recognizing advertising environments Recognizing and questioning advertising claims Understanding that immersive environments and “advergames” are used to collect

consumer information and build brand loyalty

(Passport to the Internet Teacher’s Guide, 2014)

Lesson Plan:

Set up projector with Module 1 PowerPoint Review of last session: what is digital citizenship, share data from online survey with the

students, emphasize the number of hours spend online per week and favourite technology used by hanging post it note posters at front of room, explain the three sessions that students selected, etc

Introduction of this week’s topic and learning objectives using the PowerPoint Discussion about where, when, what students see for online advertising. What is the

purpose of these ads? Explain how students are going to see online advertising in module 1 and learn to “read

between the lines” Handout Digital Citizenship journals with handouts and usernames Teacher Demo- Access to the Program: sign in to LibLab computer using username and

password from Mr. Ollek to access the internet, plug in headset, access Learn Now BC (www.learnnowbc.ca) using Chrome, click on Passport to the Internet icon , in Media Smarts page click on licensed agreement link for Passport to the Internet, then click on Technical Requirements link under Classroom Tutorial, students type in usernames (case sensitive, must use same username each time, have students use same username as Learn Now BC eg: lia.larson) and grade level (senior), then student selects avatar

Give students time to access the program- walk around to help students troubleshoot, remind students that they must use Chrome, head phones, proper usernames (case sensitive), and the senior level or they will have to start again!

Teacher Demo-Passport to the Internet: o train station home page, the help symbol, and gives instructions to get to today’s

module (click mouse on advertising poster)o Encourage students to take risks in this safe mock environmento Students click on various items and then select an X to identify what is advertising

material and a check mark to ID what is noto Use the help function to help make your decisionso Use the How did I do button to check your progress. You must get all 15 correct!o When students have identified all 15 items, then they can play the advergame,

called Coco’s Choco Matcho Remind students that they will lose their results if they arrow back to train station

before completing the module Give students time to complete the module and print passport (put in journal) When finished, students complete the reflection in their journals Summary Discussion with class:

What tactics do advertisers use to attract kids to their ads? (logos, pictures, mascots, advergames, contests, clubs, free offers, etc)How do ads collect personal information? (contests, games , quizzes/surveys, and special clubs)What information is NOT advertising? (privacy policies, copyright, nutrition info, how to play, etc)Take Away messages: Think critically, recognize advertising material, and question advertising information!Handout: Protecting Student’s Privacy on the Internet (Passport to the Internet Teacher’s Guide, 2014)Record ideas on board and have students add to their reflection sheet

Possible extension: Teacher’s Guide provides 10 question review handout with answer key on page 33-34.

IV. Module #2: Instant Pigeon

Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Overview:

The station’s telephone booth takes students to Instant Pigeon, which stimulates instant messaging services. In a series of interactive online chats, students learn about safe and ethical behaviour online. Students select “buddies” to chat with, review conversations, and make decisions on how to respond. They are given a score out of 5 and an evaluation for their decisions. See page 27-29 of the Teacher’s Guide for trouble spots and answer key.

(Passport to the Internet Teacher’s Guide, 2014)

Learning Objectives:

Behaving Ethically Online

Managing online relationships Reacting to provocation Dealing with online bullying and stranger contact

(Passport to the Internet Teacher’s Guide, 2014)

Lesson Plan:

Set up projector with Module 2 PowerPoint Introduction of this week’s topic and learning objectives using the Module 2 PowerPoint Handout Digital Citizenship Journals with handouts and usernames Give students time to access the program- walk around to help students troubleshoot,

remind students that they must use proper usernames and senior level or they will have to start again!

Teacher Demo-Passport to the Internet: train station home page, the help symbol, and gives instructions to get to today’s module (click mouse on telephone booth), students start by clicking on one of the buddies in the list, students read the online conversation and must choose how to respond (given two choices), students are given an evaluation on their choices and a score out of 5 at the end, students can go to the passport section and print the passport when complete, emphasize the need to follow through to completion or students will have to start again! See page 28-29 in Passport to the Internet Teacher’s Guide (2014) for a description of the four different conversations.

Give students time to complete the module and print passport (put in journal) When finished, students complete reflection in their journals Class Discussion: Why is it important to be careful when talking to people on the internet?

What shouldn’t you share with people you only know online? What do you do when you encounter a bully online?

Handout: Four Steps to Stop Cyberbullying (Passport to the Internet Teacher’s Guide, 2014) Possible Extension: Worksheet with seven questions and answers on page 43-44 of

Teacher’s Guide

V. Module #3: My Face

Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Overview:

This module, accessed through the station’s ticket booth simulates social networking sites. Here the focus is on privacy management, as each student constructs a profile page that represents him or her online without sacrificing too much privacy. See page 25-26 of Teacher’s Guide for more detail on this module.

(Passport to the Internet Teacher’s Guide, 2014)

Learning Objectives:

Managing Safety and Privacy

Protecting personal data Creating and managing “Friends” lists Dealing with stranger contact Managing photos and videos online Recognizing and avoiding inappropriate/unpleasant content Becoming aware of the permanence of materials posted online

(Passport to the Internet Teacher’s Guide, 2014)

Lesson Plan:

Set up projector with Module 3 PowerPoint Introduction of this week’s topic and learning objectives (social networking) using the

PowerPoint Introduction Activity: Google Yourself, What information can you find about yourself

online? Record results on sticky note and put on poster at front of room Discussion about Facebook and other social networking sites, privacy settings, risk, etc.

Review data from the survey that is relevant to social networking Explain how students are going to build their MyFace profile in Module 3 Handout Digital Citizenship journals with handouts and usernames Teacher Demo-Passport to the Internet:

o train station home page, the help symbol, and gives instructions to get to today’s module (click mouse on ticket booth)

o Ask students to play the game with the settings they think they currently have on Facebook. If they do not have a Facebook account ask them to think about what they would set up if they did/when they are older. Encourage students to take risks in this safe mock environment.

Remind students that they will lose their results if they arrow back to train station before completing the game

When they are ready they can click on publish The program with show them what they did write (+1) and wrong (-1). It will give

them the chance to go back and fix their mistakes and then republish When done all complete, ask students to print their Passport using the Passport

symbol. It will show a check mark by the session completed today. Put passport in their folder.

Give students time to complete the module and print passport (put in journal) When finished, students complete the reflection in their journals Discussion about what they learned- make list on board of suggested limits to put on

your Facebook page. Student follow along recording on own handout in journal. Possible Extension: Worksheet with 15 questions and answers on page 39-42 of

Teacher’s Guide Handout: Online Tips for Younger Students & Parents (Passport to the Internet

Teacher’s Guide, 2014) Anchor activity: Social Media Audit of own Facebook account privacy settings. If they

do not have Facebook, ask them to partner with a friend who does. Do you need to make any changes to protect your safety and privacy online? If time have your neighbour who is not your “friend” search your name in Facebook. What can they see?

VI. Conclusion Lesson

Time: 30 minutes

Lesson Plan:

Activity- What is Digital Citizenship? What can we do to be better digital citizens?Have students write down one or two answers on sticky notes on put up on poster at the front.

PowerPoint- review the definition, elements, three modules, and questions from the Introduction PowerPoint

Discussion (Feedback on pilot program) Feedback Survey Worksheet (anonymous, collected at the end)

I decided to collect written feedback on the pilot program using a paper based worksheet rather than an online survey since I am looking for more detailed qualitative feedback than quantitate or multiple choice responses. I do not have any data to share with you at this time as this portion of the program will not happen until the end of April.

References

Passport to the Internet Teacher's Guide [PDF]. (2014). Ottawa: MediaSmarts.

Ribble, M. (2008). Passport to Digital Citizenship: Journey Toward Appropriate Technology Use

at School and at Home. Learning & Leading With Technology, 36(4), 14-17.