Common Sense Education & Digital Citizenship

One of Issaquah School District’s core tools, Common Sense Education, is being continually developed in efforts to address the growing presence of social media and news media in the lives of students. One of the new priorities of Common Sense Education is to help students understand that they are not just responsible for themselves online, but they must also respect others online (by respecting intellectual property and privacy).

Digital Citizenship & Social Media

This summer, our district heard Rosalind Wiseman speak about this very topic. She encouraged us to accept and appreciate that social media is a powerful force in the lives of our students, and that addressing this force proactively can help students cultivate safe, positive online profiles. Part of doing this means helping students curate their own online presences in ways that they are proud of, but also being mindful in how they engage with others online (through likes, comments, follows, etc.). The blog post below, like Rosalind, also discusses the FOMO (fear of missing out) phenomenon, where social media makes visible who is included and excluded from events and experiences.

As the blog states, the overhaul of Common Sense Education (which begun with grades 3-5, and more to come) is intended to support students who are mindful of social issues and passionate about responding to these issues through cultivating critical perspectives and problem-solving skills.

Link to Ed Week Blog

There’s a Digital Bytes (by Common Sense Education) course on Kyte