Digital citizenship:
Online safety for all
Common Sense Education has been at the forefront of helping schools
navigate the tricky online world their students are living in since it launched
its K-12 Digital Citizenship Curriculum in 2011. As technology becomes
more commonplace in the classroom, teachers and students alike face new
digital dilemmas, from issues with cyberbullying and digital footprints to
creative copyright and plagiarism.
The organization’s new Digital Citizenship for All Pledge aims to increase
awareness about the importance of and need for digital citizenship instruction and gives educators the opportunity to make a commitment to taking
real action on behalf of their students.
“Digital classrooms are here to stay, and that is a good thing for educators
and families, given all of the innovative learning technologies available,”
said James Steyer, founder and CEO of Common Sense. “But we have to
ensure that kids know how to use technology wisely while avoiding the perils. Digital citizenship is as important as every other lesson for kids, and we
are excited to launch this effort to help educators incorporate this powerful
program into their classrooms.”
Common Sense is a leading nonprofit dedicated to helping families and
educators thrive in a world of media and technology. As a bonus for signing the pledge, teachers receive access to tips and tools on everything
from engaging students to bridging the home-school connection, all while
empowering students to be good digital citizens.
“We hear every day from parents and educators who need help giving kids
the digital literacy and citizenship skills they need to learn and thrive in
today’s world,” said Rebecca Randall, vice president of education programs
for Common Sense. “By taking the pledge, educators are committing to
empowering students with the skills they need to think critically, behave
safely and participate responsibly with technology, which is essential since
we know that more than 92 percent of (students) go online every day."
– www.commonsensemedia.org/educators
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Leadership
49800(r) expressly requires a review of the
alleged misconduct and its effect from the
perspective of the reasonable pupil. It then
defines “reasonable pupil” as “a pupil, including, but not limited to, an exceptional
needs pupil, who exercises average care,
skill and judgment in conduct for a person
of his or her age or for a person of his or her
age with his or her exceptional needs.”
This reasonable pupil requirement is not
included in the bullying definitions used by
the CDE or U.S. DOE.
School administrators would benefit
greatly from clearer guidance on what exactly constitutes bullying under the SPLA,
and with greater harmony and consistency
with the student discipline statutes. At present, however, the lack of statutory clarity
and consistency makes staff training and the
proper investigation of bullying claims all
the more important. Both are essential for
schools to take appropriate steps to prevent
and respond to bullying, as required by law.
Understanding and distinguishing these
concepts will empower school administrators
to follow the right process, to ask the right
questions, and to seek the right information
when investigating bullying complaints.
Training on student bullying prevention,
detection and investigations is critical for
school officials and will minimize a school
district’s potential liability if a school bullying complaint turns into a lawsuit claiming
that the district negligently failed to fulfill
its duty to provide a safe and secure educational environment for its students.
Resources
• “Bullying at School.” (2003) California Department of Education: www.
cde.ca.gov/ls/ss/se/documents/bullyingatschool.pdf.
• Bullying Definition: www.StopBullying.gov.
• “Analysis of State Bullying Laws and
Policies” (2011). U.S. Department of Education report, www.ed.gov/category/keyword/bullying.
Trevin Sims and Darren Kameya are
partners with Lozano Smith Attorneys
at Law, Sims in school safety and
Kameya in labor and employment.