Synergy: Digital Ethics

DIGITAL ETHICS is concerned with guidelines governing relationships between individuals and/or businesses mediated by interactive technology including social media. Issues include information privacy and security, digital divide, intellectual property, and censorship. Digital ethics address how to manage oneself in online contexts with digital technology.

Read the recently published nonfiction adaptation for young adults, then learn more at the website:

SHARE BETTER AND STRESS LESS by Whitney Phillips and Ryan Milner is a guide to thinking ecologically about social media. This young adult adaptation explores digital ethics and offers ideas for avoiding doom-scrolling by focusing attention on thoughtful use of social media. Case studies and fictional anecdotes are woven through the text to provide context and examples. ARC courtesy of MIT Teen Press, an imprint of Candlewick Press.

COMMON SENSE EDUCATION provides useful resources for teachers working with teens. The Digital Citizenship section provides useful lesson ideas associated with digital ethics. To visit the website, go to https://www.commonsense.org/education.

Website Review: Interland

INTERLAND: BE INTERNET AWESOME is an engaging web-based game teaching digital safety.

Produced with Google along with Internet safety organizations, this series of games helps children learn to make smart decisions about their use of Internet. The game explores a series of worlds focusing on Internet skills such as sharing with care, dealing with fake information, securing data, cyberbullying, and open communication with parents. In addition to the games, educational materials are available for teachers. Links are also included to more resources.

Librarians will find the game approach popular with students. Teachers will enjoy the standards-aligned curriculum materials focusing on digital citizenship.

To visit the website, go to https://beinternetawesome.withgoogle.com/.

Website Review: Sea of Liberty

SEA OF LIBERTY is an interactive online exhibition tracing the influence of Thomas Jefferson’s ideas.

In addition to the digital collection, users can explore, create, and showcase their work. The explore section shares documents, letters, artwork, photographs and other materials related to the ideas of liberty, freedom, and self-governance. The create section encourages users to create digital projects that draw on the past. Finally, the showcase area allows users to see and learn from others.

Librarians will find that students enjoy the age-appropriate presentation of resources and information. The educational materials focus on teaching digital citizenship and historical thinking through primary sources. These concepts fit well with the standards for 21st century learners.

To visit the website, go to https://seaofliberty.org.

Website Review: That's Not Cool

THAT’S NOT COOL is a teen website designed to increase awareness of digital dating abuse.

This interactive website provides suggestions for what teens should do if they’re being pressured, controlled, or disrespected in digital spaces. With lots of connections to social media and personal stories, the website is intended to support teens in need.

A Cool Not Cool game is intended to help young adults make good decisions in relationship situations.

The Speak Up area encourages users to ask questions and explore answers.

The Adult Allies section provides resources to help educators working with teens.

The TNC Channel provides call-out cards, retro videos, and arcade-style games related to the topic.

Librarians will find that this website is an effective way to draw attention to issues related to digital dating abuse. Connect the resource to units related to digital citizenship.

To visit the website, go to https://thatsnotcool.com/.

Website Review: Carnegie Cyber Academy

THE CARNEGIE CYBER ACADEMY is a professional-quality website focusing on digital citizenship.

The Training Missions section explores cybersecurity topics such as email threats and website safety. Students earn badges as they complete tasks. Four missions are currently available. Each mission has an online component as well as a hint sheet that can be downloaded.

The Academy Library contains useful information on searching for resources, evaluating source credibility, and using web resources. The Cyberpedia is an encyclopedia of key vocabulary related to digital literacy.

The Fun Stuff area provides short animations and games on curriculum-related topics as well as themes such as holidays. Links to the YouTube Channel provide additional resources on topics such as cyberbullying. The Carnegie Cadets: The MySecureCyberspace Game is a downloadable game focusing on digital literacy skills. The News and Cadet Life pages aren’t being updated but have interesting archival information.

The Faculty Pages help teachers locate useful information for teaching digital citizenship. A Classroom and Support Materials section provides many more resources for teachers including over a dozen lesson starters, downloadable materials, a youth user manual, and other resources.

Librarians will find many uses for the engaging digital citizenship information, games, and learning activities. While the website can be used as a self-contained information literacy curriculum, pieces on specific topics such as online reputations, netiquette, and online safety can be woven into the existing curriculum.

To visit the website, go to http://www.carnegiecyberacademy.com/.

Special Event: National Cyber Security Awareness Month

October is NATIONAL CYBER SECURITY AWARENESS MONTH.

The Homeland Security website provides lots of ideas for raising awareness about cybersecurity including weekly activities throughout the month.

The STOP-THINK-CONNECT resource guide features lots of activities and resources to teach youth about online safety. The website contains campaign ideas, resources for students and teacher, and tips. They also have useful handouts, presentations, discussion questions, and PSAs for different grade levels.

Librarians can connect this special event with the Standards for 21st Century Learners and digital citizenship.

The StaySafeOnline website provides information for students and teachers about online safety. The website provides information about this special month as well as resources, a glossary, and videos.

To learn more, go to http://www.dhs.gov/national-cyber-security-awareness-month.

Visit the Stop-Think-Connect website at http://www.stcguide.com/.

Visit the StaySafeOnline website at https://www.staysafeonline.org.

Website Review: Commonsense Media

COMMON SENSE MEDIA is a website providing information related to media and technology for parents and teachers. In addition to a great place for educational ratings and reviews, it’s also an effective way to keep up with the movies, games, apps, TV shows, websites, books, and music of interest to youth of particular ages.

Their K-12 Digital Citizenship Curriculum and interactive learning games are outstanding. The free materials are available as iBook textbooks or as printable lessons with online videos and interactives. Topics include internet safety, privacy and security, relationships & communication, cyberbullying, digital footprint & reputation, self-image & identity, information literacy, and creative credit & copyright. You can even download colorful posters for library displays.

Graphite is their new service that helps educators find the best apps, games, and websites for the classroom. This website is aligned with the Common Core State Standards and provides lots of tools for searching and organizing websites.

To learn more, go to COMMON SENSE MEDIA at https://www.commonsensemedia.org/.