January
January's Digital Citizenship Champion is Elizabeth Jackson.
Elizabeth is an 11th grader at McKinney North High School in McKinney, TX. She was nominated by her aunt, Clara Alaniz. Elizabeth wrote a wonderful essay about digital citizenship:
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"Personally, I think that digital citizenship is very important, especially in such a technologically-based world. Everything now is represented online. Our reputations, thoughts, and work ethic. Without learning the ways, lessons, and purpose of digital citizenship, there would be no structure for myself, or other students, to learn how to properly show these characteristics online. It is something that all students will eventually learn and must learn. It is an essential characteristic to have not only in school but in our everyday lives.
"I’ve been learning about digital citizenship for quite a few years now. Although, the first time I had to actually apply it my life was when I received my school-issued laptop back when I started high school in 2015. Every year I have a class meeting where all of my peers are required to watch a video that shows us positive ways to act online. My teachers also teach me on a day-to-day basis about digital citizenship. It is an everyday thing and it’s an ongoing process that I continue to learn about in school. The group meetings and class discussions help me keep up with the most efficient ways of showing integrity online.
"The main thing I notice when I go online is a bit opposite of what is expected of us as a society. People seem to be caught up in other people’s lives. Bad digital citizenship is represented all over social media due to this. It seems as if it gives people the place to almost let go of the standards that they are held to in person. However, when it comes to school it is the exact opposite. Whenever I get onto my school Canvas and Google Drive account, it becomes a very peaceful, positive place. No one is commenting anything rude or insolent. This is because students are being held accountable for everything they say on school grounds, but if those same students could continue to apply those same standards to social media or anywhere they go online, everyone could benefit from good digital citizenship. I understand that school is very important and that what I learn now will continue to shape my everyday life, but if i’m only learning it to be good in school, what is the point? It should be something I learn for all of my life.
"I wish that I would see that students were not only learning how to be efficient and positive in school but also learn how to apply digital citizenship to actual everyday use outside of school. Another thing I wish I would see at school is a bigger push to learn the ways of good digital citizenship and the importance of it because many don’t even know what that phrase means. The only thing I see that schools are lacking is a realistic environment shown to teach and learn the correct ways of dealing with different situations online in a safe, positive way.
"Personally, there are a few things that I try contribute online everyday. On social media, I always try to find a way to make people feel better about themselves. This could be quick comment or anything of that sort. Whenever I do see hate or bad digital citizenship I try to comment back with a nice reply to the individual to represent what good digital citizenship is. I never have and never will post anything that singles a person out on something that others may have thought was bad. Throughout all my online encounters, I post different positive thoughts and ideas to represent myself as a person. I one hundred percent believe that by spreading positivity in all the little ways that I can, it can help others learn how much easier it is to be nice than it is to be mean. It’s easy to be a great digital citizen."
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