In this week’s class, we had a wonderful discussion presented by Prof Couros on digital Identity. This concept was also well discussed in the presentation by Britanny and Josh. The issue of digital identity is really a big problem especially among the youths and teens. Khrapov et al. (2024) described digital identity as a projection of real identity, formed through interactions in digital environments, which can lead to a merging of online and offline personas. Kraynov (2024) claims that digital identity allows individuals to navigate opportunities in both personal and professional contexts, such as job searches and social connections.
creative commons
So, if I am to interpret this… I would say my digital identity is like my online personality, and it has to do with how I show myself to the world online, through my social media profiles, online interactions, and the different characters I create for myself in online spaces. This reminds me of the saying ‘you are what you wear’, which I think can be applied to our online lives as well. People often try to present themselves in a positive light online, even if that doesn’t reflect their true selves. I’ve noticed this on social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram, where people tend to share carefully curated content. Sadly, some people (especially teenagers) develop their physical identity based on these online curated contents. They start to either aspire, behave or live like the artists, musicians and role models whose lifestyle has been presented in a certain way online without understanding the true nature of these people in their physical life. Unfortunately, a lot of people seem to be fake in their online world. The above statement buttressed one of Josh’s points on the significance of defining one’s digital identity, noting that many individuals become confused about their genuine selves by prioritizing societal norms and expectations over personal authenticity. While I mainly use these social media websites to share events from my church and workplace, I’m aware that my posts can still influence others.
Lioune’s (2023) article on the Illusion of Self in the Digital Age: Unraveling Our Multiple Identities, highlighted how our online behaviors can impact how we perceive ourselves. She noted that our fragmented online activities, such as projecting professionalism on LinkedIn, showcasing our adventurous side on Instagram, and engaging in witty commentary on Twitter, contribute to our overall digital identity. From a professional stance, I feel the digital world is a larger space that helps people network and exposes them to potential career opportunities nationally and internationally (Lupton et al., 2019). I think this view aligns with my regular visit and activity on LinkedIn and ResearchGate. I am always conscious of what I post online because of the nature of what I do. However, I feel this digital identity thing is also taking too much of individual’s personal information which we have to be cautious about. That is why I use more of the professional platforms than the regular social media sites.
References
Andrey, L., Kraynov. (2024). 1. Digital identity as a condition of human existence in a digital society. Izvestiâ Saratovskogo universiteta. Novaâ seriâ, https://doi.org/10.18500/1819-7671-2024-24-2-137-141
Lupton, M., Oddone, K., & Dreamson, N. (2019). Students professional digital identities. In Higher Education and the Future of Graduate Employability (pp. 30-49). Edward Elgar Publishing. https://doi.org/10.4337/9781788972611.00010
Sergey, A., Khrapov., Svetlana, Kryuchkova., I.M., Melikov. (2024). Digital Identity and the Humanistic Model of Digital Educational Environment. Voprosy Filosofii, 7, 29 -39 https://doi.org/10.21146/0042-8744-2024-7-29-39
It’s 2024, and let’s face it—we’re all curating. We curate our Instagram feeds, our outfits, and even our breakfast. (Who knew a smoothie bowl could be so photogenic?) But here’s the million-dollar question: are we curating ourselves? When teenagers are constantly scrolling through aesthetics, micro-labels, and influencer trends, it makes you wonder—are we still searching for our true selves, or are we just cosplaying whatever’s hot this week?
Welcome to the Identity Crisis, TikTok Edition
As social media has wormed its way into nearly every aspect of our lives, it’s especially giving teens a bit of an identity crisis (to say the least). Gone are the days when teen self-discovery meant listening to emo music or experimenting with questionable hair colors. Nope, now it’s about whether your digital persona should be #cottagecore or #alt.
And that’s where things get tricky. Teens today are stuck in this awkward push and pull between trendy identities and their real, offline selves. One day you’re an aspiring VSCO girl, the next you’re full-on dark academia—and guess what? Neither version quite feels like you. If it seems like a revolving door of personalities and aesthetics, that’s because it kind of is.
Kareena and Emma, two brave souls who’ve stepped up to tackle this phenomenon in their speech on social media and identity, know exactly what this feels like. Back in 2020 (a year we all remember for… reasons), their own sense of self started to unravel, and they’re far from the only ones. Social media was amplifying their identity confusion, and they began to wonder—are they really living as their true selves, or are they just mimicking whatever’s trending on their feeds?
The Illusion of Self (or: Who Am I Today?)
According to Khalil Liouane’s piece on The Illusion of Self in the Digital Age, social media turns our sense of self into an elaborate game of dress-up. Instead of being rooted in experiences, relationships, or even our quirks, we’re now hovering over a “choose your fighter” screen, trying on different identities like outfits for a party we’re not sure we’re invited to.
Liouane breaks down the problem beautifully: as our online presence grows, we start to lose touch with who we actually are. Social media encourages us to become shapeshifters, adopting different personas based on trends, aesthetics, or what will get the most likes. And as teenagers, the pressure to keep up with these trends can feel like trying to solve a Rubik’s cube on a rollercoaster.
This isn’t just about following the latest TikTok dance or updating your Spotify playlist to reflect the vibe du jour. It’s about constantly questioning: Am I more of a “brand” than a person now?
Aesthetic Overload: When Being ‘On-Trend’ Becomes a Full-Time Job
Remember when being a teen was all about awkward phases? Turns out, that’s still the case, but now those phases have names—
and fanbases. From cottagecore to Y2K revival, teens are constantly bombarded with aesthetics, and each one comes with its own rules for how to dress, act, and curate your social media presence. No wonder teens like Kareena and Emma are left questioning, “Wait… who am I again?”
FYI.. I had ZERO idea what cottagecore was until I google it. Here’s a photo that sums up #cottagecore.
The problem is that these trendy identities are fleeting. Today’s clean girl aesthetic is tomorrow’s normcore, and teens are left scrambling to keep up. In the whirlwind of trends, it’s easy to feel like you’re losing yourself. One minute you’re posting pastel pictures of your minimalist bedroom, and the next you’re trading it all in for thrifted grunge sweaters because that’s the new thing.
The Parasocial Problem: When Influencers Become Life Coaches
If aesthetics weren’t confusing enough, let’s throw parasocial relationships into the mix. (Because why not add some emotional confusion to the cocktail?) For those not in the know, parasocial relationships are the one-sided connections people form with celebrities or influencers. And while they may seem harmless—after all, who hasn’t fangirled over a favorite singer—they can become unhealthy when teens begin basing their identities on these influencers.
Think about it: your favorite influencer is living their best life, decked out in the latest trends, and you’re just… scrolling. You start adopting their interests, mimicking their style, and before you know it, you’re losing sight of who you actually are. As Khalil Liouane points out, social media magnifies this phenomenon, making teens feel as though they need to measure up to these digital personas—and that can lead to an endless cycle of self-doubt.
Micro-Labels and Identity Crisis on Steroids
If you thought the pressure to choose an aesthetic was bad, say hello to micro-labels. These super-specific identities can seem like a fun way to express yourself (who doesn’t want a label that perfectly sums them up?), but for teens, they can also add to the overwhelming sense of having to pick who they are, right now. From fashion to personality traits, there’s a label for everything—and choosing wrong feels like social media suicide.
Teens are now under the pressure to define their entire selves based on labels that may only fit one facet of their personalities. And, as Kareena and Emma would tell you, this constant self-categorization leaves teens in a loop of never fully knowing who they are, since the goalposts keep moving.
So, What’s the Solution?
First, breathe. Let’s all admit it—social media is not going anywhere. But what we can do is encourage teenagers (and, let’s be real, ourselves) to step back from the digital whirlwind. Kareena and Emma’s quest to answer, “Am I a reflection of my true identity, or a product of media trends?” is a good starting point for all of us.
The key is to start emphasizing experiential identity building—let teens live, explore, make mistakes, and discover who they are based on real-world experiences rather than the ever-changing tide of TikTok trends. Social media doesn’t have to be the villain of the story, but it shouldn’t be the main character either. By pushing back on the urge to conform to every trend, we can help teens (and ourselves) find more consistency and authenticity in who we are.
Final Thoughts: It’s Okay Not to Be ‘On-Trend’ All the Time
So next time you’re tempted to throw on a micro-label or jump into the latest aesthetic trend, take a pause. Ask yourself: Is this really me, or just something that’s trending? Kareena and Emma’s journey reminds us that finding your identity is supposed to be messy, experimental, and, yes, awkward at times—but that’s part of the fun. Social media may add a layer of complexity, but ultimately, you get to decide who you are—not TikTok, not Instagram, and definitely not the latest #aesthetic.
As we navigate the digital age, remember: it’s okay to step back from the filter and just be yourself—whatever that looks like today.
P.S. I only used ChatGPT for the fun, witty headings this week!
Just as with many new technologies of the past, artificial intelligence is encountering resistance and skepticism. Nevertheless, several scholars have argued about how AI can provide easy access to educational resources and all that. As Kniberg explains and the video demonstrates, generative artificial intelligence is a technology system equipped with deep learning models that allows it to learn, think, communicate as humans, as well as perform creative intellectual tasks that previously only humans could do. In my line of work, I have come across a range of AI tools, including OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Khamingo AI (https://www.khanmigo.ai/teachers), QuillBot, ResearchRabbit, Dall-E, Grammarly, Turnitin, and Gradescope, to mention a few. I have found myself using one or more of these tools for brainstorming ideas that I had initially conceived but wasn’t sure how to fully explore or find relevant materials for. For students that are not native English speakers, using Grammarly has been very helpful in correcting grammar mistakes, checking spelling errors, and identifying the tone of one’s writing in terms of passive or active voices.
Image copied from Linkdeln
Beth Holland’s article, “Can AI Solve the Uniquely Human Challenges Facing Educators Today, “explores how AI can be a valuable tool in addressing the challenges faced by educators, especially in the wake of the pandemic and staffing shortages. Holland highlights AI’s potential to support personalized and individualized instruction, which is crucial for meeting diverse student needs. Henrik Kniberg points out that AI can assist in grading tests and generating course content. I know a lot of educators are sceptical about the use of AI in their classroom. However, I think understanding the goal behind the use of these tools in the classroom can help educators navigate how to effectively utilize them.
An infographic shared on linkedin by Dr Alec Couros.
In a recent study by Ramnarain et al. (2024), preservice science teachers’ intentions to use generative AI in inquiry-based teaching were examined. The study found that preservice teachers believe AI can support students during the orientation and conceptualisation phases of inquiry learning, promote learner autonomy, accommodate individual needs, simulate experiments in school situations with limited equipment and chemicals, and help check the correctness of procedures. During the month, I listened to a webinar by David Wiley on how AI will transform access to open education resources, and he also shared (https://lnkd.in/gtbXpinu ; https://lnkd.in/en2TJPsa). The discussion actually got me thinking about how my little use of some AI platforms helped me identify some online resources easily without necessarily going through the trouble of checking if the material is licensed or not. Personally, I think AI as a new technology has the potential to help us address a lot of problem in education, but I think teachers will need to learn how to effectively prompt these tools to help them achieve its maximun use, Yes, AI has its own risks, just as I said in the begining, that is the same risk we faced with new technologies when they first introduced and people began accepting the use of those technologies overtime. I think, AI will get better in a matter of years and people will become use to using AI.
Last week, we had the privilege of hearing from Mike Ribble, the author and digital citizenship expert who outlined the 9 elements of digital citizenship. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed when considering the breadth of digital responsibility required of today’s students (and even adults). From digital access to cyberbullying, the scope of these elements covers much of what we interact with online daily.
One of the key takeaways from Ribble’s talk was how crucial it is to approach teaching digital citizenship just like any other subject—one step at a time. Just as we wouldn’t throw a math student into calculus without first teaching them basic arithmetic, we shouldn’t expect students to navigate the complexities of the digital world without breaking it down for them.
The Evolving Role of Ribble’s 9 Elements in Digital Citizenship
Ribble’s 9 elements of digital citizenship are designed to help educators and students understand how to engage with the digital world responsibly. But as technology evolves, these elements must also adapt. For example, Ribble talked about Meta’s (formerly Facebook) introduction of a teen Instagram with guardrails—protections that many argue should have existed long ago. These guardrails were a response to growing concerns about how teens navigate social media, but the fact that they were loosened shortly after the app’s launch highlights a broader issue: Are tech companies doing enough to protect young users? And how do we, as educators, ensure that our students are safe, savvy, and social?
In the classroom, we can’t rely solely on tech companies to do the heavy lifting. Ribble’s 9 elements help lay the foundation for responsible digital engagement by focusing on digital safety, literacy, and social responsibility. As we move forward, these elements will likely evolve to include deeper discussions around artificial intelligence, data privacy, and algorithmic biases—topics that are becoming increasingly important in the digital landscape.
The Three S’s: Safe, Savvy, and Social
One of the most memorable aspects of Ribble’s talk was his emphasis on the three S’s of digital citizenship—safe, savvy, and social. These three principles are the bedrock of what it means to be a responsible digital citizen:
Safe: Ensuring students understand cybersecurity, from password management to recognizing phishing attempts, is crucial in an era where cyberattacks are more common than ever.
Savvy: Being digitally literate isn’t just about knowing how to use technology, but understanding how to critically engage with content. This includes distinguishing between reliable sources and misinformation—a skill that documentaries like those mentioned in the readings from Never Gallery Ready and Zanniee emphasize.
Social: Being ethical online involves understanding the impact of one’s actions on others. Whether it’s practicing kindness in a social media comment section or reporting harmful content, students need to be taught the responsibilities that come with having an online presence.
These three pillars encapsulate the broader 9 elements of digital citizenship and make them more accessible to students and educators alike.
Challenges in Implementing the 9 Elements
While Ribble’s framework offers a comprehensive approach to digital citizenship, it’s not without challenges. One of the biggest hurdles educators face is that technology is constantly changing. How do you teach something that seems to evolve overnight? For example, Instagram’s guardrails for teens were loosened shortly after they were introduced, showing how unpredictable the digital landscape can be.
Another challenge is that many educators feel ill-prepared to teach digital literacy, particularly when they themselves might not be fully comfortable with emerging technologies. Ribble emphasized the importance of working with colleagues to grow knowledge and confidence in teaching digital citizenship. This collaborative approach can help educators support each other and create a more unified front in addressing digital issues in the classroom.
Additionally, many students come from homes where digital citizenship isn’t a priority, and parents may not be equipped to guide their children. This places even more responsibility on teachers to fill the gaps in students’ understanding of online safety and responsibility.
Mitigating Challenges
So, how can we mitigate these challenges? For one, we need to shift the mindset that digital citizenship is an “extra” or something that can be taught in a single lesson. It needs to be woven into every aspect of education, much like math or language arts. This gradual, consistent approach ensures that students are building their digital skills over time, rather than in isolated lessons.
Educators also need more support from school administrations in the form of professional development. Providing teachers with ongoing training and resources helps ensure that they are comfortable with both the technology and the pedagogy behind teaching digital citizenship. Ribble’s 9 elements can serve as a guide to structuring these training programs.
Resources and Support for Promoting Digital Citizenship
To effectively promote digital citizenship, schools need a combination of resources, collaboration, and practical tools. Here are a few ideas based on Ribble’s talk and the assigned readings:
Media Literacy Documentaries: The documentaries recommended in the readings from Never Gallery Ready and Zanniee offer powerful insights into media literacy. These resources can help students critically analyze the content they encounter online, from recognizing deep fakes to understanding the influence of social media algorithms.
Collaborative Learning: As Ribble mentioned, educators should collaborate with each other to enhance the teaching of digital citizenship. Schools could create cross-curricular projects where students apply digital citizenship principles across different subjects, reinforcing the idea that these skills are essential in every part of life.
Engaging with Parents: Schools can provide parents with workshops or resources to help them understand their role in promoting digital citizenship at home. This includes teaching parents how to set boundaries around screen time, online privacy, and helping their children develop good online habits.
Safe Social Media Practices: Finally, educators can encourage students to use social media platforms like Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, and Facebook responsibly by teaching them about privacy settings, reporting harmful content, and recognizing when to log off.
Conclusion: One Element at a Time
Digital citizenship may seem like a daunting task to tackle in today’s educational settings, but as Ribble pointed out, it’s all about breaking it down one element at a time. With a clear focus on safety, literacy, and social responsibility, educators can help students navigate the digital world confidently and ethically. By working together and utilizing the right resources, we can ensure that the future of digital citizenship is bright, empowering students to be safe, savvy, and social—both online and off.
Furthermore, to read more specific examples of how to connect curriculum please visit a previous blog of mine here.
There are lots of blog posts to come, don’t wander too far!
Ah, social media. That delightful place where we can share everything from our breakfast burritos to our existential crises, all while accumulating likes, followers, and the occasional “Did you really post that?” message from Mom. We live in a world where Snapchat streaks and Instagram likes are social currency, but navigating this jungle can sometimes feel like a video game—except the monsters are online predators, and the boss battle is maintaining your sanity. So, how do we survive and thrive in this pixelated paradise?
Buckle up as we dive into the art of mastering digital citizenship while dodging trolls, sextortionists, and the temptation to tweet your every thought. In a previous course, I was able to speak on my personal usage of tech, read it here.
Digital Citizenship: Because Even Your Cat Meme Has Consequences
First things first—digital citizenship isn’t just some boring phrase your teacher throws around to kill your Snap streak. It’s about being a decent human being online and not turning your Facebook feed into a circus of bad decisions. Take it from the unlucky students at Harvard, who thought sharing offensive memes in a “private” group would never come back to bite them. Spoiler alert: It did. Harvard rescinded their admissions faster than you can say “delete.”
Lesson: What you post online has real-world consequences, even if you think you’re just being “funny”.
And don’t think you’re safe just because it’s a “finsta” (finsta – fake instagram). Teens often juggle multiple accounts like a social media ninja—public Instagram for the family, and finsta for “the real stuff.” Just remember, even private accounts aren’t always private. If Harvard taught us anything, it’s that screenshots are forever.
Snap, Crackle, Whoops: The Dangers of Snapchat and Sextortion
Let’s be real—Snapchat may be all about “living in the moment,” but those moments don’t always disappear like we hope. In Canada, an alarming rise in sextortion has made it clear that some moments can stick around like an unwanted house guest. Creeps on the internet are baiting teens into sharing compromising photos, and then—BOOM—they’ve got you cornered. They threaten to send those snaps to all your followers unless you cough up some cash. Yikes!!
Pro tip: If someone asks for nudes on Snapchat, send them a pic of a hairless mole rat instead (yes, that’s a real sextortion prevention campaign—no joke!). Keep your mole rats handy, folks.
Instagram Envy and Twitter Tantrums: It’s All Fun and Games Until You Lose Your Chill
Instagram may have started as a photo-sharing app, but let’s face it—now it’s where we go to flex, filter, and live our best fake lives. And then there’s Twitter, where one wrong tweet can turn into a viral disaster faster than you can say #CancelMe. Combine that with the fact that teens’ brains are basically wired to seek instant gratification (thank you, biology), and it’s easy to see why getting lost in the social media shuffle can lead to some pretty poor decisions (Global News).
If you’re a parent, don’t just turn your kid’s phone into Fort Knox with monitoring apps. Teach them how to adult online. Apps like ReThink—created by a teenager, naturally—help kids pause before they post something dumb. Because sometimes, all we need is a second to think, “Wait, will this make me look like an idiot?” Read more about this here.
FOMO vs. JOMO: The Art of Logging Off (And Why We Secretly Love It)
FOMO – fear of missing out JOMO – joy of missing out
Here’s where things get interesting. While we’re all obsessed with being connected 24/7, there’s also this trend of glorifying disconnection. The whole “IRL fetish” phenomenon has us bragging about how “off the grid” we are when we keep our phones in our pockets during dinner or manage to survive a day without Facebook. But here’s the kicker: The more we obsess over being offline, the more connected we actually are.
Remember that walk on Cape Cod that Sherry Turkle talks about, where everyone used to look at the ocean and talk to each other instead of staring at their phones? Well, the irony is that those moments of “disconnecting” often end up being the very thing we post about later. So, are we ever really offline? Spoiler: Nope. Not even close.
So, How Do You Navigate This Madness?
It’s simple. Treat social media like you would treat a very public diary. Sure, share the good
times, but also keep a filter on what you’re posting (and no, I don’t mean the Valencia filter).
Being a good digital citizen isn’t just about avoiding drama; it’s about recognizing that the lines between online and offline are blurred, and that your digital actions have real-world consequences.
So next time you’re tempted to post that totally hilarious meme, snap a questionable pic, or engage in a Twitter spat, ask yourself: Is this something I’d want my future boss (or grandma) to see? If not, it might be time to rethink.
What Does This Mean for Teachers?
For teachers, the rise of social media and digital platforms like Snapchat, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook brings a new set of challenges—and opportunities. With students spending significant portions of their day online, educators are in a unique position to guide them through the maze of digital citizenship, teaching them how to balance the freedom of online expression with the responsibility that comes with it. Here’s what all this means for teachers:
1. Digital Citizenship Isn’t Optional—It’s Essential
Digital citizenship is no longer just a buzzword; it’s a critical part of modern education. Students are navigating online spaces daily, and the stakes are high. Teachers need to foster conversations about online safety, privacy, and the ethics of social media use. It’s not enough to tell students not to post inappropriate content—we need to equip them with the tools to make better decisions and manage risks. This includes:
Understanding the permanence of online actions: Just like the Harvard students who lost their admissions, students need to grasp that online behavior can have long-term consequences
Encouraging self-regulation: Apps like ReThink give students a pause button before posting something regrettable. Teachers can integrate discussions about such tools into their digital literacy curriculum
2. Empowering Students to Manage Risks
Instead of focusing solely on restrictions and monitoring, educators can teach students how to manage online risks effectively. Many schools focus on blocking certain websites or enforcing strict social media policies, but this can leave students unprepared for the real-world challenges they’ll face when no one is monitoring their online actions. What’s the alternative?
Teach problem-solving and impulse control: Give students strategies for handling risky online interactions, such as sextortion and cyberbullying, which are becoming more common.
Promote critical thinking about online content: Students should be able to recognize manipulative content, phishing scams, and the impact of “like-based” validation on platforms like Instagram and Snapchat.
3. Encourage Open Dialogue About Online Habits
Many students keep their online lives hidden from teachers (and even parents), but creating a safe space for open dialogue can make a big difference. Students may be struggling with sextortion, cyberbullying, or the pressure of managing their digital identity without feeling comfortable seeking help.
Teachers can:
Incorporate discussions on online behavior into daily lessons, linking them to real-world consequences.
Model good digital citizenship themselves by discussing their own use of social media responsibly.
Facilitate media literacy workshops to educate both students and parents on navigating social media and understanding its influence on mental health and social relationships.
4. Integrate Digital Citizenship Across the Curriculum
Digital citizenship shouldn’t just be a one-off lesson; it should be integrated into multiple aspects of the curriculum. Whether you’re teaching English, history, or science, there are countless opportunities to address how students interact with and present themselves online.
Examples include:
Analyzing social media trends and how they reflect society’s values in history or sociology classes.
Creating projects where students engage critically with social media platforms, learning about the ethical implications of their digital actions
5. Addressing the Digital Divide
Teachers should also be aware that not all students have equal access to technology. The digital divide can affect how students engage with digital citizenship lessons. Some students may have constant access to the latest smartphones and apps, while others may only get online at school. Being mindful of these disparities allows teachers to create inclusive strategies that ensure all students develop essential digital skills.
6. Professional Development for Teachers
Just as students need digital literacy, so do teachers. Schools should provide ongoing professional development for educators, ensuring they are up-to-date with the latest trends, apps, and risks associated with Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, and other platforms. Teachers should be prepared to address students’ digital behavior as part of their role as educators.
Final Thoughts: Teaching Digital Citizenship in the Age of Social Media
Ultimately, the goal for teachers is to help students not only survive but thrive in the digital world. That means creating a learning environment where students feel empowered to make informed, ethical, and responsible decisions online. As educators, our role is to guide students through the blurred lines between their online and offline lives, ensuring that they understand the power—and responsibility—that comes with digital freedom.
Incorporating digital citizenship into daily education helps students become more conscious of their actions, fostering safer and healthier online communities. And who knows? Maybe the next time they go to post a mole rat meme, they’ll think twice—and thank you for it.
This is just the beginning, more to come! Check back soon!
As a parent, online shopping has simplified my life. Digital commerce has allowed me to discover and purchase unique cultural items from around the world. I appreciate the ability to connect with sellers across the world and customize my purchases. While online shopping offers many advantages, I am cautious about potential scams and fraud. To mitigate risks, I carefully research companies and read reviews before making purchases. I also like the fact that the bank confirms every transaction with me before releasing the funds from my account. Digital commerce has transformed the way we interact, including our financial transactions. Online banking has made international and local payments much more convenient compared to a decade ago. Relating this to the learning environment, I think with digital commerce I was able to gather a lot of information about the products I want to buy. I am able to compare and contrast prices and various features of a product before making decisions on what suits me best.
As an educator, I use various online platforms for teaching, and I usually encourage my students to share ideas and discussions on these platforms. A typical example is the use of a discussion board in the Moodle learning management system. I realize that there are some students who find it difficult to express themselves in class, but they easily reply to every post on the discussion board. On the other hand, there are students who never replied to the discussion board. So for these students, I do call them during online presentations to share their thoughts. There are rules guiding the use of this online platform, and I usually tell my students to respect others’ opinions. One thing I also try to do is to give students a project that will require them to search for information online and then do a presentation on that project. However, I usually advise the students to try as much as possible to evaluate the credibility of the online sources they are using and avoid sharing personal information in the online space.
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I think one significant thing that I have always done is continuous sharing of information with my students on how to report any suspicious online activity to the class and avoid using inappropriate words when sharing online artifacts. Seriously, Ribble’s framework is a good one, but how many teachers actually have the leisure of time to implement all these in their classroom? Probably, schools need to have teachers dedicated to explicitly teaching digital literacy. Although many teachers are not equipped to teach or even integrate most elements of the framework in their subject discipline, I think engaging teachers in targeted professional development and sharing useful online resources with teachers can help mitigate some of the challenges that might prevent teachers from implementing elements of Riblle’s framework in the classroom.
Seriously, I do not know how the effectiveness of digital citizenship initiatives within the school or district can be evaluated using the Ribble’s 9 elements. But, if I am to explore this from my experience as a researcher, I think the best approach will be to probably conduct an observation of how students within a school or district behave and interact online using Ribble’s framework to assess their adherence to the principles of digital citizenship. Doing this observation might also create the opportunity to get teachers and parents perceptions on how elements of this framework could influence school culture and students behaviour. I think this will give the district and school a better understanding of the effectiveness of established initiatives on digital citizenship.
As I conclude from my reflection, digital technology has become ubiquitous and is driving transformation even as we head to the 5th Industrial Revolution.I feel Ribble’s framework is very important and might possibly contribute to shaping our attitudes and online interactions as digital citizens since technology keeps evolving. However, the key aspect for me in this framework is digital privacy. One can hardly access a digital tool without registering their information. So, my question is: how can we have free access to tools and all other forms of technology without necessarily providing our information online?
Dean’s discussion of digital “Visitors and Residents” during the first week of class sparked a lot of thought. In the real world, a visitor is someone who temporarily stays in a place for a specific purpose, like socializing, conducting business, or exploring. So, in the digital realm, “visitors” are individuals who have specific objectives and use the internet to find tools that help them accomplish those goals. They are temporary participants in the online world. For instance, I see myself as a visitor whenever I use my smartphone to search for an address or a location on Google Maps, and then disconnect to physically visit the location. My online activity tends to leave minimal traces and has limited social impact, especially when operating in this visitor’s mode.
Digital residents, unlike visitors, are deeply embedded in online communities. They have established connections, friendships, and virtual spaces. Unlike visitors who have specific tasks, residents are online to connect with others. They participate actively in online communities through social media platforms, sharing content, and engaging in conversations. This online activity reflects their identity and fosters relationships, making the internet an essential part of their lives.
My understanding of “visitors” and “residents” in social media mirrors the tools I use daily. I’m surprised by the extent of my social media toolkit, which I hadn’t fully realized before.
Reflecting on this week’s readings and my personal experiences with technology, I have realized that information and activities related to our lives are no longer private. Technology has infiltrated our privacy and become an integral part of our daily lives, including in schools and workplaces. Just as we need to provide identification for government services, having a digital identity has become crucial for accessing online platforms, applications, and resources from schools and organizations worldwide. Research defines digital identity as an individual’s online representation, encompassing digital attributes, credentials, and personal information (Amenta et al., 2015; Başoğlu, 2024). The blog post on (Digital) Identity in a World that No Longer Forgets by Couros and Hildebrandt (2015) discusses the complexities and challenges of managing digital identities in an age where online actions are permanently recorded. The authors highlighted the importance of understanding how difficult it is to erase negative aspects of one’s digital footprint due to the permanence of online content. However, the societal expectation is that individuals should be able to manage their digital footprints effectively by curating their online presence to overshadow past mistakes and deleting negative images, videos or commentaries and replacing them with positive ones.
Canva generated Image
Gone are those days when we write letters to chat with family and friends or wait to attend events before we can network. Technological innovation has transformed how we use social media platforms to network and communicate information. However, from my experience, there is a lot of content on social media platforms that is fabricated and deceptive. Unfortunately, this information is leading teenagers to make decisions that do not align with the reality of life. I have met with a lot of parents who have tried persuading their teens to use social media, but instead, the situation is getting better; it just keeps getting worse to the extent that these kids try to create several private accounts for doing negative stuff, which ends up boomeranging on them. Just like the article by Homayoun (2017) on the secret social media lives of teenagers, I think it is important that parents begin to engage in open discussions with their young children and teens about online activities and behaviours rather than monitoring them or putting limitations on what they can and cannot access. This is an essential part of digital citizenship that involves teaching kids how to behave responsibly on digital platforms. Many of today’s teenagers construct their identities through social media platforms and whatever identity they create today plays a significant role in their future endevours because these platforms now retain information that can be used in the future. So, I think parents, schools, and teachers need to help teens recognize the interconnectedness of their online and offline lives and encourage them to develop their own values regarding appropriate online behaviours (images, comments, videos etc).
References
Amenta, V., Lazzaroni, A., & Abba, L. (2015). Internet Identity and the Right to be Forgotten: International Trends and Regulatory Perspectives. In Handbook of Research on Redesigning the Future of Internet Architectures (pp. 32-46). IGI Global.
Başoğlu, A. B. Z. (2024). Navigating Virtual Realities and Hybrid Spaces in the Tron Cinematic Landscape. In Studies on Cinematography and Narrative in Film: Sequels, Serials, and Trilogies (pp. 19-41). IGI Global.
Couros, A. & Hildebrandt, K. (2015). (Digital) Identity in a World that No Longer Forgets. Available at https://katiahildebrandt.ca/digital-identity-in-a-world-that-no-longer-forgets/
Homayoun, A. (2017).The Secret Social Media Lives of Teenagers. Available at https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/07/well/family/the-secret-social-media-lives-of-teenagers.html
That’s a wrap! EC&I 832 is coming to an end.. and to say I’ve learned a lot wouldn’t quite do it justice. I think any “educational technology” course is so relevant and practical.. I feel like I’ve walked away with an entire toolkit.
My final project had me creating an AI handbook for our school. Being on mat leave this past year, I felt a little bit behind in understanding AI as ChatGPT was already being used by students in the classroom and here I was, so removed from the classroom I felt so far behind. This was a good reminder, for me, how some people feel this sense of anxiety in not knowing where to start in tackling certain technologies when you feel as though other people have already been successful in implementing these technologies in their lives. This AI handbook was a thought prior to me returning back to work after mat leave, but its importance became even more evident upon returning to work. Having kids hand in multiple attempts at essays or papers that are completely AI generated sparked something for me, that many students genuinely do not know how to appropriately manage the powerful tool of AI quite yet. This handbook includes references to our division framework to show parallels between what we strive for in our students (in both digital spaces and non), an introduction to digital citizenship for parents and students, as well as an introduction for AI, tools, limitations, and implementations, and even some division success stories of people using AI. Overall, I feel this is still pretty preliminary in development but do think schools and school divisions could benefit by having an AI handbook ready to use by parents and students. Below are a few sample pages from the handbook:
This handbook was only made possible by the content of this course enlightening me on AI, as I genuinely had little to no understanding of it!
However, my learning of AI is just the tip of the iceberg of content I picked up from this course. For a more extensive look at all I’ve learned this semester, please check out my summary of learning video!
The date is September 5th, 2023. A naive, ambitious Kendyll messages her EC&I 832 prof describing her excitement for her final project, asking if she could explore not only ONE of the recommended topics for the final project, but to fuse TWO of the options together. Both are so intriguing to her and she couldn’t simply pick just one. She asks for permission to create an “AI handbook” for her school, either for educators or for parents/students on the navigation of AI/digital literacy in the classroom.
“Any thoughts on this? Thanks!” she says, hoping her prof says yes. He agrees to it ecstatically. Everything is great in Kendyll’s world.
The date is November 13th, 2023. A tired Kendyll sits at her computer, absolutely overwhelmed with the surplus of information from her EC&I 832 course, now knowing full well that she simply would never be able to cover ALL the information she has learned in a simple handbook, let alone for one single demographic.
This course has been extremely informative, and the amount of resources and tools suggested have been overwhelming (yet certainly much appreciated). I’ve now come to learn I wouldn’t be able to keep my final project as broad as I had hoped. Instead, I am now focusing on creating an AI Handbook for students (only). Although I would have loved to made a handbook for digital literacy and AI for multiple parties, I simply don’t think it would be feasible. After returning to work after a mat leave (and missing a large amount of the initial impacts of AI in the classroom), I have learned there is a large gap in the educational piece for students to learn how to effectively use AI in school. So although I am still in some of the primary stages of actually developing the handbook, being able to comb through the vast amount of resources has been the task at hand as of late! Stay tuned for future progress reports. I can’t wait to see where “future Kendyll” is at!
If you thought the pressure to choose an aesthetic was bad, say hello to micro-labels. These super-specific identities can seem like a fun way to express yourself (who doesn’t want a label that perfectly sums them up?), but for teens, they can also add to the overwhelming sense of having to pick who they are, right now. From fashion to personality traits, there’s a label for everything—and choosing wrong feels like social media suicide.
Collaborative Learning: As Ribble mentioned, educators should collaborate with each other to enhance the teaching of digital citizenship. Schools could create cross-curricular projects where students apply digital citizenship principles across different subjects, reinforcing the idea that these skills are essential in every part of life.
My understanding of “visitors” and “residents” in social media mirrors the tools I use daily. I’m surprised by the extent of my social media toolkit, which I hadn’t fully realized before.
