DIGITAL CITIZENSHIP: SAFELY NAVIGATING THE

WORLD WIDE WEB

Created by: Ashley Keifer
ITEC Masters Program
Summer 2016

School Demographics
Buford Academy is an elementary school comprised of grades
second through fifth.
It is a part of the Buford City School District in which there
are three other schools in the district.
An elementary school comprised of daycare-first grade, middle
school comprised of sixth through eighth grade and high
comprised of ninth through twelfth grade.
Buford City School District was established in 1852; however
Buford Academy was planted in 1998.

There are a total of 1,390 students in the school. Of these

students 3% are classified Asian, 12% African American, 30%
Hispanic/Latino, 3% Multiracial and 52% White/Caucasian.
Buford Academy services 13% of its population in special
education program and 60% of its students are on a free and
or reduced lunch program.

The staff of Buford Academy is comprised of three

administrators, one hundred thirty-seven teachers and
paraprofessionals, twenty lunchroom and custodial staff
members.
Of the staff demographics, 100% of administrators are
White/Caucasian, 87% of the teachers and paraprofessionals
are White/Caucasian, 10% African American and 3%
Hispanic/Latino. Of the lunchroom and custodial staff 51%
are White/Caucasian and 49% are African American.
This study will focus on educating teachers, students and
parents on digital citizenship and how it applies to educating
students.

Capstone Problem
After implementing the use of the mobile technology devices in our
school, teachers and administrators were in concurrence that while
students were very aware of how to navigate and use the devices, they
were not educated on the safety of surfing the web and accessing the
apps available. The mobile technology devices were purchased and
implemented into classrooms in the middle of the school year,
therefore teachers, parents and students had not received any training
on digital citizenship and the necessary safety needed for proper use
of such devices.

What is digital citizenship?

Digital Citizenship is documented as the norms
of appropriate and responsible behavior while
using a technology device.
There are many articles that support proper
education for students, teachers and parents on
digital citizenship.

Articles Researched
Comparative effectiveness of instructional
technology regarding educational attainments of
students at elementary level.
Creating a Safe Social Learning Environment to
Improve Student Success.
One law with two outcomes: comparing the
implementation of CIPA in public libraries and
schools.
Underage Children and Social Networking. Journal
of Research on Technology in Education
Cyberbullying: six things administrators can do.
A Cyberbullying Intervention with Primary-Aged
Students.

Internet safety education for youth: stakeholder

perspectives.
Summary Report Education on Online Safety in
Schools in Europe.

Internet Safety in Emerging Educational Contexts.

Using online role play to teach internet safety
awareness.

Outline of Capstone
Created surveys using Google Forms for teachers, parents and students to completed at the beginning and
end of the year.
Conducted surveys.

Analyzed the data from the surveys to create professional development opportunity for teachers, curriculum
meeting with parents and BAT Club opportunity for students.
Administered professional development
Conducted parent meeting during curriculum night
Facilitated and monitored BAT Club each month throughout the school year
Administered surveys at the end of year
Analyzed and compared surveys from beginning and end of year

Teacher Survey

Parent Survey

Student Survey

Professional Development
The initial professional development for teachers was held on August 28th, 2015. The reason the meeting was
held at the end of August was so that the rush of the beginning of the year would be settled down and
teachers would be in more of a routine and could focus on the information being presented. All teachers had
to sign an attendance sheet stating that they had attended the meeting. The meeting started off by showing a
quick YouTube video on digital citizenship.
Next, the survey that they had filled out at the very beginning of school was reviewed, along with the results
so that they could see why the information being presented was necessary. A PowerPoint was used to present
the survey data to the teachers. The teachers were directed to a website called Digital Passport, which is used
with the students during regular technology specials as well as BAT club to teach and engage students in safe
internet behavior. This allowed the teachers to have a student view of what they can implement in their
classrooms to help enhance and encourage good internet behavior. The teachers were also given additional
resources that they can use with their students as well as put on their websites for parents to access.

Parent Involvement Night

Parent Involvement Night was held on the same night as Curriculum Night. After discussing different dates
with my administrators, it was decided that Curriculum Night would be the best night since we already have a
high rate of attendance each year at this event.
An ESOL Curriculum Night is held separately from the regular Curriculum Night and the same information
was presented to them as well. Parents were given a handout on children internet safety that is appropriate
for each age group. They were also given resources that are free and available for them to access at home to
use with their children to encourage internet safety. Overall, this night went really well and there was a lot of
parent participation.

Resources for Parents

Resources for Parents

Resources for Parents

BAT Club
The last implementation for Digital Citizenship was BAT Club. Bat Club is a club that students in grades 2-5
(the only grades present in the school) are eligible to attend, given they have permission from their parents.
Students had to get a permission slip signed by a parent and parents had to commit to bringing their child to
school at 7:15 AM on the first Tuesday of each month.

For the first three meetings internet safety was the strict focus on the agenda. Students were given different
scenarios in which they had to discuss with their group how it should be handled. Once the initial internet
safety discussions were held, then the students had the opportunity to watch videos, play games and create
presentations on digital citizenship to share with their classmates.
In January, the students started working on a commercial to share with the entire school on safe internet
behavior. The students enjoyed working on this and it was a huge success when it aired on the school
television channel. There was a lot of positive feedback from the faculty and students of the school. Overall,
BAT Club was a great success and will be continued in the school years to follow.

Student Scenario Cards

Discussion and Reflection

In the last month of school, after all programs had been implemented
on Digital Citizenship, teachers, parents and students took the survey
given at the beginning of the year, again. The results from these
surveys had a positive change in the comfort ability of the teachers
safely using the World Wide Web in the classroom. Parents felt more
equipped to monitor their childs internet usage and know what is and
is not appropriate for each age. Students were more aware of internet
etiquette and what to do if an unsafe situation were to arise.

Discussion and Reflection

Throughout the implementation of this study, there were issues
that arose that could have been handle differently if this was to
be re-implemented. One of the issues being the lack of
participation on the parent initial survey. Originally the parents
were given the responsibility of completing the task in their
own time. If re-implemented, each classroom would have
laptops and or iPad devices readily available for the parents to
open house. This would increase the number of parents
completing the survey and therefore increasing the
knowledgeability of their individual at-home internet safety
awareness.
Another alteration that could be made if re-implemented is the
framework for organizing BAT Club. In this implementation,
all students in each grade attended the club on the same day at
the same time. However, if re-implemented in the future, it
would be more beneficial for the club to be separated into
individual grade levels on separate days. If organized this way,
then the leaders of the club would be able to design a program
more suitable for the individual needs of the group. Also, in
doing this students would have a greater chance to be more
involved in the club rather than just a participant.

Lastly, if re-implemented, each teacher would be given a

mentor that is an expert in the field of internet safety and
internet use in the classroom. This mentor would be available
to discuss possible lesson plans that could be implemented in
the classroom, discuss strengths and weaknesses of the mentee
and follow-up on goals set by the mentor and mentee. This
feature would add a level of accountability and ensure that
each teacher is fully equipped in implementing fun and
engaging yet safe lessons that incorporate the use of the World
Wide Web.

References
Atta, M. A., Jamil, A., Ali, U., Ayaz, M., & Bashir, S. (2013). Comparative
effectiveness of instructional
technology regarding educational attainments of students at
elementary level. Gomal University Journal Of Research, 29(1),
49-55.
Creating a Safe Social Learning Environment to Improve Student Success.
(cover story). (2013).
Internet@Schools, 20(5), 8-13.

Jaeger, P., & Yan, Z. (2009). One law with two outcomes: comparing the
implementation of
CIPA in public libraries and schools.
Information Technology & Libraries, 28(1), 6-14.
Weeden, S. M. (2013). Underage Children and Social Networking. Journal
of Research on
Technology in Education
(International Society For Technology In Education), 45(3),
249-262.
SIMMONS, K. D., & BYNUM, Y. P. (2014). Cyberbullying: six things
administrators can do.
Education, 134(4), 452-456.

Toshack, T., & Colmar, S. (2012). A Cyberbullying Intervention with

Primary-Aged Students.
Australian Journal Of Guidance
And Counselling, 22268-278.
Moreno, M. A., Egan, K. G., Bare, K., Young, H. N., & Cox, E. D. (2013).
Internet safety
education for
youth: stakeholder perspectives. BMC Public Health, 13(1), 1-6.
doi:10.1186/1471-2458-13-543

Pulley, K., & Hamby, G. (2013). Buford Academy Accountability Report.

Retrieved from
http://www.bufordacademy.org/uploads/1/6/4/2/16429650/
ba_accountability_report1.pdf
Ranguelov, S. (2010). Summary Report Education on Online Safety in
Schools in Europe. New
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Wishart, J. (2004). Internet Safety in Emerging Educational Contexts.
Computers And
Education, 43(12), 193-204.
Wishart, J., Oades, C., & Morris, M. (2007). Using online role play to teach
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