Digital Citizenship

1. Share a synopsis of the lesson you chose to review (you may need to create an account to
see a lesson plan).

The lesson that I chose to review was “Chatting and Red Flags” from the Common Sense
Education curriculum. In this lesson, students are taught how to evaluate the conversations they
are having online with strangers. Through this lesson, students are taught how to be wary of
those they might meet online and how to recognize a “red flag” moment where they feel
uncomfortable with the conversation they are having with a stranger. I chose this lesson because
it is geared towards ninth graders, the level that I primarily teacher. I want my students to feel
safe when they navigate the online world.

2. Note which of the 9 elements you believe this lesson meets.

This lesson meets the element “Digital Health and Welfare”. In this element, the “physical and
psychological well-being” of students is considered (Digital Citizenship, 2017). Chatting with
strangers online can have dangerous consequences for students if they are not careful. Not
everyone is who they say they are on an online platform, and might be trying to groom younger
children or just generally abuse them, which affects their well-being.

3. What do you see as the lesson's strengths and weaknesses?

Some of the strengths of this lesson include using a video to introduce the topic and show an
example of what the situation may look like and also including a realistic scenario that students
can evaluate and discuss in small groups. Some of the weaknesses include not having enough
opportunities to discuss how to handle these situations when they occur and also mentioning the
concept of “grooming” without going too in depth into the situation. I think in this digital age,
students are bound to make friends online through many different platforms, and it is important
to help them better determine how to figure out if someone is safe to be friends with past
acknowledging an instinctive feeling like a “red flag” feeling.

4. How might the lesson work in your instructional setting (or hypothetical class)

I think this lesson would work fairly well in one of my English classes. It gives students the
opportunity for discussion in both small and large group settings and also presents information in
a variety of ways such as through video, text, and a PowerPoint presentation. However, without
proper introduction, I think it would be hard to get students into a discussion mindset on the
topic, especially if some students do not relate to the topic. Not all students find themselves
talking to strangers online and it would be important to address more why this topic is so
important.

5. What changes you would make to address the issues you present.

I think I would give students more options for their small group discussion. Some options might
include doing the discussion through an online discussion board or FlipGrid or doing it as a write
around on a poster paper. Some students may not feel discussion sensitive topics face to face and
providing options would help them approach the subject.

6. What technology might you integrate into this lesson to make it stronger and more
impactful to your learners?

Like mentioned above, I might integrate the use of discussion tools online for students to make it
more stronger and impactful. Another way to integrate technology might be through simulations
or videos instead of presenting the same scenario to every group. If different groups had different
scenarios, this would open the floor up for further discussions. Students can also use technology
to investigate or research safe ways to maintain friendships online.