Empowering Digital citizens

Tech-empowered learners, requires ongoing opportunities to learn and practice in a safe environment where mistakes are encouraged.
However, we know that students will not master collaboration skills in simple, one-and-done lessons. Above all, they will need your guidance and support on this learning journey.
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Use this four-step process to help design repeated learning opportunities that will empower your students with the critical life skill of confidently being an "Internet Awesome" citizen.

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4 STEP Steps to Empowered Citizens

1. Teach digital citizenship skills.    Growing up with tech, even with a phone in hand does not mean learners have mastered all forms of technology, and it doesn’t mean that they have been taught the social and emotional skills to collaborate and problem solve in these spaces.
2. Design collaborative, tech- empowered lessons. Create lessons and systems where students must effectively collaborate in digital spaces and problem solve is essential. We need to provides a safe playground for our learners to  discover strengths and weaknesses, ultimately empowering each learner to grow at his/her own pace. 
3. Debrief and reflect. Our students will undoubtedly struggle and even fail at times, but we can give them a safe space to fail forward. The reflection process can help empower students with a growth mindset. It’s important to recognize that reflection should not only occur at the end of an activity; it should be integrated throughout the process. 
   Reflection Wheel in Google Draw 
   Reflection Starter Questions
4. Repeat this process regularly. We all need repetition to really develop our skills, and students will need repeated opportunities to practice their digital citizenship skills.  

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Internet Awesome REsources 

• ELEMENTARY - Christy Yacano, DTL at Sierra has a “Geek Squad” composed of 1-2 students per class, K-5th. Students are sometimes recommended, but all students can apply via a Google form. The Geek Squad meets monthly, has lunch together, and trains. Their main focus is to assist their classmates, teacher and substitute teacher with technology issues. They also help orient new students to Sierra. New student checklist (Yacano, 2020) Other supports they offer include: troubleshooting interactive boards, AV equipment, connections, and Chromebooks  The skills the students gain and share, can easily be transferred to learning and leadership opportunities in the future.​​

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• MIDDLE - Karrie Zanetti, and Lori Guyll, DTL's  at Deer Creek Middle School and Sierra Middle School empower their 6th, 7th and 8th graders differently. They are working smarter not harder by investing time upfront to develop step-by-step resources and video tutorials that equip students, families and staff to troubleshoot technical issues independently. Both schools  launched website resources Chromebook Help Page, (Zanetti, 2021)  1:1 Device Help Page (Guyll, 2021) on their library websites.  These are chalk  full of ideas including: video tutorials, flowcharts, Infographics and checklists to provide a self-service IT pitstop . Both DTL's also provide next steps and avenues if further assistance is needed to empower their digital citizens.

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• HIGH - Leah Linblom @Arvada West HS and Jim Bartuska @Chatfield HS both teach and certify Cyber Crew high school students (see video below) upon completion of a credited technology class. They recruit students who seem “techy”, love learning, and/or enjoy helping others. They offer industry certifications upon completion of each of the courses they provide. (Instructor Agreement and Instructions, Lindbolm,2020)
  • The big event that CyberCats and CyberChargers look forward to attending each year is Jeffcon.net   This is a tech conference designed for students interested in “all things technology.” All Jeffco high school students are welcome to attend. Jeffco.net launches in late January, 2022. Be on the lookout!