"Developing Responsible Cybercitizens"

Have you ever searched your name on Google to see what comes up?

After watching the Google videos on privacy, I decided to conduct a search with my name. Guess what I found? Yes, there were countless results for Danielle Spencer! Thankfully, links about Russell Crowe's wife, Danielle Spencer, dominated the first and second pages. However, by the third page, there I was! My Facebook profile with my picture and this blog, "Up 2 Notches," were right there, plainly visible. I wondered if it was due to the "cookies" and "cache" stored in my temporary folders, as the Google videos explained. I needed to investigate further, so I tried the search on my husband's computer. Lo and behold, there I was again! I was "googleable." It left me feeling... exposed.

As an educator, I am always mindful of my professional conduct, including my online presence. Doug Johnson's tips for educators in "Lighting Lamps" resonated with me. He advises educators to exercise extreme caution when engaging in blogging or other forms of Internet communication (Johnson, 2008). His tips include "write assuming your boss is reading" and "gripe globally, praise locally" (Johnson, 2008). For me, my Facebook account is for social networking, my Ning is for sharing teaching ideas, and my blogs are platforms to share ideas and explore the realities of the digital world. And one reality is that when you are online, you are in the public domain.

How do we teach students that the internet is a public space and encourage them to be cautious with sharing private information? How do we cultivate responsible cybercitizens?

While the Canadian government's document titled "Children's Online Privacy" outlines steps to set expectations and standards by urging the industry to adopt the highest possible standard of privacy, we need to begin educating students about privacy.

One approach may involve modeling the importance of privacy. For instance, teaching students to keep passwords private and educating them on what constitutes private information, as suggested in "Social Studies Vision: Consider This" (Berson et al., 2004). Additionally, maintaining confidentiality of library records, as discussed in "The Ebb and Flow of Library Privacy," could serve as another effective way to model privacy.

Teachers can integrate lessons on responsible cybercitizenship in the classroom and leverage online resources to teach cyberskills. In the article "An Analysis of Electronic Media to Prepare Children for Safe and Ethical Practices in Digital Environments" by Berson and Desai, websites like Brainpop, ikeepsafe.org, Media Awareness Network, iSafe, Netsmartz, and Hector's World are recommended for practicing responsible online behavior (Berson et al., 2008). Of these, Hector's World stands out for its emphasis on privacy, explicitly instructing students to only enter a nickname and assuring them that no personal information will be kept or requested.

This discussion on privacy leads to the concept of the "Digital Dossier," which refers to the accumulation of personal data collected as people use digital technology (Di Gennaro, 2008). In "Born Digital," Palfrey and Gasser highlight the challenge of protecting young people's privacy concerning their digital identity due to economic incentives (Palfrey and Gasser, 2008). Nevertheless, we can educate students about digital tracking and the concept of leaving a "digital footprint."

In "Lighting Lamps," Johnson advises teachers to "write assuming your boss is reading" and "gripe globally, praise locally." As educators, we must teach our students to "write assuming your parents and the world are reading" and "think globally and act cybersafely" (because they can and probably are).

Just curious, have you googled your name yet?