Introduction
This guide gives some ideas for teaching about digital footprint and digital etiquette in the classroom. Most learning activities will use the application Seesaw to assist students in developing their understanding of the concepts.
Digital footprint
It is important that students understand that once something is on the internet, then it is there forever. It is also essential that students understand that everything they look at, share and create is monitored and creates a digital footprint for them.
Classroom resources and activities
Independent learning task
A classroom footprint: To demonstrate, get students to put baby powder on the bottom of their shoes and give them red and green sticky notes. In the next 5 minutes they are going to move around the room speaking to their peers. Each time they have a positive interaction with someone they need to place a green sticky note down, and if they have a negative interaction, they need to place a red sticky note down. Once the 5 minutes is up, they need to take a ‘birds eye’ photo of the classroom, with the powder representing their movements and the sticky notes representing their interactions. They are required to upload their photos onto Seesaw with an accompanied voice recording of what their ‘classroom footprint’ says about them. They are also required to share their post with their peers, and comment on 2 other students’ work, outlining their observations of their ‘classroom footprint’.
Digital Etiquette
It is important for students to understand that when communicating online, they are using appropriate behaviour, positive words and manners. Due to the lack of social cues, it makes it hard to understand what people are thinking and feeling in an online conversation.
Classroom resources and activities
Independent learning task
Sharing work using digital etiquette: To demonstrate, students are to upload their favourite piece of work from the term onto Seesaw and share it with their friends. Students then have to comment on 5 of their peers’ posts, using digital etiquette and positive words. Students will then got back to their original post and read the comments others have made. Bring some of them up on the board and discuss how some of the comments might have come across and/or made people feel.
References:
Childnet International. (2021, January 6). R for respect [Video]. https://www.childnet.com/resources/star-send-toolkit/star-films/respect
Common Sense Education. (2017, June 21). Follow the digital trail [Video]. Common Sense Education https://www.commonsense.org/education/videos/follow-the-digital-trail
Common Sense Education. (2017, June 21). What’s in your digital footprint? [Video]. Common Sense Education https://www.commonsense.org/education/videos/whats-in-your-digital-footprint
EastLab. (2014, October 9). Netiquette only lesson [Video]. Youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q5xlCNy37mI
eSafety Commissioner. (2019, October 22). Your digital footprint [Video]. eSafety Commissioner https://www.esafety.gov.au/educators/classroom-resources/be-deadly-online/your-digital-footprint
Little Fox: Fairy Tales and Classic Stories for Kids. (2019, May 26). My netiquette lesson [Video]. Youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sfLxRbv2njU
Morris, K. (2013, February 22). Teaching children about digital footprints [image]. http://primarytech.global2.vic.edu.au/2013/02/22/teaching-childre-about-digital-footprints/
Richards, A. (2021, April 15). Digital etiquette [Video]. https://btac-my.sharepoint.com/:v:/g/personal/kahlera_btac_nsw_edu_au/EWqSuHrAYQ5EtK8LTQWqujoB0s2uplQUHIMn4FGdTtELOw?e=t4jB3I