Create

To promote positive digital citizenship practices in the elementary panel, educators must create their digital learning environment. Technology allows educators to tailor their workspace according to their needs and interests as an educator and a professional learner. Technology is no longer an add-on but rather a tool for learning and sharing (Qatar Academy, 2009). Creating a digital learning environment will promote digital literacy skills and embed technological tools and programs (Stripling, 2010). 

Educators must create boundaries for online interactions based on the guiding principles and practices of governing bodies. Following appropriate protocols such as board policies, procedures and the Ontario College of Teacher (OCT) guidelines will support educators in creating their DLE. The OCT recommends that educators “maintain professional boundaries by communication with students and others electronically at appropriate times of the day and through established educational platforms” (Ontario College of Teachers, 2017, pg. 1). Professional boundaries ensure educators are interacting with students and parents appropriately modelling care, trust, respect and integrity. 

A cornerstone to digital citizenship is eSafety. Secure passwords that are private is the first step to creating a safe DLE. Furthermore, check the privacy and security settings of photographs and other content posted online to ensure security requirements. Additionally, maintaining appropriate restrictions for social media accounts to ensure professional and personal accounts are viewed by the intended audience (Ontario College of Teachers, 2017). To safely interact online, educators must maintain secure online passwords and networks to ensure the privacy and security of their professional information including student data.

Educators should strive to develop a positive online presence. An online presence can influence people’s opinions about you as a professional educator or as a person (Nielsen, 2102). Educators determine their identity and priorities as professional educators through online interactions. Each online interaction, posting, tagging or liking creates their professional and personal digital footprint. Educators should separate their personal communication from professional. This may require educators to manage both professional and personal social media accounts, email, blogs and websites. 

Educators must develop a curation system to keep their digital resources organised and accessible when the information is needed. The content on Web 2.0 is growing exponentially, each moment active participants post, share and create using digital tools. Digital tools allow for filtering, tagging, and titling to maintain organization. According to Flintoff, Mellow and Clark (2015), curation tools allow the user to filter and refine digital resources quickly and easily within their own collection of content. Creating a curation system in Google Drive, Google Chrome, Gmail, Youtube Channels, social media accounts and pedagogical documentation system.