| Coaches model digital citizenship and supports educators and students in recognizing the responsibilities and opportunities inherent in living in a digital world. |
| 7a Inspire and encourage educators and students to use technology for civic engagement and to address challenges to improve their communities. |
| 7b Partner with educators, leaders, students and families to foster a culture of respectful online interactions and a healthy balance in their use of technology. |
| 7c Support educators and students to critically examine the sources of online media and identify underlying assumptions. |
| 7d Empower educators, leaders and students to make informed decisions to protect their personal data and curate the digital profile they intend to reflect. |
Guiding Values/Ethical Standards
As a leader in digital education, my mission is to instill integrity among digital citizens as they create and develop their digital narratives, reflecting respect and practicing responsibility in all their online interactions. To promote student-centered learning where every student can learn, I will advocate for equitable access for all learners and ensure that they use digital tools appropriately to achieve their goals and to make a positive and meaningful contribution to their community.
According to Ribble and Miller (2013), technology without any direction, rules or instructions has the potential to cause harm with others. It is imperative, then, that our use of technology is informed by values or ethical standards that help us exercise wisdom as we teach and learn in digital environments.
Integrity
Aspiring for integrity in this technology-infused world that we live in is not an easy task. There always seems to be a temptation to be dishonest, to withhold information, to cut corners, or to take the easy road. It requires that as leaders in digital education, we frontload our students with the right mindset that places integrity at the core of their being. The Bible exhorts us this way: “Do not conform to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will” (New International Version, 2011, Romans 12:2).
Integrity is important in achieving Digital Citizen Advocate standard 7d. The pursuit of integrity affects not only the decisions we make, but also how we make these decisions. This standard states: empower educators, leaders and students to make informed decisions to protect their personal data and curate the digital profile they intend to reflect. A digital citizen who values integrity will take time and effort to create a digital profile that reflects their real identity as well as protect their personal information.
Accountability
Accountability goes hand in hand with integrity. If one is striving for integrity, accountability is a natural outcome. Accountability is defined as “an obligation or willingness to accept responsibility or to account for one’s actions” (www. https://www.merriam-webster.com). Integrity coalescing with accountability upholds standard 7b: Partner with educators, leaders, students and families to foster a culture of respectful online interactions and a healthy balance in their use of technology. Digital citizens who make productive decisions about their digital interactions will seek to make a positive impact in their communities.
Digital accountability, as described by Passey et al. (2018) includes digital responsibility for the impact of one’s digital actions. Digital citizens know that every decision they make creates an impact, whether positive or negative, on themselves and others.
Student-centered learning
In this rapidly changing world of teaching and learning in digital environments, student-centered learning should be a constant. The tides of technological advances may come and go, but our advocacy for students and their needs should always be a priority. As a digital education leader, I must prioritize what I know is best for students. It is also my role to integrate technology into day-to-day learning opportunities and to create purposeful connections to real life. This upholds standard 7a: Inspire and encourage educators and students to use technology for civic engagement and to address challenges to improve their communities. Purposeful student learning extends beyond the classroom walls and brings it to the larger community that one is a part of.
A student-centered learning environment reinforces the responsible and respectful use of digital education tools. Being responsible users of digital tools requires that as digital education leaders, we model how to study, assess and analyze these tools and evaluate their effects on everyday life (Educause, 2019). This addresses standard 7c: Support educators and students to critically examine the sources of online media and identify underlying assumptions.
Resources
EDUCAUSE (2019, July 29). 7 things you should know about digital literacies (pp. 1-2). EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative.
ISTE. (2021). ISTE Standards: Coaches. https://www.iste.org/standards/iste-standards-for-coaches
Merriam-Webster. (n.d.) Accountability. In Merriam-Webster.com dictionary. Retrieved November 12, 2021, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/accountability?utm_campaign=sd&utm_medium=serp&utm_source=jsonld
New International Version. (2017). BibleGateway. https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans%2012&version=NIV
Passey, D., Shonfeld, M., Appleby, L., Judge, M., Saito, T., & Smits, A. (2018). Digital Agency: Empowering Equity in and through Education. Technology, Knowledge and Learning, 23(3), 425–439.
Ribble, M. S., & Miller, T. N. (2013). Educational leadership in an online world: Connecting students to technology responsibly, safely, and ethically. Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks, (17)1, 137-145.
Walker, M. N. (2021, February 16). How we implemented six student-centered learning goals to advance equity. https://studentsatthecenterhub.org/resource/implemented-6-student-centered-learning-goals-advance-equity/
