The Final Thought - EDLD 5316

Digital citizenship is a term that refers to any person who is using information technology to engage with others. This includes socially via apps and other platforms, politically, in groups, government, and any form of interaction that can take place through the internet or IT world. I have always asserted that there are just things one does not do to another person, so I made it a point to be mindful of what could be seen if I was searched for on the web. This course has shown me the varying degrees of nothing being deleted, nothing truly being erased, and nothing really dies. An instance of this that came up during this course is Charles Leno Jr. of the Chicago Bears. He proposed to his girlfriend, Jennifer Roth, and almost instantly things she tweeted in 2012 surfaced. The taglines read like a badge of honor: “Racist Tweets No Longer Deleted”. The nine elements of digital citizenship are not just token components to be taken lightly. They are a path to better understanding the ins and outs of responsible behavior on the internet.

With practice, these elements can flow over into the behaviors of people in real life.

My biggest accomplishment this course has been that I made it through and did not give up. In my personal life so many things have happened that made me want to throw in the towel. From my sisters cancer spreading and having emergency brain surgery to my own student attempting suicide as a result of bullying; it has been tough. I want this degree so bad I can feel it on the tips of my fingers. I have had night where the computer I was using crashed and I was unsure if I would get my work done. The amount of reading and work felt daunting. Even though I know this is graduate level work, I was shocked because it is nothing like the prior courses. As a result, I believe the best piece of work I submitted in the course was my video. I learned digital discipline, copyright laws, and tips to share with my students on how to spot toxicity online; specifically on social media.

This course has several connections to work I do outside of my classroom; the biggest being the essence of freedom of speech. Freedom of speech is the right for a person to articulate their opinions and ideas without fear of retaliation, censorship, or legal sanction. The issue with that is so many people are concerned with said freedom that they ignore the responsibility that comes with it.

I work with several groups in the community who promote the advancement of young people and those who identify a certain way. There are opinions that can not be said on social media, in interviews, in an article, etc. because I am an educator. Not many people are concerned that way until something goes wrong. Countless people have publicly lost their jobs, licenses, and livelihood because they wanted to dive head in to the freedom to say whatever they felt online and disregarded their profession. If only people understood that there was a way to disagree without defamation.

This course has reminded me that everyone is watching and as such, it is always the right time to do the right thing. The most useful things I learned in this course were the nine digital elements and the copyright laws that intentionally get broken in education every day. Being able to fully understand what a persons digital presence can do beyond what is publicized in the news will help me help my students. I may even be able to save students from falling into the rabbit hole of unhealthy habits as they mature.

My favorite part about this course was that every week the instructor, Dr. Parcel dug deeper into the content coming but also gave a hindsight look at what was already completed. He reiterated important parts and takeaways and never seemed to tire from learners asking questions. He was accountable with the follow up and providing answers to ensure we succeeded as best as we could.

As a suggestion to others who read this as they take the course; start early! The work is never ending but it is doable. If I could change anything it would be the format for the journal reflections. I think more reflection could be given from students if they were able to simply write without having to be sure citation were included and there was a thesis and conclusion. I do understand this is graduate school however something things like journaling could be better left unrestricted.