Move the Needle
The other day, I received the following text message: “My principal just told me I have to teach digital citizenship. Help?” I think this rather succinctly summarizes where we are at in education with regards to digital citizenship. We are told that it’s important; we know we need to teach it, but we have no idea what to do or where to start. Plus, we are all using digital tools and services. This educator sent a text message to ask for help about teaching a subject that includes text messaging! Technology is seeping into every area of our lives with increasing levels of importance. If you don’t believe me, go ask a fourteen year old to go a week without their cell phone.
Today is unlike any other in the history of time. We are moving faster, changing more rapidly, and engaging in behaviors completely alien to any generation before us- good and bad. There are a number of reasons for this, such as population growth, technological advancement, the rise of the middle class, or even the double-digit year-over-year economic growth of China. These changes, however, present a problem when they become part of the fabric of who our children are and we fail to acknowledge and adapt to these changes. We have seen the egregious failures and breakdowns throughout society, including members of Congress in the form of pictures
