Digital Citizenship

What is Digital Citizenship?

Digital citizenship is defined as the norms of appropriate, responsible technology use.  Digital Citizenship skills enable students to participate fully and responsibly in a technology rich society.  Mike Ribble outlines nine elements of Digital Citizenship: digital access; digital commerce; digital communication; digital literacy; digital etiquette; digital law; digital rights and responsibilities; digital health and wellness and digital security.  For more information, please visit digitalcitizenship.net.

Digital Citizenship in our Schools:

Greater St. Albert Catholic Schools encourages appropriate and responsible use of technology by teaching students to be Christian citizens in a digital world. We teach, model and reinforce digital citizenship skills throughout our classrooms to help prepare students for a technology-rich society.  All students in Kindergarten to Grade 12 participate in dedicated digital citizenship lessons based on a resource created by Ottawa Catholic Schools, Samaritans on the Digital Road.  Students learn about online security, safety, appropriate and inappropriate interactions online, cyberbullying and how to cultivate a positive digital footprint. 

Digital Citizenship Resources for Parents:

The resources below link to external sites and resources that can help you support your child(s) interactions online.

Common Sense Media

This website provides reviews of apps, social media sites and much more.  Click on the Parent Concerns tab to find a variety of topics or use the search feature on their website.   

Media Smarts

Click on the For Parents tab to find advice on how to manage your child's screen time, social media use and other digital issues.

Digital Citizenship Guide for Parents

This government of Canada publication provides helpful tips about talking to your child regarding online safety and security. It also provides helpful tips on what to do when your child is experiencing difficult online situations.