Technolandy

Day 22 (of SOL 2025) Summer of Learning… Dear Dr  @chrkennedy Digital Citizenship 

In his annual year end blog, Chris had some good questions… here is question 

22. How do we teach digital citizenship without sounding like someone’s uncle trying to explain TikTok?

By modelling it. We can’t just say the digital future is bad without fully experiencing it. Sure social media has pitfalls and can be addicting – same claims were made about books after the printing press… now books are an essential component of our education world (wish it was still a vital part of our recreational models, but visual storytelling definitely pulls on the embedded memories of elders sharing stories as part of the oral/aural tradition before that reading fad got started…

We should also ask: what are kids using? I’ve found some great games and tools by being curious, not judgemental😇 and we should be be afraid to dig in with the better follow up: why?

We need to talk about the good and bad. The power and pitfalls of online networking – how tricky “trust” can be, especially in an era where AI can mimic voices and faces and you may not be talking to another 15 year old – and whose location can be anywhere on the globe. 

We need to give reminders (while not bragging) that unlike anytime before, what you do as a youth may have a viewable memory findable on the interweb. Employers and schools may (and should) do scans online to find out who they are connecting with… I make my own life way too public on purpose – putting my daily blog online… now accentuated with visuals via TikTok and instagram – and while I know that there is a community looking at this as a side gig or main job if there’s enough viewers – I am doing it as a means of modelling different formats of communication – putting my journal where it will be easier for my kids to find than my dads book(s)… being brave to put my face-that’s-made-for-radio on a visual format and trying to highlight the inclusive culture that school(s) need to be – better than we were each decade (even if the rooms still look way too close to the first iteration…) 

Reminders that our digital footprints are not as easily washed away as our literal ones on beaches when the tides ebb and flow will be important – and things once online will stay online, even when “taken down”… so don’t send certain selfies…ever… even if you take them, they might be found… awkward phases might’ve been better when there weren’t so many cameras, but we can’t just pretend the “good old days” were better because in so many ways they weren’t (just need to remove the nostalgia-factor lenses on our internal memory)

I’ll also caution following teacher Pinterest as sometimes less is still more… (I still sting from some barbs about my “plain walls” to start the year, but I always found value (esp for anxiety) to build the classroom together so that everyone knew why things were where they were – less distracting than some admittedly very beautiful classrooms…) but again, that can be a modelling experience where we explore together and share our inside thoughts about exploring the digital universe…  what is inspiring and what is problematic – and how they” same thing can be both…

Gotta experience it and check it out before making judgement and then model what we want to see – not every moment needs to be digitized, but some should – sure made a positive impact at my grandmothers memorial this past weekend… and nice to share some generational images via the social medias. 

My AI Buddy’s thoughts:

👾 1. Start with Their World, Not Yours

Instead of opening with “Back in my day…” or lectures about dangers, ask students about the digital spaces they actually use. Let them talk about platforms like TikTok, Discord, BeReal, or whatever’s current — even if it feels like chaos.

• Example prompt:

“What’s something people get wrong about your favorite app?”

• Why it works:

It positions students as experts. That respect sets the tone for open conversation rather than top-down warnings.

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💬 2. Teach by Scenario, Not Sermon

Nobody likes being preached at. Use real-world, relatable dilemmas rather than abstract rules.

• Scenario:

“You see a classmate getting flamed in group chat after a test. Do you ignore it, join in, or say something?”

• Follow-up discussion:

Talk about digital empathy, power dynamics, and when to speak up — but let them wrestle with it first.

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🎮 3. Use Pop Culture, Memes, and Media Wisely

A meme from 2018 won’t win you credibility, but using relevant content (even respectfully asking them to bring it in) can bridge the gap.

• Tip:

Let students remix memes to explain privacy, AI, fake news, or algorithm bias. Humor often reveals critical thinking.

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🤝 4. Be a Co-Learner, Not a Gatekeeper

Digital culture moves fast. You won’t always know the latest thing — and that’s okay.

• Instead say:

“I haven’t used that app much — can someone show me how it works?”

• Why it works:

You model curiosity and respect, not condescension or fear.

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🚀 Bottom line:

Digital citizenship isn’t about controlling kids online — it’s about helping them navigate power, identity, and connection. Speak with them, not at them, and they’ll tune in.