Eisha Buch
Head of Teaching and Learning, Common Sense Education
Teaching Digital Citizenship Has a Real Impact
Our Digital Citizenship Curriculum is both meeting educators' needs and driving student success.
Media and technology play an increasingly important role in the lives of children and teens, bringing both opportunities and risks. When used effectively, technology can inform and educate, aid in identity development, inspire creativity, and connect kids with their communities and the broader world.
However, young people sometimes also struggle with the downsides that are part ofa culture of ubiquitous technology, from negative impacts on sleep and physical activity to technology addiction, privacy concerns, exposure to harmful content, hate speech, mis- and disinformation, and impacts on their mental health. And today, a significant amount of young people's social interactions, identity development, and learning happen online, unlike in previous generations.
Common Sense's mission grew out of the belief that all kids can thrive in a tech-filled world if we prioritize (among several things), teaching kids the skills and dispositions to use tech in meaningful, responsible, and prosocial ways. So over 12 years ago, we developed the first Digital Literacy & Citizenship Curriculum aimed to do exactly that.
Today, we reach 1.2 million educators in 88,000 schools across the United States, including 80% of Title I schools. Internationally, we reach 4,900 schools, with one-fifth of our educator audience from regions around the globe.
Last year, we decided to dive into what we've learned about the impact of our Digital Citizenship Program by looking at three core areas: how schools implement our Digital Citizenship Curriculum, how schools are engaging parents and caregivers, and the impact on student learning.
Here are some highlights of what we learned:
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Digital citizenship is most often taught because it aligns with the school's mission, or with social and emotional learning (SEL), and/or because of concerns about online privacy, sharing, and cyberbullying.
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The content is most often taught by veteran classroom teachers, librarians/media specialists, technology coordinators, and instructional coaches, and is used most often in grades 3–6.
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When educators were asked about the top behaviors they most wanted students to develop as a result of digital citizenship education, respondents reported that they most hoped to achieve awareness about sharing information online, safeguarding data privacy, and reducing cyberbullying.
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Ninety-four percent of students feel confident in understanding the lessons, and 93% of educators report that their students have learned digital citizenship skills by using our Digital Citizenship Curriculum.
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Through our Recognition program (a subset of our users who commit to a deep implementation of the Curriculum), we certify roughly 5,000 educators, 1,500 schools, 40 districts, and 150 Ambassadors each year.
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Through the extended outreach of our Recognition community we reach an estimated 3.8 million students and 850,000 families.
The findings from our impact report show great promise and potential for digital citizenship education and the impact of our Digital Citizenship Curriculum. Educators who use the curriculum have come to rely on our resources to teach these critical skills, and students are learning the right skills and dispositions to participate responsibly in the digital world.
As the media and tech landscape continues to evolve, so do the needs and priorities of schools and districts. Whether it's new topics and trends that arise (hello, artificial intelligence!) or shifts in priorities and programming for schools (e.g., the need for shorter, more student-directed lessons, or the emphasis on SEL), we continue to create new, relevant digital citizenship resources that are meant to expand our flagship curriculum and offer additional entry points for educators.
By addressing the real-life challenges that students face today, we are equipping them with the skills and dispositions they need to succeed as digital learners, leaders, and citizens of tomorrow.
Read the full impact report here.
Media and technology play an increasingly important role in the lives of children and teens, bringing both opportunities and risks. When used effectively, technology can inform and educate, aid in identity development, inspire creativity, and connect kids with their communities and the broader world.
However, young people sometimes also struggle with the downsides that are part ofa culture of ubiquitous technology, from negative impacts on sleep and physical activity to technology addiction, privacy concerns, exposure to harmful content, hate speech, mis- and disinformation, and impacts on their mental health. And today, a significant amount of young people's social interactions, identity development, and learning happen online, unlike in previous generations.
Common Sense's mission grew out of the belief that all kids can thrive in a tech-filled world if we prioritize (among several things), teaching kids the skills and dispositions to use tech in meaningful, responsible, and prosocial ways. So over 12 years ago, we developed the first Digital Literacy & Citizenship Curriculum aimed to do exactly that.
Today, we reach 1.2 million educators in 88,000 schools across the United States, including 80% of Title I schools. Internationally, we reach 4,900 schools, with one-fifth of our educator audience from regions around the globe.
Last year, we decided to dive into what we've learned about the impact of our Digital Citizenship Program by looking at three core areas: how schools implement our Digital Citizenship Curriculum, how schools are engaging parents and caregivers, and the impact on student learning.
Here are some highlights of what we learned:
-
Digital citizenship is most often taught because it aligns with the school's mission, or with social and emotional learning (SEL), and/or because of concerns about online privacy, sharing, and cyberbullying.
-
The content is most often taught by veteran classroom teachers, librarians/media specialists, technology coordinators, and instructional coaches, and is used most often in grades 3–6.
-
-
When educators were asked about the top behaviors they most wanted students to develop as a result of digital citizenship education, respondents reported that they most hoped to achieve awareness about sharing information online, safeguarding data privacy, and reducing cyberbullying.
-
Ninety-four percent of students feel confident in understanding the lessons, and 93% of educators report that their students have learned digital citizenship skills by using our Digital Citizenship Curriculum.
-
Through our Recognition program (a subset of our users who commit to a deep implementation of the Curriculum), we certify roughly 5,000 educators, 1,500 schools, 40 districts, and 150 Ambassadors each year.
-
Through the extended outreach of our Recognition community we reach an estimated 3.8 million students and 850,000 families.
-
The findings from our impact report show great promise and potential for digital citizenship education and the impact of our Digital Citizenship Curriculum. Educators who use the curriculum have come to rely on our resources to teach these critical skills, and students are learning the right skills and dispositions to participate responsibly in the digital world.
As the media and tech landscape continues to evolve, so do the needs and priorities of schools and districts. Whether it's new topics and trends that arise (hello, artificial intelligence!) or shifts in priorities and programming for schools (e.g., the need for shorter, more student-directed lessons, or the emphasis on SEL), we continue to create new, relevant digital citizenship resources that are meant to expand our flagship curriculum and offer additional entry points for educators.
By addressing the real-life challenges that students face today, we are equipping them with the skills and dispositions they need to succeed as digital learners, leaders, and citizens of tomorrow.
Read the full impact report here.
Eisha Buch is the Head of Teaching & Learning at Common Sense Education. She oversees Common Sense's K–12 Digital Citizenship Program. Eisha is the lead architect of the Curriculum and has extensive experience in developing research-based curriculum, games, and education programs to ensure the digital well-being of all students.