Crestline Elementary hosting digital citizenship kickoff week

While technology is changing, teaching does too. But not just teaching styles — the content changes as well. So to keep students up to speed, teachers are working to educate students on how to effectively and safely use the internet through Common Sense Education.

As a Common Sense certified school, Crestline Elementary will be hosting a digital media citizenship week for its students. While all Mountain Brook elementary schools are taking part in the lessons, Crestline decided to hold the kick off week from Sept. 11-15 as a start to the new school year. 

During the week, professionals will be talking to students about the importance of using the internet correctly and members of the student council will also be talking about the importance of using the internet responsibly during the morning announcements. Principal Laurie King also said there was a parental component the week before. 

Librarian Ruth Moore said more parents are asking for instruction on how to use media and technology around their kids, such as how to limit time on devices and what sites kids can visit.

“It’s like we’ve all realized the digital world is something to be reckoned with,” she said.

Moore had previously worked with students during their library sessions to talk to them about effectively using the internet but wanted to expand the lessons to everyday classroom life. After a faculty meeting, CES decided to add different elements of the curriculum to lesson plans.

“We felt like we weren’t seeing the carry over,” King said. “We saw a gap that needed to be filled and we have just filled that with this initiative.”

The Common Sense Education, which aims to teach students to make “safe, smart and ethical decisions online,” is carried from kindergarten through sixth grade. The goal is to integrate smart technology use in the classroom using the same language throughout the curriculum to guide students.

“It’s a behavior and we’re trying to help them think about their behavior when they use these devices,” King said. King explained they talk a lot about cyber bullying and being kind to one another and how to evaluate whether or not content is true. 

Moore said they also touch on the permanence of the internet, which makes her think of a popular quote from Craig Badura, “A first impression used to start with a handshake, now it starts with a Google search.”

Both King and Moore said too that while this week will incorporate a good deal about digital citizenship, the lessons will be a focus throughout the year.

“It’s hard with elementary [students]. You’ve got to start them off with telling the dangers of the internet without telling them the dangers,” Moore said.

“We’re just trying to do our part [and] create good digital citizens,” King said.