Digital Rights and Responsibilities

The user rights that I feel should be part of the norms in this digital world are:
1. Right to Privacy
2. Free Speech
3. The Appropriate Use of Technology -- wisely and appropriately

The students in our school have 1 to 1 computer use.  The school has a contract with each student/student family that allows the student to use their computer wisely and appropriately.  If this contract is broken, the student may lose privileges such as their YouTube access may be revoked, games may be removed, and/or their computer taken away from them for a certain period of time.  

As a teacher, we must make sure that our students understand the dangers of inappropriate use of the internet. Teachers need to model behaviors that are appropriate; model how the Right to Privacy is a safety support in the digital world.  That ethically, Free Speech on the internet has its limits; students need to do the right thing when it comes to conversing with technology -- no bullying!  And when the Appropriate Use of Technology is followed, and students follow Cyber Safety rules and behaviors, then the user's rights become the norms of the digital world.    

The user responsibilities I feel that should be expressed in this digital world are to be:
1. Trail Blazers of Change
2. Knowledgeable Navigation Users
3. Safety Supporters

The students at our school have been 1 to 1 users of school computers for roughly 4 years.  The students that graduated last year were our first generation users.  As students became more technology savvy, the teachers needed to be apprised of the types of websites the students were using, or abusing.  Trail Blazing wasn't just for our students, it was also for the teachers to try to stay a step or two ahead of the uses and abuses that were happening.  As teachers, we have to ask a lot of questions, be cognizant of what students are interested in, and stay abreast of the newest trends.  In order to teach responsibility, we also have to know what our students are not being responsible about.  Our TECH teams had to filter a lot of "free access" out of the digital world that our students were able to be a part of, in order to keep our students safe as they navigate throughout this vast frontier and become responsible trail blazers!