It’s been a few years since the Michigan Department of Education (MDE) first adopted the Michigan Integrated Technology Competencies for Students (MITECS) as part of the its Top 10 in 10 Strategic Plan; however, that plan was updated in 2020, and important competencies in the MITECS that focus on learning enhanced by technology are as important today as they’ve ever been. One of the 7 areas amplified in the MITECS is Digital Citizen, where “students recognize the rights, responsibilities and opportunities of living, learning and working in an interconnected digital world, and they act and model in ways that are safe, legal and ethical.” To increase awareness of the importance of digital citizenship, the Michigan eLibrary (MeL) has several eResources to support K-12 learners.

Elementary

The PebbleGo Social Studies module, intended for students in grades K-2, offers visual cues and text-to-speech options to understand the fundamentals of digital citizenship. Learners can click the Digital Citizenship button to find out more about Creating Strong Passwords, Digital Images, Online Etiquette, and Research Skills. Further, selecting Research Skills takes the learner to more specific choices such as Citing Sources, Giving Presentations, and Research Strategies.

For upper elementary students, the eBook K-8 Collection has a couple of different series on digital citizenship. Titles include Smart Online Communication: Protecting Your Digital Footprint, Staying Safe Online, and Smart Internet Surfing: Evaluating Websites and Advertising.

Secondary

Gale in Context: Opposing Viewpoints offers an entire section dedicated to digital citizenship. Many of the articles in this eResource are from publications such as Mental Health Weekly Digest, USA Today, The New York Times, and The Washington Post, but there are also point/counterpoint articles, images, infographics, audio files and a curated list of related websites. Several of these resources identify the importance of digital citizenship as it relates to a world shifting to more and more AI technologies.

Global Citizenship: Engage in the Politics of a Changing World, a title from the eBook High School Collection, invites readers to consider what makes a citizen, cultural rights, safety, and responsibility—many of the principles important to digital citizenship. Other recent publications include Social Media Shaming and Bullying and Teens and Cyberbullying.

If you are a teacher looking for additional information on digital citizenship, be sure to explore the eBook Academic Collection and Education Source.

If you have any MeL eResources questions or issues, contact [email protected] for help.