Digital Citizenship Hardback Bundle: Fun with Piano and Laylee

Sometimes, even if students are learning about use of online tools, the best learning may come from traditional books that children can hold in their hands. Piano and Laylee, a bundle of hardback books, is available at the ISTE Store. The books, each priced at $14.45, are designed for parents and teachers to use with students ages 5-9. Piano and Laylee are cute puppies, who become friends and take off on adventures in the online world. They have fun with online games, cell phones, and texting while learning about staying safe, dealing with bullies, password safety, and why their school’s Acceptable Use Policy is important. The bundle is priced at $50.58 for ISTE members and $72.25 for non-members.

Are You Teaching Digital Citizenship?

A poll by Harris Interactive and Cable in the Classroom found that most parents think their children should be learning to be good digital citizens, more than half of the educators felt their schools weren’t emphasizing digital citizenship enough, and less than 40% of teachers believed they were prepared to teach digital citizenship. The question is: who is to teach digital citizenship? Surely the answer is that the job must be a combined effort of classroom and tech teachers, parents, and others who work with students. To help, iKeepSafe offers its C3 Matrix for Digital Citizenship, which addresses cyber-security, cyber-Safety, and cyber-ethics. The Digital Citizenship: Using Technology Appropriately site includes resources and publications and the opportunity to review its nine elements of digital citizenship: Digital Access, Digital Commerce, Digital Communication, Digital Literacy, Digital Etiquette, Digital Law, Digital Rights & Responsibilities, Digital Health and Wellness, and Digital Security (self-protection).

ISTE Learning Lab Online Courses

The International Society for Technology in Education offers a series of facilitated stand-alone courses along with courses you can do on your own using the ISTE self-paced Learning Lab. Learning Lab explorations include Project-Based Learning for Grades PK-2, Project –Based Learning for Grades 3-5, and Web 2.0 for Grades PK-2 and 3-5. Facilitated courses feature titles such as: Digital Citizenship, Universal Learning Design & Assistive Technology, Digital Storytelling, EduTrek Project-Based Learning, and NETS Leadership Academies. Courses range from $45 to $200 for ISTE members and $60 to $260 for non-members. You’ll want to check the start dates for the courses and when materials will be posted online.

ISTE Online Courses

The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) offers online courses to help you keep up with the latest in educational technologies. Available for the second semester of 2012, the courses include project-based learning, digital citizenship, leadership and advocacy, assistive technology, and learning labs for Grades 3-5. Fees vary from $45 to $200 for ISTE members and $60 to $260 for non-members. Check the ISTE professional development store for details and course dates.