Digital Citizenship: A Critical Literacy / Inquiry-Based Approach
This resource for teachers strives put digital citizenship in authentic context for teaching and learning in Ontario’s schools. As such, this resource:
- Suggests ways to integrate critical thinking about digital citizenship into authentic learning experiences
- Takes an inquiry approach to learning about issues related to digital citizenship
- Connects to Ontario’s educational priorities and current strategies
- Leverages a learning commons approach
- Grounds digital citizenship in the ethics of the school library program
- Connects teachers to the best on the web: resource links curated by TALCO members
Based on the Research
This project bases understanding of student behaviour in online environments not on popular assumptions, but on current research, particularly the extensive findings of MediaSmart’s Young Canadians in a Wired World longitudinal studies as well as the extensive research done by PEW Research’s Internet Project.
The project was also informed by input from teachers, teacher-librarians, members of the Minister of Education’s Student Advisory Council and secondary students from the Toronto District School Board at an exciting session at the Ontario Library Association’s Super Conference 2014.
Super Conference 2014 Session 302: Designed for Thinkers: A Critical Literacy Approach to Digital Citizenship
Session 302 Presentation
Session 302 Facets of Digital Citizenship
Digital Citizenship approaches from this project make strong and meaningful connections to the philosophy of Together for Learning and to instructional approaches it suggests.
Project Acknowledgements
This project was funded in part by a subject association grant from the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation. Additional funding provided by TALCO.
TALCO Digital Citizenship Project Team
Anita Brooks Kirkland, Consultant, Libraries & Learning
Ruth Hall, Program Coordinator, Library & Learning Resources, Toronto DSB
Kate Johnson-McGregor, Teacher-Librarian, Brantford CVI, Grand Erie DSB
Liz Kerr, Ontario Library Association
Carol Koechlin, Education Consultant
Sue MacLachlan, Special Assignment Teacher, Hamilton-Wentworth DSB
Anna Szumilas, Teacher-Librarian, Senator O’Connor College School, Toronto Catholic DSB