Digital Citizenship and Ethics

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                                                                                      Sarah Silvers

                                                                                September 9, 2009

                                                                                  EDTC 3123.002

                                                                     Digital Citizenship and Ethics

        The Cyber Tree House is a website launched by the Business Software Alliance, which is
an organization that protects intellectual property and prohibits cyber crimes. This website is
intended for use by children. The goal is to educate children about the risks and consequences of
illegally downloading videos, music, and games. Through the interactive features on this
website, children learn how to use computers and the Internet in a safe and responsible way.

This website is a good resource to use in a classroom for many reasons. It provides information
about what activities are acceptable on the Internet, and what activities are not acceptable. There
are also several links where children can play free games, get help on homework, and visit other
interesting websites. As a teacher, it is important to show students where they can find online
resources to help them on their homework, and this website is one them. I would also use this
resource in the classroom as a way for the student to self-assess their knowledge about the rules
of cyberspace. This website provides a question-and-answer game that allows students to quiz
themselves.

To assess student understanding, I believe a class discussion or quiz would be the most
appropriate way to determine what they have learned from the website. As a teacher, I would
provide the children with a situation and three possible answers. Two of these answers would
not be ethical, and it would be up to the children to decide which of the three possible answers is
correct. On the website, there is also a “Cyber Ethics Champion Code” and “Cyber Ethics
Champion Certificate” for children to print off and sign as a promise to be a “smart cyber kid.”
This is to remind children how important it is to respect other people’s work and property.