E-Book-Digital Citizenship

DIGITAL CITIZENSHIP
A Guide for
Boerne High School Students
By: Mrs. Atchison
English Department

DIGITAL CITIZENSHIP EDUCATION IS THE
KEY TO HARMONIOUS ELECTRONIC
COMMUNICATION- A. ATCHISON

Contents
Letter to our Students 2
Integrity Policy 3
Digital Access 4
Digital Literacy 6
Digital Communication 8
Digital Etiquette 10
Digital Health & Wellness 11
Digital Rights & Responsibilities 12
Digital Law 13
Digital Security 14
Digital Commerce 15
1

Dear BHS Students,
As learners in a 21 st -Century classroom,
it is your responsibility to be conscious
of and adhere to Boerne High School’s
expectations for digital citizenship at
all times. The administration, faculty,
and staff will continually reinforce
these behaviors throughout your four
years on the campus.
While gaining as much technology
fluency as possible, please be
responsible, respectful, and ethical in
all digital assignments and posts you
make. These practices will help you
both now and in future educational
and professional endeavors. We look
forward to watching you learn and
grow as your prepare for your future.
Sincerely,
Natalie Farber
Boerne High School Principal
2

STATEMENT OF CORE
VALUES
Academic Honor Code Motto
Boerne High School Greyhounds will cultivate and
uphold an atmosphere of academic excellence
through respect, honesty and integrity.
Statement of Core Values
To educate and empower students to have strong character and equip
them to be lifelong learners. In support of our mission we uphold the
expectation of ethical behavior to support authentic learning. The core
values underlying and reflected in this code:
1. Integrity: Having the character to know what is ethical & stand as
an example for others.
2. Honesty: Demonstrated by developing original thought, and giving
credit where credit is due.
3. Responsibility: Completing academic work to the best of your
ability.
4. Diligence: Persevering in the face of adversity. Being consistent &
deliberate in academic pursuits.
5. Courage: Taking a stand for the values reflected in the honor code
and a willingness to uphold these values and others that define us
as Greyhounds.
3

4
DIGITAL ACCESS
According to Ribble (2011),
"Not everyone has access to
all the tools of this new
digital society" (p. 16). Those
most impacted by the
inequality of available
resources are students just
like you since your adult
lives will require advanced
technology fluency and
usage in both your personal
and professional lives.

DIGITAL ACCESS AND YOU
While you are on our campus, you will be provided
access to both devices and the Internet. Our hope is
that you will utilize this opportunity to become
familiar with the way technology can enhance both
your acquisition of knowledge and your ability to
apply your learning in a digital context.
Your teachers will be sharing a Google Classroom
code with you for each course on your schedule. It is
important that you join your class and check the
teachers’ posts and your student email account on a
daily basis to stay informed of upcoming
assignments.
On the days you are absent or have athletic events, it
is doubly important to refer to the above resources.
Many teachers even post handouts that are
completed in class to allow for printing in your
home.
5

DIGITAL LITERACY
As students, it is important for you
to utilize opportunities to learn how
to use technology and create
artifacts using various applications.
Since devices can be used in
connection with all academic
disciplines, you can expect to build
your knowledge of digital tools in a
variety of contexts and for various
purposes. It is your responsibility as
a learner to embrace these favorable
times provided by your classroom
teachers. Learn all you can while
you have the chance.
v
Do not be afraid to ask questions if
you have very little experience using
computers. Your teachers and
classmates are willing to help you,
especially those peers who are
involved in our Google Guru
program. Your teachers will be
sharing a list of names of students
in your classes who have
demonstrated technology mastery
through this program. Feel free to
ask them questions; they love to
share their learning.
6

GOOGLE GURU PROGRAM:
SHOW WHAT YOU KNOW!
DO YOU HAVE A PASSION FOR
TECHNOLOGY? DO YOU ENJOY
HELPING OTHERS? IF SO, YOU MAY
BE A GOOD CANDIDATE FOR OUR
GOOGLE GURU PROGRAM. TRAINING
WILL BE DELIVERED BY OUR VERY
OWN BISD EDUCATIONAL
TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT IN
SEPTEMBER. ASK YOUR TEACHERS
FOR MORE DETAILS.
7

DIGITAL
COMMUNICATION
Access to digital communication has
created a world of instantaneous and
constant contact among individuals.
This rapid and repeated interaction
over the World Wide Web has led to
a breakdown in the norms and
expectations for information
exchanges. Guidelines for
appropriate electronic usage should
be continually considered and
adhered to both on and off campus.
Administrators and classroom
teachers will be closely monitoring
your device usage and Internet
activity. We will also investigate and
administer appropriate discipline
whenever an infraction takes place.
This includes electronic
communication at times when you
should be listening to your
instructors. If in doubt as to whether
you should be on your device, put it
away to be on the safe side.
will be checked to ensure you have
used proper conventions in your
writing. For example: Did you
capitalize all the names you referred
to in your assignment?
The above checks and balances are in
place to prepare you for both your
future college experiences and
communicating for business
purposes as you begin entering the
workforce.
In addition to the frequent reminders
you will receive from you teachers,
you will also participate in a Digital
Driver’s License program through
your required speech classes. This
program will help to keep everyone
on the same page and provide digital
parameters that will stay with you all
your life.
In addition to appropriate times for
usage, you will be taught to tailor
your writing to a specific audience,
and you must understand when it is
appropriate to use formal and
informal writing. The shorthand and
slang you use when talking with
friends will not be acceptable for
most academic assignments on our
campus. In addition, your work
8

DRIVERS LICENSES AREN’T
JUST FOR CARS ANYMORE.
THEY ARE NECESSARY TO
HELP YOU BECOME THE
BEST DIGITAL CITIZEN YOU
CAN BE. FOR MORE
DETAILS, CONTACT YOUR
SPEECH TEACHER!
9

DIGITAL ETIQUETTE
Digital etiquette and behavioral
etiquette are similar in nature.
When a person communicates with
other individuals whether it be inperson
or online, respect needs to be
at the front of everyone's minds.
Remember those teachings you
learned as a child?
If what you are posting online
would make you uncomfortable if
you were asked to show it to a
parent or grandparent, you really
should not be posting it. It could
potentially be offensive to another
person or paint an image of you that
you don’t want advertised.
Your digital footprint will stay with
you for quite some time, and you
must make sure it will not impact
your ability to get into college or
become gainfully employed as an
adult. Keep in mind that most
universities and employers check
social media accounts before
extending job and scholarship
offers!
10

DIGITAL HEALTH &
WELLNESS
Captivated by the multitude of resources provided by the Internet,
many individuals are falling into a pattern of inactivity and obsession
with being online. The extended time spent on devices can lead to lack
of activity which leads to weight gain, carpel tunnel syndrome, and the
decay of a person's social skills. You should strive to maintain a balance
between your digital and in-person life.
Be conscious of proper
ergonomics to avoid strain or
injury (Ribble, 2011, p. 38).
Take frequent breaks and
limit your screen time.
Engage in a healthy amount
of physical activity.
Make it a point to engage in
oral conversations rather
than texting.
11

DIGITAL RIGHTS &
RESPONSIBILITIES
Ribble (2011) maintains that digital rights
and responsibilities are, "Those
requirements and freedoms extended to
everyone in a digital world (p. 35). These
provisions should be reinforced throughout
your K-12 education to make you better
citizens in general as well as to protect you
from potential dangers that may be
encountered on the net.
v
Here at Boerne High School, we take any
reports of cyberbullying very seriously. If
you are found to be a part of any online
bullying, you will face disciplinary action
including ISS or placement at our
alternative campus. It is our responsibility
to provide a safe learning environment for
all students on our campus.
In addition to the avoidance of
cyberbullying, it is your responsibility as a
student to follow the rules below:
1. Report any knowledge of bullying to a
teacher or administrator.
2. Follow the Acceptable Use Policy
included in your student handbook.
3. Avoid using technology to cheat on
assignments.
4. Be sure to accurately cite research
material.
(Ribble, 2011, p. 36).
12

DIGITAL LAW
Free access to unlimited
resources has created a society
who feels it permissible to reuse
anything clever or helpful
encountered online. From
recipes, to do-it-yourself-projects
to news articles: the world seems
to be your oyster when it comes
to sharing and utilizing online
information, but that is not the
case.
You will be trained and
frequently reminded of the
consequences of plagiarism and
failing to give credit where credit
is due. If you are found to be
copying assignments from
internet sources, you will receive
an honor code violation, and
your parents will be called in for
a meeting. Play it safe and cite
EVERYTHING.
13

DIGITAL SECURITY
According to Ribble (2011),
security is, "The electronic
precautions to guarantee safety"
(p.40). When considering
security, you should keep
personal and financial protection
in mind. Both hackers and online
predators are constantly looking
for ways to gain access to either
you, your family, or your money.
This is why it is important to
maintain privacy while utilizing
the Internet.
According to Guard Child, a
company that helps to protect
children from Internet crime,
“77% of the victims for online
predators were age 14 or older”
(2017). Wow! Most victims are
close to your age. This statistic is
startling and scary,
and you must make every effort
to protect yourself online. Some
good rules of thumb to keep
yourself safe are as follows:
1. Do not share your logins or
passwords with anyone other
than your parents.
2. Avoid making your photos
and videos public online.
Only share them with people
you know, and make sure
they don’t contain material
your parents would
disapprove of.
3. Avoid giving information to
random individuals or people
you meet online.
4. Never agree to meet up with
someone you befriend online.
14

DIGITAL COMMERCE
As the convenience of conducting
transactions online became more
apparent, more and more businesses
shifted their storefronts to a digital
format. Along with the added
customer convenience came the
threat of digital predators and
thieves. Customer identities and
credit information can be encrypted
when a person fails to do their
homework before placing an order
or inquiry through a particular site.
We at Boerne High school believe
that online shopping should follow
many of the same protocols as
digital security.
1. Be careful about who you give
personal and financial
information to when ordering
online.
2. Never meet up with someone
alone to purchase an item from
online garage sales.
3. Do your research when shopping
online and order from reputable
companies.
4. Avoid taking out credit cards for
online purchases as this can ruin
your credit; credit you will need
for purchases as an adult.
(Ribble, 2011, p. 21)
15

16

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