Online resources that promote students' digital citizenship

Educators can inspire their students to become responsible digital citizens that will use the internet to its full potential. Here is a selection of effective tools that can be used for such purpose:

1. Digital Citizenship Spotlight Lesson Plans by BrainPOP Educators:
   

   Image source: BrainPop Educators

   BrainPOP offers a great selection of adaptable lessons associated to digital citizenship. These materials can be easily presented to any classroom from pre-primary to Grade 12. The lesson plans cover internet safety lessons, evaluation of online resources, ways to respond to and prevent bullying, proper citation of sources, etc.
   

2. NinjaEssays: If you cannot find the time to create a lesson plan and support the lectures on digital citizenship with proper materials and presentations, then the writers at essay writing service NinjaEssays.com can give you a helping hand. At this website, you can hire experts who will help you develop properly-cited content that will engage your students and bring the principles of digital citizenship closer to their understanding.
   
3. CyberWise: With CyberWise, no grownup is left behind. This website is an outstanding resource for educators and parents, who can learn how to teach their students and children all about digital citizenship. In addition, there is a useful blog section that provides regular reminders and updates on how Internet users can preserve their safety in the cyberspace.
   
4. Google Digital Literacy and Citizenship Curriculum: The collaboration between iKeepSafe and Google resulted with this curriculum that can serve as an interactive guide to effective digital citizenship. The plan highlights three aspects of proper online behavior: detecting lies and staying truthful, staying safe online, and identifying tricks and scams. Each part is accompanied with videos, lesson plans and student handouts.
   
5. StaySafeOnline: This plan is intended to be used by all parents interested in raising good digital citizens. However, teachers can also rely on these resources that teach children how to make good choices and remain positively engaged in the Internet environment. The "get involved" section of the website will motivate your students to contribute towards making the Internet a safe space for everyone.
   
6. Nine Elements of Digital Citizenship by DigitalCitizenship.net: This resource explains what it really means to be an actively engaged digital citizen. The Nine Themes of Digital Citizenship is a text that explores the concept in details and includes aspects of digital citizenship that are commonly being neglected in the educational process, such as digital health and wellness.
   
7. Promoting Digital Citizenship & Preventing Cyberbullying on Psychology Today: Students are not the only ones that need to be introduced to the concept of digital citizenship. Teachers have a responsibility to inform parents as well. This post is a great source that you can present to your students' parents and help them become more engaged on these issues. Elizabeth J. Mayer, Ph.D. in Gender and Schooling presents 10 suggestions on how parents can support their children as they learn to interact with others online and share aspects of themselves.

Your students already understand that they need to be responsible citizens of their country, but you should not neglect netiquette as an important part of their education. The seven resources listed above will help you explore this topic and teach your students how to make wise choices with their time spent online.