Civics for a Digital Age
Civics, the study of citizenship, has an entirely new meaning today.
We live in an age when we are as much a citizen of the online world as we are
of our town, state, or country. In a captivating TED Talk, Eric Lui, CEO of Citizen University, describes civics as “the art of being a pro-social, problem solving contributor in a self-governing community.”
Civics: The art of being a pro-social, problem solving contributor in a self-governing community.
-Eric Lui
I love this definition and can’t think of any communities more “self-governing” than those online. Can you?
Consider the social media communities where youth hang out, share information, and spend the bulk of their time—like Snapchat, Instagram, YouTube, and so forth. These communities are largely devoid of parents, internet police, crossing guards, or even
rules to keep their users in line or safe. Kids are left to their own devices to figure out how to be a good citizen in places like these.
Lui further explains civics by quoting Microsoft founder Bill Gates’s father, Bill Gates Sr., who says civics is “simply showing up for life.”
Civics is "simply showing up for life."
-Bill Gates Sr.
I love that descriptor, too, and especially the three things Lui says it encompasses:
A foundation of values
An understanding of the systems that make the world go round
A set of skills that allow you to pursue goals, and have others join in that pursuit.
These are three things we aim to accomplish through Cyber Civics too. By guiding kids through a series of discussions and activities surrounding a range of technology-related topics, they become digitally literate. This holistic approach to possibly the most important skill kids need today, given the time they spend with tech, achieves an important end. It arms them with the superpowers they'll need to keep themselves safe and be, well, super--online and off.
What is Digital Literacy?
Digital literacy "is more than technological know-how. It includes a wide variety of ethical, social, and reflective practices that are embedded in work, learning, leisure, and daily life."
Digital literacy "is more than technological know-how."
-Media Smarts
What is Cyber Civics?
Cyber Civics teaches students how to be digitally-literate through a three-year series of weekly activities that cover the entire spectrum of digital literacy. It includes lessons in:
Digital Citizenship (the safe and responsible use of digital tools).
Information Literacy (how to find, retrieve, analyze, and use online information).
Media Literacy for Positive Participation (using critical thinking to analyze media messages, including “fake news”).
The entire curriculum is available online, so teachers can easily download lessons that they deliver in the classroom. All lessons include interactive activities, hands-on projects, problem solving scenarios, and role-play. As of this writing, schools in 42 U.S. states (and four other countries) teach Cyber Civics to their students, and the program continues to grow. Today there is even a book--Raising Humans in the Digital World: Helping Kids Build a Healthy Relationship With Technology (HarperCollins Leadership) that tells the Cyber Civics story.
Too Important To Ignore
No matter what a child's future brings, you can be sure it will include using digital tools.
Given all the things they need to know in order to use them well (online reputation management, privacy protection, fake news, cyberbullying, sexting, porn, online predators, media misrepresentation.... need I go on?), it is imperative that every child receives an education in digital literacy.
Please contact us if we can help you help your students learn how to become digitally literate.
