Stop Leaving Them to Flounder about on Their Own!

This fall I have a spent a great deal of time discussing digital citizenship with my students.  Here is the payoff. Students are now turning to me for advice on security, safety, terms of service and the decisions they are making.  They are now aware and they want to know. They come to me with questions.  One student had a question about blocking followers on twittter; another contacted me through the Commons about a security situation they had run into, wanting to know how to handle it.  Students are looking for guidance.

It struck me what an incredible disservice we are doing to them  by letting them flounder about on their own in a high risk world.  It's wrong. Too many of them are completely unaware of the risks they are running nor how to protect themselves and their privacy. This is not fair to them. Too many are blissfully unaware of the digital footprint they are creating.

Denying them access out of fear is no answer.  This is the world their peers are living in. This is the world they will work in. Not allowing them the opportunity to learn how to negotiate that world is like sticking their heads in the sand.  There are risks learning to walk, there are risks learning to ride a bicycle, there are risks learning how to drive a car.  Would we let a child get behind the wheel of car with no instruction or guidance? Not likely.

Learners need to be taught and it is our role as parents and educators to help them. Let's stop leaving them to flounder about on their own.