In our technology driven age, cyber-bullying has become a huge issue. Digital citizenship is a key thing that needs to be explicitly taught to students so that they understand the expectations when they go online. http://www.cyberangels.org/101/index.html
is a great site that encourages digital citizenship and gives educators ideas and tools to help others learn what is expected of them online. http://www.education.com/ also offers a wide variety of resources to use for teaching and understanding digital citizenship. I feel respect for others and self is imperative, and this is the same in an online environment. I also feel that it is important for our school s, teachers, and librarians to demonstrate what digital citizenship is and offer instruction in the proper online etiquette. In "Library 2.0 and Beyond," Courtney lists the dark side of the web and includes online predators, viruses, identity theft, stalking, cyber-bullying, and invasion of privacy as aspects to watch out for (80-81). These are all issues that should be discussed in schools so that students gain a true understanding of the pros and cons of the Web and understand how to protect themselves in an online environment.
Courtney, N. (2007). Library 2.0 and beyond.. Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited.