The Living Online Curriculum: 6-8 grade
1. ABOUT THE INTERNET
Part 1 highlights the unique circumstances and attitudes that led to the creation of a revolutionary tool that does not belong to anyone - but that has made a group of entrepreneurs phenomenally rich and powerful. This section will also explain some of the key issues currently surrounding the Internet, as well as some of those on the horizon.
What is the Internet? – Internet History – How the Internet Works - Who Pays for the Internet? – Who Owns the Internet? – From Analog to Digital: How Digital Technology has Transformed Our World - Issues with the Internet - The Web We Want: Shaping the Future of the Internet
2. THE DIGITAL WORLD AND US
The second part of the curriculum explores our relationship with the digital world, specifically how technology affects our lives and moderates our behavior. The primary goal is to raise awareness and inspire student engagement in issues that are central to their online world.
Identity – Privacy – Empathy – Social Media – Cyberethics - Digital rights – Our Brains Online (Cyberpsychology): Distraction, Empathy, Friendships & Relationships - Privacy – Transparency - The Digital Divide - Hacking
3. DIGITAL MEDIA LITERACY
The interactive properties of the Internet have broken down barriers and unleashed both powerful creative and troubling forces that require new skills of students. This section for the curriculum is designed to empower students through becoming savvy consumers and sophisticated “prosumers” of digital content.
Reading & Writing Online – Remix Culture – The Digital Media Revolution –– Memes – Smart Search & Research – Wikipedia – Knowledge and Information: Is the Internet making us Smarter?
4. THE DARK SIDE OF THE WEB
No study of the Internet would be complete without casting light on one of the largest and most controversial areas of the Internet. The forces of the Dark Web may wreck havoc not only on the Internet, but also on our physical world. At the same time, the measures to contain this threat may also profoundly change the Internet as we know it.
Cyberwarfare & Cyberterrorism – Cybercrime – The Dark Web
5. THE WEB WE WANT
From cyberutopianism to digital dystopia - the future of the Internet explored.
The curriculum ends with a close examination of how the ideals that accompanied the early Internet have evolved, and the visions and concerns of a range of activists, thinkers, and technologists about the future of the web.