The past decade has seen an exponential increase in digital tools and opportunities, which carry the need for students to master a new set of life skills for behaving safely, ethically and responsibly online.

Students are much more likely to understand good digital citizenship — the norms of appropriate, responsible technology use — when teachers and parents/trusted adults model it and explicitly teach and promote it on a regular basis.

-Helen Crompton, Know the ISTE Standards for Teachers: Model Digital Citizenship

What is Digital Citizenship?

Digital Citizenship can be described as the norms of appropriate, responsible behavior (and its positive and negative impact on self and others) with regard to technology use. To learn more about the topics of digital citizenship, use this topic summary.

Virginia legislation requires schools to include a component on internet safety for students in the division's acceptable internet use policies and integrated within the instructional programs.

• VDOE Internet Safety website

Digital Citizenship Lessons at School

Students at Holmes Middle School will be engaging in Digital Citizenship lessons throughout the school year. Each lesson is accompanied by a family tip sheet  to help families support and build upon the concepts being learned at school. (Translated versions of the family tip sheets are available using the link above)

Below are titles of the specific stand alone lessons your child will experience this school year. Parents can access the lessons by logging into FCPS 24-7 ParentView, clicking the Curriculum tab and then the Digital Citizenship tab.

FCPS utilizes the Common Sense Education K-12 curriculum to provide students with knowledge and skills they need to approach their digital participation with empathy, ethics and a sense of individual, social and civic responsibility.  In addition, teachers embed digital citizenship education daily as students engage with technology for learning and when possible, make connections to curriculum concepts being taught.