Journal #3

Navigate the Digital Rapids.

Lindsay, J., & Davis, V. (2010). Navigate the digital rapids. Learning and Leading, 37(6), Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/Publications/LL/LLIssues/Volume3720092010/MarchAprilNo6/Navigate_the_Digital_Rapids.htm

The authors Julie Lindsay and Vicki Davis, creators of the digital classroom, Flat Classroom Projects encourage teachers to embark on a journey to teach digital citizenship and take students through the 21st century with technology.
Technology allows teachers to customize their classroom to their students needs and learning styles and still meet national standards. There are several educational networks. The flat classroom projects developed by the authors is an educational network of students and teachers from all over the world. In this network students and teachers collaborate information transforming into a global classroom. It is important for teachers to monitor content, language, pictures download and website links to ensure it’s appropriate and culturally sensitive.
The biggest challenges for teachers to cultivate a digital citizenship is overcoming the fear factor. The authors use the analogy of navigating a rafting river where the toughest waters come at the beginning of the journey. It’s important for teachers to realize they are not alone and there are many resources to help them out in this endeavor.
There is also in the back of every parents and teachers’ mind about “internet safety”. It is important to teach early on about digital citizenship responsibility and safety. Like driving, everyone needs to learn how to drive to make the roads safer. This same concept applies for the web wide world.
Several other projects have evolved out of the Flat Classroom Project such as, Net Education Generation, Digiteen, Digiparent and Eracism.

What is “digital citizenship”?
Digital Citizenship is preparing our students to be competitive and confident for the demands of the 21st century. Digital Citizenship opens up doors by showing the global world beyond the walls of the school or the community in which you’re surrounded by. It is not just social networking, but ways to empower student-centered learning through exciting, meaningful projects.

How are Flat Classroom Projects beneficial to students?
Flat Classroom Projects ”bring down the walls” of a classroom to join virtually with other classrooms. Students and teachers share information in this global community to make learning more meaningful. The topics studied and discussed are real-life scenarios based on the book by Thomas Friedman, “The World is Flat”. This project is a wonderful resource to develop critical thinking, global thinking, cultural awareness, and for students to better understand and connect with the world we live in.