Digital Classroom Blog

New Digital Citizenship Lessons for Your Classroom

Introducing the new and improved K–12 Digital Citizenship Curriculum from Common Sense Education.

Students need digital citizenship skills to participate fully in their communities and make smart choices online and in life. Common Sense Education's K–12 Digital Citizenship Curriculum prepares students to think critically and use technology responsibly to learn, create, and participate. Designed and developed in partnership with Project Zero at the Harvard Graduate School of Education -- and guided by research with thousands of educators -- each digital citizenship lesson helps students ... Read more

Erin Wilkey Oh

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January 14, 2019

5 Questions Students Should Ask About Media

Help kids think critically about the media they consume and create.

Do your students love to take and edit photos to post on Instagram? Are they obsessed with watching (or maybe even becoming!) YouTube celebs? Do you want to help your students learn how to spot a stereotype ... Read more

Digital Literacy, Students, Technology Integration

Teaching Digital Citizenship to Kids with Learning and Attention Issues

Make sure all students have a chance to build these essential skills.

It's hard to overemphasize the importance of teaching our students how to use technology appropriately and responsibly. And what's just as important is making sure we're helping all our ... Read more

Digital Citizenship, Students

43 Apps, Games, and Websites Transforming This Year's Classrooms

Check out these useful tools that are transforming how students learn.

When it comes to the most popular edtech tools among teachers, some apps, websites, and games have stood the test of time, while others tend to come and go with each new year. So, what are the most popular ... Read more

In the Classroom, Technology Integration

We All Teach SEL: Gratitude Activities and Tools for Students

Resources to inspire gratitude in every classroom, every day.

Building SEL (social and emotional learning) skills such as gratitude requires face-to-face interactions, meaningful discussion, and reflection. Edtech is no complete substitute for that, ... Read more

In the Classroom, Technology Integration, Tools

Age-Appropriate Tips for Addressing Gender Stereotypes in the Classroom

Promote positive gender representations and give students a broader perspective on their options.

Common Sense's 2017 research report, Watching Gender: How Stereotypes in Movies and on TV Impact Kids' Development, showed that kids who are fed gender stereotypes may internalize those roles, ... Read more

Common Sense Resources, Research & Studies

Google Search Tips for Student Researchers

5 Must-Have Google Search Tips for Students

Is Google OK for formal research? Sure ... if you know how to use it.

For those of us who remember a time before the internet, using Google for research might feel strange -- like being thrust from the cozy confines of a favorite library straight into the Wild West ... Read more

Digital Literacy

5 Free GIF Apps for Students and Teachers

Experiment and have fun with these GIF-creation tools.

It seems like GIFs are everywhere these days, from social media feeds and emails to group texts. And it's no wonder: Like emojis or memes, they're a fun way to add a little humor and creativity ... Read more

In the Classroom, Tools

We All Teach SEL: Empathy Activities and Tools for Students

Resources to help foster empathy in every classroom, every day.

Building SEL (social and emotional learning) skills such as empathy requires face-to-face interactions, meaningful discussion, and reflection. Edtech is no complete substitute for that, ... Read more

In the Classroom, Technology Integration, Tools

What Is COPPA?

Learn what teachers need to know about this important law.

The Children's Online Privacy and Protection Act, more commonly known as COPPA, is a law dealing with how websites, apps, and other online operators collect data and personal information from kids ... Read more

Privacy

5 Doable Digital Citizenship Goals for Teachers

Easy ways to address cyberbullying, online privacy, and more in your teaching.

Internet safety, online privacy, cyberbullying, media balance, online relationships, news and media literacy -- digital citizenship topics tackle big questions. It can feel daunting to integrate lessons ... Read more