Digital Citizenship: Communication and Social Media - …whroeduc.whro.org/.../DigCitizen_ComSocialMediaNotes.pdf · Digital Citizenship: Communication and Social Media Module Notes

Digital Citizenship: Communication and Social Media Module Notes

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Before you learn about digital communications and social media, answer a few questions to see where you rank among teens from across the country in your digital communications and social media use.

How many times a day do you text? Select the answer that most accurately describes your activity.


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• That means that you fall in the 1% of teens who don’t text daily. • That means that you fall in the 19% of teens who text 1 to 10 times per day. • That means that you fall in the 12% of teens who text 11 to 20 times per day. • That means that you fall in the 20% of teens who text 21 to 50 times per day. • That means that you fall in the 18% of teens who text 51 to 100 times per day. • That means that you fall in the 12% of teens who text 101 to 200 times per day. • That means that you fall in the 18% of teens who text more than 200 times per day.

Part two of the Digital Citizenship module is about digital communications and social media. Click on either button to get started. Together, we are going to learn about interactions in the digital world through direct communications or through various social media applications.


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Do you have an account with more than one social media application? Select the answer that most accurately describes your activity.

• That means that you fall in with the 71% of teens who use more than one social media application.

• That means that you fall in with the 29% of teens who do not use more than one social media application.


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Social media can impact your present and your future. My sister recently graduated and went to apply for her first adult job. As part of the interview, she had to discuss her presence on social media, and she was asked about some of the pictures that she had posted from high school. The interviewers were not impressed by the pictures that they saw, and she ended up not getting the job.

Social media applications are powerful Internet-based tools used by individuals, organizations, and businesses for entertainment, to communicate with others, to spread a message, or to market a product or service.


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There are a variety of different types of social media applications. Let’s discuss a few with which you are probably already familiar.

Social networks provide profiles that allow for sharing of status updates, media, news. Facebook and LinkedIn are examples of social networks. Microblogging applications allow users to publish updates that are like blogs, but much smaller in the number of characters. Twitter is an example of a microblog. Bookmarking applications allow you to search, collect, share, and store links to content. Pinterest is an example of a bookmarking application. Messaging applications allow you to send text or media messages to contacts in real time. Snapchat is an example of a messaging application. Media sharing applications allow users to share images, sounds, and video with users across the Internet. Instagram and YouTube are examples of media sharing applications. Virtual gaming and virtual worlds allow users to create lifelike or fantasy characters and interact with others in a digital setting. SecondLife is an example of a virtual world.


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Rather than explaining the do’s and don'ts of setting up an account in social media, help one of these students set up a social networking page. Click a picture to select your character - you will learn more about social media along the way.

You chose to help Miguel build his your.page social networking page! Read through each of the questions provided and make choices that reflect good online citizenship. Miguel’s page will build as you submit your answers. At the end, you will receive points based on your decisions.


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The first thing that Miguel needs to do is pick a profile picture. Click the picture that you think is the best choice for Miguel’s page.


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Audio A - This is how the picture that you chose would look on Miguel’s your.page site. What do you think? This picture shows Miguel looking approachable, facing the camera, and wearing appropriate clothing. Great choice! Now, try editing Miguel’s personal information settings.

Audio B - This is how the picture that you chose would look on Miguel’s your.page site. What do you think? This picture may not be the best choice for Miguel. You can’t really see his face and he has included his girlfriend in the picture. While this may show his affection for her, it’s not necessarily OK with her and can be misinterpreted by users looking at his page. Now, try editing Miguel’s personal information settings.

Audio C - This is how the picture that you chose would look with Miguel’s your.page site. What do you think? This picture may not be the best choice for Miguel. Is he doing something illegal by spray painting that brick wall? Even if he isn’t, this picture can be misinterpreted by users looking at his page. Even deleted photos can come back to haunt you. Now, try editing Miguel’s personal information settings.


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Should Miguel list his address and phone number on his page?

Should Miguel list his email address on his page?


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Should Miguel list the name of the school where he attends?

Audio A - You chose not to list any of Miguel’s contact information, and you made the smart choice. Listing contact information on social media sites means that followers can see where you live and attend school. It also means that they can contact you on their terms. Most social networking sites have communication tools built into the system which allow you to control who contacts you. Now, try editing Miguel’s privacy settings.

Audio B - This is how the contact information that you chose would look on Miguel’s your.page site. What do you think? Listing contact information on social media sites means that followers can see where you live and attend school. It also means that they can contact you on their terms. Most social networking sites have communication tools built into the system which allow you to control who contacts you. Now, try editing Miguel’s privacy settings.


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Should Miguel’s page show his current location?

Should Miguel’s page show his age?


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Should Miguel’s page allow everyone to see his posts?

Audio A - You set Miguel’s privacy settings at a very secure level. It’s important to keep your location, age, and posts as private as possible on social media so that only those users that you select can see your information. Any of the information in the privacy area could be used to track Miguel’s whereabouts and daily patterns. Now, try select which users in the your.page system can connect with Miguel’s page.

Audio B - This is how the privacy information that you chose would look on Miguel’s your.page site. What do you think? It’s important to keep your location, age, and posts as private as possible on social media so that only those users that you select can see your information. Any of the information in the privacy area could be used to track Miguel’s whereabouts and daily patterns. Now, try selecting which users in the your.page system can connect with Miguel’s page.


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What groups of people should Miquel include in his friend’s list? Click Yes or No for each category that appears.

Audio A - The connections that you chose are shown on Miguel’s your.page site. You chose safe groups of people to include on his page. Now, it’s time for Miguel to make his first post.

Audio B - The connections that you chose to show on Miguel’s your.page site may expose him to danger. Allowing complete strangers or friends of friends to connect to Miguel’s site may allow people that he doesn’t know to have access to his personal information. Now, it’s time for Miguel to make his first post.


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It’s time for Miguel to get started online. Click on the option that you think will be the best initial post on Miquel’s page.

Audio A - It’s not safe for Miguel to let people know when he is going on vacation. You never know who will end up with the information that you are out of town and your house is empty.

Audio B - This is a great first post! Miguel is letting his contacts know that he is now available for online communication. He avoided posting anything that he wouldn’t want in writing.

Audio C - It’s not wise to post anything about someone on social media that you wouldn’t want getting back to them in the “real” world. You should never post anything you don’t want in writing for others to see.


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You chose to help Lin build her your.page social networking page! Read through each of the questions provided and make choices that reflect good online citizenship. Lin’s page will build as you submit your answers. At the end, you will receive points based on your decisions.

The first thing that Lin needs to do is pick a profile picture. Click the picture that you think is the best choice for Lin’s page.


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Audio A - This is how the picture that you chose would look on Lin’s your.page site. What do you think? This picture shows Lin looking approachable, confident, and happy. Great choice! Now, try editing Lin’s personal information settings.

Audio B - This is how the picture that you chose would look on Lin’s your.page site. What do you think? This picture may not be the best choice for Lin. She looks miserable and may discourage her friends from contacting her. Now, try editing Lin’s personal information settings.

Audio C - This is how the picture that you chose would look with Lin’s your.page site. What do you think? This picture may not be the best choice for Lin. Is she doing something illegal by removing her clothes? Even if she isn’t, this picture can be misinterpreted by users looking at her page. Even deleted photos can come back to haunt you. Now, try editing Lin’s personal information settings.

Should Lin list her address and phone number on her page?


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Should Lin list her email address on her page?

Should Lin list the name of the school where she attends?


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Audio A - You chose not to list any of Lin’s contact information, and you made the smart choice. Listing contact information on social media sites means that followers can see where you live and attend school. It also means that they can contact you on their terms. Most social networking sites have communication tools built into the system which allow you to control who contacts you. Now, try editing Lin’s privacy settings.

Audio B - This is how the contact information that you chose would look on Lin’s your.page site. What do you think? Listing contact information on social media sites means that followers can see where you live and attend school. It also means that they can contact you on their terms. Most social networking sites have communication tools built into the system which allow you to control who contacts you. Now, try editing Lin’s privacy settings.

Should Lin’s page show her current location?


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Should Lin’s page show her age?

Should Lin’s page allow everyone to see her posts?


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Audio A - You set Lin’s privacy settings at a very secure level. It’s important to keep your location, age, and posts as private as possible on social media so that only those users that you select can see your information. Any of the information in the privacy area could be used to track Lin’s whereabouts and daily patterns. Now, try select which users in the your.page system can connect with Lin’s page.

Audio B - This is how the privacy information that you chose would look on Lin’s your.page site. What do you think? It’s important to keep your location, age, and posts as private as possible on social media so that only those users that you select can see your information. Any of the information in the privacy area could be used to track Lin’s whereabouts and daily patterns. Now, try selecting which users in the your.page system can connect with Lin’s page.

What groups of people should Lin include in her friend’s list? Click Yes or No for each category that appears.


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Audio A - The connections that you chose are shown on Lin’s your.page site. You chose safe groups of people to include on her page. Now, it’s time for Lin to make her first post.

Audio B - The connections that you chose to show on Lin’s your.page site may expose her to danger. Allowing complete strangers or friends of friends to connect to Lin’s site may allow people that she doesn’t know to have access to her personal information. Now, it’s time for Lin to make her first post.

It’s time for Lin to get started online. Click on the option that you think will be the best initial post on Lin’s page.


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Audio A - It’s not safe for Lin to let people know when she is going on vacation. You never know who will end up with the information that she is out of town and her house is empty.

Audio B - This is a great first post! Lin is letting her contacts know that she is now available for online communication. She avoided posting anything that she wouldn’t want in writing.

Audio C - It’s not wise to post anything about someone on social media that you wouldn’t want getting back to them in the “real” world. You should never post anything you don’t want in writing for others to see.

How safe is Lin’s social media page? Compare your score with the safety levels outlined here. If you would like to make Lin’s page safer, click the ”Yes” button to retry the activity. If not, click “No.”


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Now that you know how to set up a social media page safely and effectively, use social media to have a positive impact. You can use social media to connect with your friends, learn about new ideas, support a cause that you care about, and work on your writing and photography skills. Make social media a positive experience for you, and for other users!


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Have you ever received an email or a text that made you feel happy? What about angry or sad? What about confused?

Last week, I received this message from a friend of mine - I didn’t know what to think. I couldn’t tell whether he was angry, joking, or genuinely asking me a question.

In a digital environment, communication most often involves the written word. Since this is the case, it’s important to demonstrate quality netiquette, or online communication behavior. Remember, a real person with real emotions exists behind digital communications.


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To learn more about netiquette, try your hand at a sorting game. A behavior will pop up on the bottom of the screen and you will need to drag and drop it into one of three categories - good, bad, or ugly. The good and bad categories are exactly what they sound like - either good or bad. The ugly category is reserved for behaviors that are so bad that they are illegal. Let’s get started!

Being polite when sending or writing a communication

This is a good behavior. You never know who will see what you write, so make sure to always be polite.


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Writing and sending a message when you are angry This is a bad behavior. When your emotions are running high, you may be tempted to send messages without thinking them through.

Sending unsolicited emails selling or promoting something

This is an ugly behavior. Sending unsolicited emails, or spam, can get you in legal trouble in many states.


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Cursing in emails or texts

This is a bad behavior. Using inappropriate language in emails can make you look impolite and it may be against your school’s Acceptable Use Policy.

Typing in all caps

This is a bad behavior. When you type in all capital letters, it looks like you are shouting at the recipient of your communication.


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Posting or sending pictures and videos that you do not own

This is an ugly behavior. Faking ownership of someone else’s work can get you in legal trouble in many states.

Being careful in your use of humor

This is a good behavior. Be aware of using humor or sarcasm in digital communications to avoid potential misunderstandings.


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Posting inflammatory comments or sending inflammatory texts

This is a bad behavior, but it can turn ugly. When you post or send something cruel or harassing to another person, you may find yourself served with a harassment lawsuit. At the very least, it can get you in trouble at school and at home.

Checking your spelling and punctuation

This is a good behavior. Using correct spelling and punctuation ensures that your communications are clear and easy to read.


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Shown here is a list of netiquette behaviors based on the game you just played. These actions can help you make sure that your communications are clear and appropriate. Click NEXT to continue.

Another way to communicate in the digital world is through the use of emoticons. Emoticons are digital representations of facial expressions that can represent the emotions of a sender. Emoticons can be fun, and they can help the recipient of a message understand the emotions of a sender. Use the slider shown here to explore some commonly used emoticons.


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It’s appropriate to use emoticons when communicating with friends and close family, or when you are posting to personal social media sites, as long as you are kind when selecting the emoticon. It’s not appropriate to use emoticons during formal communications with teachers, potential employers, or other adults.

Another communication technology gaining popularity is web conferencing. Web conferencing applications are online tools that include chat windows, live audio and video, and screen sharing. Using web conferencing, attendees have the ability to communicate using video, audio, and in writing. Common examples of web-conferencing applications include Skype, FaceTime, and Google Hangouts. Other applications may be provided by your school division.


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Because there can be two or more people using this software at the same time, following rules for web conferencing allows a session to run smoothly. View this animated video featuring the Greek king of the Gods, Zeus, and some of his friends and family to learn a bit about guidelines to use when participating in a web conference.

Zeus: Thanks everyone for logging in. Okay, yeah? There you are! Right, this could be a pretty

useful tool. I know you gods hate the commute to our meetings so this would be the solution.

Hades, you can meet with us from the Underworld, Poseidon you can stay at the ocean, Apollo

you're at the beach. Anyone know where Dionysus is? I want to set a few rules on how to behave

while using the software because –

Group: No one is above the rules, not even gods.

Zeus: How about this? Be courteous and respect others. What do you think Hades?

Hades: Sorry, I missed the question, almighty Zeus. Cerberus is a little excited today. Shh, quiet down boy.

Zeus: Can we quiet him, them, it, down a little?

Apollo: Oh, no, I'm in a meeting. Okay, I'm –

Zeus: Apollo, what's going on over there? We're a little busy here and you're on the phone? Number two, focus. Focus on the web conference. Aphrodite, I see you surfing for new togas and sandals. Come back to us my dear.

Aphrodite: Oh, almighty Zeus, I mean Dad. These are not for me; this is my spring line for the mortals. You like?

Apollo: Yeah, yeah, I'm in a meeting. Yes, I go to meetings.

Zeus: I'm not believing this. Apollo

Apollo: I got to go. Zeus: I would like your attention but if not, there's a little mute button on the interface. Use it. Hades! The dogs! Mutts, I mean mute.

Apollo: Hey, that hurt.


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Zeus: Be an active participant. Ask questions. Give input. Good, Apollo, you have a question?

Apollo: Almighty Zeus, who's going to replace my phone? No, no, it's okay, I'll be okay, I'm fine.

Zeus: You guys know I can see what you're writing, right? The chat feature should be used to reinforce the discussion. That's it, Hades. Do I have everyone's attention now?

Group: Yes, almighty Zeus.

Zeus: Now if we follow these rules there won't be a problem with the web conference because –

Group: Because no one is above the rules, not even gods.

This light-hearted video addresses a serious topic. Increasingly, schools are using online meetings for teachers and students to meet during online and blended learning courses. Knowing and following procedures for proper netiquette in online meetings is essential.


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This quiz provides you with your grade immediately. You will need to receive a seventy five percent or higher in order to print your certificate of completion.

Documents

Digital Citizenship: Communication and Social Media - …whroeduc.whro.org/.../DigCitizen_ComSocialMediaNotes.pdf · Digital Citizenship: Communication and Social Media Module Notes