Digital Citizenship Resources for Family Engagement

BPS is committed to working with families to prepare kids to think critically and use technology in positive, creative, and powerful ways. Finding meaningful resources to use with children to lead conversations around responsible technology use and practices can be difficult. To help in this at home please see the Family Tips and Family Activities below.

Why digital citizenship? Educating students on digital citizenship empowers them with an understanding of positive ways of thinking, acting and being online.

Here are few examples of being a good digital citizen:

• Thinking critically and not trusting everything you see or find online
• Being safe online by protecting personal information and passwords
• Acting responsibly in how you communicate and behave

 Family Resources Provided by

Common Sense Media

(Common Sense is an independent nonprofit organization dedicated to helping kids thrive in a rapidly changing world.)

Grades K–5 Family Tips - Printer-friendly pages with digital citizenship tips and advice to share with families.

• Media Balance & Well-Being  English  |  Spanish  |  More Languages (Arabic, Chinese, Farsi, Korean, Russian, Tagalog, Urdu, Vietnamese)
• Privacy & Security  English  |  Spanish  |  More Languages (Arabic, Chinese, Farsi, Korean, Russian, Tagalog, Urdu, Vietnamese)
• Digital Footprint & Identity  English  |  Spanish  |  More Languages (Arabic, Chinese, Farsi, Korean, Russian, Tagalog, Urdu, Vietnamese)
• Relationships & Communication  English  |  Spanish  |  More Languages (Arabic, Chinese, Farsi, Korean, Russian, Tagalog, Urdu, Vietnamese)
• Cyberbullying, Digital Drama, & Hate Speech  English  |  Spanish  |  More Languages (Arabic, Chinese, Farsi, Korean, Russian, Tagalog, Urdu, Vietnamese)
• News & Media Literacy  English  |  Spanish  |  More Languages (Arabic, Chinese, Farsi, Korean, Russian, Tagalog, Urdu, Vietnamese)

Grades 6–12 Family Tips - Printer-friendly pages with digital citizenship tips and advice to share with families.

• Media Balance & Well-Being  English  |  Spanish  |  More Languages (Arabic, Chinese, Farsi, Korean, Russian, Tagalog, Urdu, Vietnamese)
• Privacy & Security  English  |  Spanish  |  More Languages (Arabic, Chinese, Farsi, Korean, Russian, Tagalog, Urdu, Vietnamese)
• Digital Footprint & Identity  English  |  Spanish  |  More Languages (Arabic, Chinese, Farsi, Korean, Russian, Tagalog, Urdu, Vietnamese)
• Relationships & Communication  English  |  Spanish  |  More Languages (Arabic, Chinese, Farsi, Korean, Russian, Tagalog, Urdu, Vietnamese)
• Cyberbullying, Digital Drama, & Hate Speech  English  |  Spanish  |  More Languages (Arabic, Chinese, Farsi, Korean, Russian, Tagalog, Urdu, Vietnamese)
• News & Media Literacy  English  |  Spanish  |  More Languages (Arabic, Chinese, Farsi, Korean, Russian, Tagalog, Urdu, Vietnamese)

Grades K–2 Family Activities  - Discussion questions and short family activities designed to be a great way to lead conversations around digital citizenship at home.

• Media Balance Is Important (Kindergarten)  English  |  Spanish (coming soon)
• Pause & Think Online (1st Grade)  English  |  Spanish (coming soon)
• We the Digital Citizens (2nd Grade)  English  |  Spanish (coming soon)

Grades 3–5 Family Activities - Discussion questions and short family activities designed to be a great way to lead conversations around digital citizenship at home.

• Media Balance & Well-Being  English  |  Spanish
• Privacy & Security  English  |  Spanish
• Digital Footprint & Identity  English  |  Spanish
• Relationships & Communication  English  |  Spanish
• Cyberbullying, Digital Drama, & Hate Speech  English  |  Spanish
• News & Media Literacy  English  |  Spanish

Grades 6–8 Family Activities - Discussion questions and short family activities designed to be a great way to lead conversations around digital citizenship at home.

• Media Balance & Well-Being  English  |  Spanish
• Privacy & Security  English  |  Spanish
• Digital Footprint & Identity  English  |  Spanish
• Relationships & Communication  English  |  Spanish
• Cyberbullying, Digital Drama, & Hate Speech  English  |  Spanish
• News & Media Literacy  English  |  Spanish

Grades 9–12 Family Activities - Discussion questions and short family activities designed to be a great way to lead conversations around digital citizenship at home.

• Media Balance & Well-Being  English  |  Spanish (coming soon)
• Privacy & Security  English  |  Spanish (coming soon)
• Digital Footprint & Identity  English  |  Spanish (coming soon)
• Relationships & Communication  English  |  Spanish (coming soon)
• Cyberbullying, Digital Drama, & Hate Speech  English  |  Spanish (coming soon)
• News & Media Literacy  English  |  Spanish (coming soon)

 Other Online Resources By Category:

Anti-Bullying, Digital Citizenship and Online Safety

• Anti-Cyberbullying Toolkit: resources, lessons, etc.. for K-12 educators, parents and students
  
• Cyberbullying: what is it and how is it different
  
• A Parent’s Guide to Cyberbullying: vulnerable groups and how to help
• Cyberbullying: how to identify it and what to do if it’s happening to your child
  
• Digital Citizenship, Cyberbullying and Online Safety: games, lessons, videos and support materials for primary and secondary classrooms     
• Raising a Good Digital Citizen: NBC/Universal's "The More You Know"
  
• Digital Citizens: National Cyber Security Alliance
  
• Digital Citizenship Collections: collection of digital citizenship resources
  
• Online Reputation: tips on managing your online reputation
• Social Media and Your Kids: information and resources on digital safety, cell phones and texting, digital citizenship, online security and more
  
• Good Digital Parenting: information on safety, privacy, social media...
  
• Internet safety advice for caregivers of children 0-14+
  
• Digital Glossary: definitions of apps and texting abbreviations
  
• Online Safety Videos
  
• National Online Safety Guides: includes conversation guides, app information (fortnite, instagram, Youtube, Snapchat, TikTok, etc.)
  
• Online Safety Course

Media and Information Literacy: the ability to access, analyze, curate, evaluate and create media online

• News and Media Literacy: ways to support students thinking critically about news and media (fake news, bias, etc.)
  
• What is Media Literacy and why is it important? 
  
• The Future of Fake News
  
• Media/Information Literacy Skills

Media Ratings & Reviews

• Entertainment Software Rating Board: Games & Apps   
• Common Sense Media: Movies, Games, Websites, Books, TV programs...
• YouTube Channel Guide
  Underground Apps You Should Know
• eSchool News: 7 apps you should be aware of
• TV Ratings and Controls
• Kids, Parents and Video Games
• Reviews and Ratings: comprehensive reviews of movies, games, apps, shows, websites
• A Parent's Guide to Tik Tok
• A Parent's Guide to Instagram

Cell Phone Considerations

• Popular Cell Phone Questions
  
• A Parent's Guide
  
• iPhone Safety Tips