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This week is Digital Citizenship Week, a time to reflect on how we can all use technology in healthy, balanced, and responsible ways, and especially in our context as followers of Jesus. At Lancaster Mennonite, we intentionally integrate digital literacy into our curriculum across all grade levels throughout the year.
- Elementary students learn with Mrs. Fitchner, our librarian about healthy media habits, privacy and safety, media’s competition for our attention, and how the things we say online matter.
- Middle School students explore these concepts in English and Health courses about digital friendships, cyberbullying, media balance and wellbeing, privacy and security, digital footprint and identity, credible sourcing, and relationships and communication skills.
- High School students engage with them through both English and Health courses about the role of digital media in our lives, media balance and wellbeing, privacy and security, relationships and communication, digital footprint and identity, cyberbullying, and news and media literacy.
Our curriculum partner, Common Sense Media, has recently released resources for families to reflect on their media habits and build digital citizenship skills at home. These include short, practical videos, activities, and carpool conversation starters on age-appropriate topics such as:
- How much tech is too much?
- When is the right time for a phone?
- Relationships & community
- Privacy & Safety
- Digital Footprint & identity
- Cyberbullying & Online harms
- Healthy habits
👉 Visit Common Sense Media’s Family Resources
There is also a webinar “Let’s Get Real About Digital Safety” available this week presented by Common Sense Media, National Parents Union, and EDSAFE AI Alliance that we also encourage you watch (you can watch the recording if you missed it live).
We encourage you to explore these resources and join us in helping students build lifelong habits of safe, thoughtful, and balanced technology use.
Thank you for partnering with us to guide our students toward healthy digital habits that help us grow closer to God and be a community following the way of Jesus together!
