I like to live by the age old phrase "just be nice". It works in almost all cases, and has almost no negative side effect. When we post online we are making a statement that will last forever. It is our responsibility as educators to ready the next generation of humans to face a world that will be more than happy to dish out unpleasant comments online.
We have been building programs to combat bullying in schools for a long time now, and we have seen much success. Living in a digital age, most communications students will engage in outside of school will be online. Building online civility skills and the bravery to combat online bullying when it is observed is essential.
Digital media has some definite addictive properties. We must be able to teach students to manage their time using media and the time that they spend online.
As students progress through the grades they use media for more and more tasks. Educating our students on copy right and how to respect others intellectual property will come naturally for the English department, however many other subjects may be impacted. As educators we must stay vigilant in issues regarding online law.
Above all else, much of what we do online is irrevocable. We can not take back what has been said. Common sense is a skill that can be used in many situations, but especially online.
