Press Release Details
SFUSD Receives Digital Citizenship Certification
San Francisco (June 27, 2019) - Students spend an increasing amount of time online to learn, communicate, and collaborate. To ensure they do so safely and responsibly, families and schools are teaching students about issues such as cyber-bullying, online privacy, and managing their digital footprint — essentially, to be good digital citizens.
The San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) has been recognized by Common Sense Education as the largest public school district in California to be Digital Citizenship Certified for implementing safe, appropriate, and responsible online behaviors for students and staff.
With ongoing support from Salesforce, SFUSD has implemented and personalized curriculum into more than 70 schools in an effort to reach each and every student, with plans to expand support to include more schools moving forward. Individual schools are certified after showing evidence of incorporating a minimum of three lessons into the instruction of at least 75% of the student body and by hosting at least one event to engage families and community members.
“Being a good digital citizen doesn’t just happen; it takes effort on the part of educators, parents, and peers — just like it takes effort to be good citizens offline,” Superintendent Dr. Vincent Matthews said. “We aim to guide students and families to make responsible decisions while using the technology that permeates their lives with meaning and purpose.”
SFUSD leaders and educators realize that navigating the digital world is essential to thriving in the 21st century. SFUSD implements different lessons and activities to foster responsible online behaviors, customized to the grade level.
In elementary grades, students can play a game called “Going Places Safely,” where they discover that the Internet can be used to visit far-away places and learn new concepts while comparing safe online behaviors to safe real-world behaviors.
Middle-grade students collaborate to empathize with those who are cyberbullied and engage in discussions about what it means to stand up for others offline and online when peers need help.
Media and Information Literacy are cornerstones of research in many high school classes where information is gathered online. SFUSD emphasizes teaching students to identify credible resources so that they are critical thinkers of online material.
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Page updated on 06/27/19