Critical thinking is the fundamental principle of every student and leaders in the present time.
And in the mission of critical thinking what provides as an active catalyst is the help of digital tools. It is through technology that individuals can connect and create a much larger communal picture. One of the characteristic features of a global digital citizen is being curious about the world and being able to explore it digitally.
Digital platform has allowed individuals to stay connected to others to be aware of the self and others too living within the community. The individual is also a contributor, seeker of information and relational citizen who believes in progressing as the world progress with it. In this context, the famous lines of Carl Sagan aptly explain what an ideal citizenry meant? He answered by telling an ideal citizenry is people “with minds wide awake and a basic understanding of how the world works.”
Deep insight of the Terminology
To embrace the idea of Global Digital Citizen or be one of it, it is important to understand the concept from a deeper perspective.
There is no denying to the fact that we now live in a hemisphere that is truly a global culture, and through technology, people can share every bit of their experience in life with the world. In this connected community, no individual thrives alone, and everyone has a part to play. But the important point that arises with it is how responsible, ethical and compassionate are we as global digital citizens? And here is where educators across the globe have quickly realized the need for guidelines related to acceptable use of technology.
In actuality, the term Digital citizenship implied much more than just being connected in a community. It is a term that arose to explain how an individual must behave in the online world. It is a conscious responsibility which grew in an individual and spread across globally. The different policies and programs created around the digital citizenship focus mainly on the acceptable use of a system that is enhanced with an educational component about individual protection from online predations and cyberbullying.
As mentors, educators need to first embrace the concept of Global Digital Citizenship and mitigating obstacles that does not allow teachers to be digitally adept professionals. Here in the Twit bellow we find, a primary school teacher talking about fears that does not allow teachers to adopt classroom technology.
Getting over the fear of adopting classroom technology #globaldigitalcitizen@CathDigLearnhttps://t.co/r5AS0nEzy1
— Gabrielle Trinca (@GabrielleTrinca) September 5, 2016
In the last few decades, the creation, expansion, and assimilation of the digital world have risen. Earlier there used to be a digital world but that was not highly accessible by the demography as a whole. But now as it has penetrated in every corner of the world, we have started to live in both a digital as well as real world. Life now is guided by digitally connected technology to a large extent. Educating the students about this reality that being a digital citizenship is now a critical component of global citizenship is indeed important.
Critical Tenet of Global Digital Citizenship
Addressing as to how one participates and contributes in the blended physical and digital world is one of the very foundation stone of being a Global Digital Citizenship. With it, the other very significant element of it is how can one influence the digital world to grow citizens in this new reality (digital + real).
So before imparting the guidelines of Global Digital Citizen one has to understand who is a global citizen and who is a digital citizen?
Well, in a global citizen, we find the individual having an attribute to see the world as a community, possesses the ability to comprehend actions that contribute to the value of entire world and one who is concerned about how one could participate and contribute for the benefit of the whole world.
While in a digital citizen we find the individual adhering to the guidelines related to the ethical and responsible use of technology. That person also knows how to act responsibly in all relationships and interactions in the digital world.
Thus, when both the attributes of a global citizen and a digital citizen is mixed, the identity of a Global Digital Citizens is justified in totality. So as an educator, what one must ask themselves is are ‘they digitally competent teachers to build a future ready Global Digital Citizen? Check the twit below for detail.
Are you a digitally competent teacher? Check out the attached infographic https://t.co/JdDY3UeJYV#globaldigitalcitizen#CathDigLearn#CEWA
— Digital Learning (@CathDigLearn) February 10, 2016
