Students learn about, embrace digital citizenship

Common Sense, the national nonprofit organization dedicated to helping students and families thrive in a world of media and technology, has recognized Watervliet Elementary School (WES) as a Common Sense School.

WES has demonstrated its commitment to taking a whole-community approach to preparing its students to think critically and use technology responsibly to learn, create, and participate while preparing them for the perils that exist in the online realm, such as plagiarism, loss of privacy, and cyberbullying. With the right support, children can take ownership of their digital lives, engage with real issues, and change their communities for the better. The recognition acknowledges our school’s commitment to creating a culture of digital citizenship.

“Digital citizenship has become essential for students in the 21st century, especially this school year,” said Dr. Lori Caplan, superintendent of schools. “I am proud of our commitment to teaching students how to be digital learners, leaders, and citizens.”

Liz Kline, vice president of education programs at Common Sense Education, noted that WES deserves high praise for giving its students the foundational skills they need to compete and succeed in the 21st-century workplace and engage in online activities ethically and responsibly.

“We applaud the Watervliet Elementary School faculty and staff for embracing digital citizenship as an important part of education for their students,” she said.

WES has been using Common Sense Education’s innovative and research-based digital citizenship resources, which are grounded in the real issues students and teachers face. The resources teach students, educators, and parents tangible skills related to internet safety, protecting online reputations and personal privacy, media balance, managing online relationships, and media literacy. The free K-12 curriculum is used in classrooms across all 50 states, in more than 80,000 schools.

“We are honored to be recognized as a Common Sense School,” said Kelly Webster, WES Principal. “By preparing our students to use technology safely and responsibly, we are providing them an opportunity to build lifelong habits to help them succeed in a tech-driven world.”

To learn more about the criteria WES met to become recognized as a Common Sense School, visit https://www.commonsense.org/education/recognition-schools.