Digital Citizenship: Creating and Cultivating a Culture to Be CyberSmart!
The ever-growing, synergistic relationship between technology and education requires a responsible, biblical approach to citizenship and godly stewardship in the digital world. We are excited to announce our Be CyberSmart! digital citizenship program, an instructional aid that presents digital citizenship from a biblical worldview and correlates directly to specific BJU Press English Language Arts lessons. Created in the form of a mini-lesson (20 minutes of total class time) using the teaching cycle, Be CyberSmart! includes the following:
- teacher lesson script with a lesson overview
- PowerPoint slides
- video
- video links
- take-home assessment worksheets
- informative email to parents
Students learn best when educational content connects to real life, and our digital citizenship content not only connects to real life and to current English Language Arts lessons but also is anchored by four biblical worldview themes: truth, love, skill, and identity.
The scope and sequence of Be CyberSmart! focuses on the following topics:
- Influence—Students use technology to influence others by being an example of doing good works (Proverbs 27:17).
- Maturity—Students defend a biblical worldview gracefully in a digital environment (Colossians 4:6).
- Leadership—Students develop digital leadership habits that lead others to adopt and embrace them (1 Timothy 4:12).
- Discernment—Students curate reliable and valid online sources using biblical discernment (Colossians 2:8).
- Protection—Students apply both proactive and defensive digital safety and security measures (Ephesians 6:11–13).
Each grade has three to five Be CyberSmart! mini-lessons for teachers to use as instructional aids. Lesson titles include “The Power of Words and Pictures,” “My Information: Who Wants It?,” “Digital Footprint: Walking in Concrete,” “Godly Online Influence,” and “Screentime Overload.” Several other titles address online research, digital identity, online “friends,” and collaborating online with others. Delivered as a fully digital product, Be CyberSmart! can be updated as needed, staying relevant in the ever-changing technological landscape. As current BJU Press ELA products are revised, Be CyberSmart! content will be easily edited to reconnect with new edition lessons.
The K5–Grade 12 lessons are now completed and reside in BJU Press Trove. Be sure to begin with the Front Matter file for an overview of the lessons at that grade level. Our prayer is that this aid will equip students with a biblical worldview of their own digital citizenship and stewardship and will enable teachers and parents to use these aids for the glory of God.
In today’s world of evolving technology, educators are not only mentors but also examples as stewards. We have the power to guide students in navigating the online world safely and responsibly, while grounding them in strong, faith-based principles. Listen to Larry Hunt discuss the world of digital citizenship through a Biblical lens.
Posted July 1, 2024.