Youth and Online Media

Summary: Todays students have grown up online. They began in elementary school by registering their Webkins pets online and playing with their virtual counterparts, in middle school they were the first users of Myspace, posting pictures of themselves, primarily taken in front of a mirror, and today many they have a second existence online, in Facebook and Twitter. They live out their lives online, but how often do we considering how these changes have affected us as a society, as families and as individuals. This lesson will introduce students to a number of topics they should consider related to their online presence. Grade Level: 9-12 Time: 4-5 class blocks Standards: Massachusetts Technology Literacy Standards and Expectations G9-12: 2.14 Explain and use practices to protect one's personal safety online (e.g., not sharing personal information with strangers, being alert for online predators, reporting suspicious activities). G9-12: 2.15 Explain ways individuals can protect their technology systems and information from unethical users. G9-12: 3.8 Use online communication tools to collaborate with peers, community members, and field experts as appropriate (e.g., bulletin boards, discussion forums, listservs, Web conferencing). G9-12: 2.2 Explain issues related to the responsible use of technology (e.g., privacy, security). G9-12: 2.6 Give examples of the appropriate and responsible use of communication tools (e.g., chats, instant messaging, blogs, wikis).

Activities: 1. Growing Up Online a. Watch the PBS Frontline program, Growing Up Online b. Using the discussion board, write a one paragraph response to THREE different discussion questions, and post to the discussion board. c. Read at least three of your classmates discussion board posts and post a response. 2. Your Online Presence a. Walkthrough and discuss Prezi entitled Your Online Presence b. Take the quiz based on the material in the Prezi to test your understanding 3. Digital Dossier
a. Watch the videos created by students at Youth and Media b. Select a topic related to life online and create a Prezi. See the rubric for details.