The amount of technology misuse and abuse is at an all time high since the introduction of the microchip. Teachers see students out of control. Students see teachers and parents who know very little about using technology in innovative and creative ways. Schools respond to student inappropriate behavior by implementing acceptable use policies. The situation of misuse and abuse of technology, especially internet demands an intelligent, “teaching” response. We cannot legislate appropriate technology behavior, what we can do is to teach appropriate behavior. This “teaching solution” is called Digital Citizenship.
“sociologists have determined with every new technology there has been a lag between the time it is introduced and the point where it becomes mainstreamed into society ( krotz, 2003)”. The recent wave of digital technologies has left our society gasping for air. When we begin to understand one technology, another new one comes along. In the past, it has been the adults who have taken the hold of technology and passed down the knowledge to the next generation. With the tsunami-like nature of new digital technologies, children are learning to use technology at the same time as adults. And this leads to misunderstandings and uncertainties of how technologies can or should be used.
So, “digital citizenship” is still very new. But as future educators, we should be aware of this situation. With the new emergence of new technologies, we are facing greater chanllenges before. how can we protect our students from violence and course language? And I believe the technology will bring consumerism to school. Giroux (2000) warns us that “It is time to recognize that the true tutors of our children are not school teachers or university professors but filmmakers, advertising executives and pop culture purveyors. Disney does more than Duke, Spielberg outweighs Stanford, MTV trumps MIT.” In this case, how can our curriculum respond?
