Digital Citizenship K-12
Hendry County School District (HCSD) recognizes that our digital landscape is expanding at lightning speed and bringing with it amazing opportunities and complex challenges for everyone. Just as we practice and teach students how to be responsible citizens in the physical world, it is also important to guide them through the online world so they will become responsible Digital Citizens. The district’s digital citizenship goal is to empower students to think critically, behave safely, and participate responsibly in our digital world. This Digital Citizenship Plan also allows us to maintain compliance with federal, state and other governing bodies.
HCSD follows the Common Sense Digital Citizenship Curriculum. Each school provides students instruction on subjects as varied as internet safety, cyberbullying, digital footprints and reputation, through to copyright issues, digital law and plagiarism. From lesson plans, videos, student interactives, assemblies, to professional learning, our hope is to provide schools with information they need to take a whole-community approach to digital citizenship.
In addition, there are materials for parents available on our website to support families when discussing digital citizenship with their children at home.
Curriculum details can be found at https://www.commonsense.org/education/digital-citizenship/curriculum
All students receive computer orientation at the beginning of the year. This consists of a general overview of proper care and use of student devices and the Acceptable Use Policy of the district. Elementary students receive digital citizenship quarterly through regular lessons conducted in the media center. Secondary students receive digital citizenship throughout the year in their homeroom.