Students consider the feelings of themselves and others when making decisions about when, where, and how much to use technology.
Teaching digital citizenship is all about helping kids think beyond themselves and recognize the ripple effects of their actions. Personal responsibility is important, but understanding their responsibilities to others can help kids unlock new ways to learn and connect with their communities -- and even change those communities for the better.
Artificial intelligence is trained on real-world data that people have given it, and if that data contains biases (or is incomplete), the AI can end up being biased, too. In this lesson, students will think critically about the training data that informs what AI tools can do, and consider possible ways to reduce AI bias.
It’s tempting to dismiss social media as a frivolous waste of time (and for many of us it is!). But it is important for students to appreciate the possible impact of a simple post and to know how social media has been used by many to improve and even change the world.
While Internet “addiction” is viewed as a public health threat in some parts of the world, it is not a recognized disorder in the US (only “gaming addiction” is). However, it is enough of a concern that young people should know how and why digital devices use “persuasive technologies” (including predictive AI!) to capture and hold their attention. This lesson is important so you may want to allocate two class periods to it (see last page for Extension Activities).
