Online Safety Action Plan

Jamie Lampkins
Goal Definition
This action plan is designed for Georgia Cyber Academy within the Middle School division.
Georgia Cyber Academy (GCA) is a fully online, free state charter school that serves any student
who lives in Georgia. Because of our large pull of students, we are a very diverse school from
many standpoints. According to the GADOE website’s data for the 2021-2022 school year, the
demographics for the middle school population of 3,517 students are as follows: 2.8% Asian,
49.8% Black, 9.8% Hispanic, 7.1% Multiracial, 30% White, 30% Economically Disadvantaged,
3.2% English Learners, and 17.6% Students with Disability (GADOE CCRPI Reporting System,
2021). GCA has 1 principal and 4 assistant principals. In addition to the principals, the school has
an Instructional Coach and Academic Administrator for each content and a Special Ed
Administrator to complete its administrative team.

A digital online safety self-assessment was conducted on January 30th, 2023, for GCA. The top
areas of need identified by the assessment included:

1. Effectively planning and assessing the risks and benefits before introducing new online
platforms or technologies.
2. Improving the protection and use of student information online.
3. Developing online safety curriculum or teacher professional learning.

For an online school, I believe GCA is generally doing well when it comes to online safety.
However, there is room for improvement when we are addressing actual procedures and
straightforward policies/expectations from both students and staff. For example, we have the
student handbook and a GCA SOAR (Safe, On-Task, Awesome Attitude, Responsible) matrix of
rules for PBIS. The “S” in soar focuses on keeping our students safe while they are online.
However, there is no actual class or curriculum to help ensure the students are practicing these
guidelines. An additional concern is effectively planning and assessing the risks and benefits
before introducing new online platforms or technologies. Being an online school, we are always
using new technologies to help better engage our students, whether with academics or
behavior. Because we need a plethora of technologies that a traditional brick-and-mortar school
may not need, we are at a high risk of using technology that doesn’t meet online safety
standards. This brings me to our final area of need: protecting student information. One of the
biggest risks of implementing new technologies is protecting students’ data. Websites generally
require accounts and ask for the students to provide personal information. This is an area of
concern if the account is not school-sponsored or linked to their student email and clever
account.

This plan aims to develop a timeline guide to creating an online safety curriculum for students
and professional development for teachers. According to the eSafety Commissioner, one of the
most effective means to prevent online safety concerns is to start with prevention and provide
comprehensive online safety education (2022). I believe addressing the lack of a true curriculum
will have the most immediate and substantial return.

List Tasks
Task Task Action
1 Ensure a School Technology Leadership
Team (STL Team) is in place. And that
team includes a parent and student
liaison. (August)
2 Review ISTE and PSC (September)
Reasoning
According to Ribbles’ book, Digital Citizenship in Schools, the
author states employing a team that brings in all stakeholders
(including parents and students) is ideal and will help ensure
complete buy-in (2015).
This will allow the team to create a proper curriculum and PD
program. The STL Team should be aware of the ISTE and PSC
Standards and research means to implement them.

3 Create Student curriculum and Staff PD
teams (September)
4 Create student curriculum (November)
Subgroups within the STL team should be created so that
each subgroup has a major focus.
According to Ribble, the student curriculum should be
created using the feedback model. This is a 4 step process
that includes awareness, guided practice,
modeling/demonstration, and feedback/analysis (2015).

5 Create staff PD (November) Ribble states that before technology leaders can expect to
implement digital citizenship, faculty, and staff should
participate in ongoing professional development (2015).

6 Implement staff PD semi-annually
(once a semester)
7 Implement student curriculum monthly
within HR classes (Jan – May)
8 After the first implementation, the
digital team meets monthly (Ongoing)
Exposing staff to the expectations and tools to implement
online safety for their students and their daily practices will
yield the best results.
Exposing students to the curriculum on a consistent basis will
yield the best results.
Consistent review and updates should be addressed to
ensure the effective use of the student curriculum and
teacher PDs.
Assign Tasks
Task Person(s) Reasoning (Why)
1 Tech Team, Teachers, at least 2 The tech team will start the process to recruit interested
admin, 1 parent, and student teachers and 2 admins will be assigned to oversee. The current
liaison. tech team does not consist of teachers or admin. Adding these
entities will allow for a more well-rounded approach. Once the
staff for the team is assembled, we will reach out to our
student government and have them assign one student from
the student government body to be a student liaison for the
team. Finally, we will recruit a parent from our PTA to also be a
liaison and voice for parents.
2 Team Members All team members should be aware of the ITSE and PSC
technology standards.
3 Team Members Team members should decide which team they believe they
can support the most, whether that’s student curriculum or
teacher development. Parent and student liaisons will be a
part of the student curriculum team. One admin will be on
each team.
4 Student Curriculum Team This is this group’s primary focus
Members
5 Staff PD Team Members This is this group’s primary focus

6 Staff PD Admin
7 Homeroom Teachers
8 Team Members
Admin can implement the required PD dates for all teachers.
This would best be done as a whole school PD during certain
faculty meetings.
The best way to reach all kids without teachers being required
to give up content instruction time is through HR. Students
meet twice a week for 30-minute HR sessions; these are the
perfect times to implement the student curriculum for digital
citizenship.
Once the main student and staff plans are developed, team
members should meet monthly to review and revise the
curriculum based on data.

.
Assessment
Task Assessment
1 Team created
2 Checklist
3 Plan Developed
4 Student Curriculum Developed
5 PD Developed
6 Plan Developed
7 Plan Developed
8 Survey and Schedule Developed
Reasoning
A newly updated team with more stakeholders
should be created.
The team can identify and understand ITSE and PSC
standards. A checklist with the guidelines will be
created and handed to the team members for easy
reference.
An action plan was developed for the new
subdivisions of the STL team with goals and
expected dates.
Student curriculum for digital citizenship created
Teacher PD series for digital citizenship created
Future dates set for PD about Digital Citizenship
Specific HR meetings scheduled for digital citizenship
A schedule was created for the STL Team’s ongoing
monthly meetings. If needed, surveys will be sent to
staff and students to access the current curriculum
and review any changes.
 References

eSafety Commissioner. (2022). Educate | eSafety commissioner. ESafety Commissioner.

https://www.esafety.gov.au/educators/toolkit-for-schools/educate

Georgia Cyber Academy. (2023). Positive Behaviors Interventions & Supports - Georgia Cyber

Academy. Www.georgiacyber.org.

https://www.georgiacyber.org/students/iss/pbis#:~:text=The%20SOAR%20matrix%20ha

s%20allowed%20GCA%20to%20implement

Georgia Department of Education. (2019). GADOE CCRPI Reporting System. Ccrpi.gadoe.org.

http://ccrpi.gadoe.org/Reports/Views/Shared/_Layout.html

Ribble, M. (2015). Digital citizenship in schools: Nine elements all students should know (3rd

ed.). Eugene, Oregon International Society for Technology in Education.

 JAMIE LAMPKINS
MINI-LESSON 1 PLAN

LESSON TITLE
Mirror Mirror on the Web (Digital Identity)

ISTE STANDARDS FOR STUDENTS

1.2.a: Students cultivate and manage their digital identity and reputation and are aware of the
permanence of their actions in the digital world.

1.2.b: Students engage in positive, safe, legal, and ethical behavior when using technology, including
social interactions online or when using networked devices.

FOCUS QUESTION
Is your digital identity just as important as your face-to-face identity?

RELATED QUESTIONS
What aspects create a digital identity?

Why is a digital identity relevant in today’s world?

Can you reshape your digital identity?

OBJECTIVE
The student will be able to understand the importance of having a positive online presence.

RESOURCES NEEDED
● Google
● Sort Cards (Physical or digital)
 ACTIVITY DESCRIPTION

FYI: I teach 8th Grade entirely online, and all class sessions are recorded. This setup works great for my
classroom.

Set up: The day before, tell the students they will have a fun activity planned for the next day (lab, game,
etc.), and have it displayed on the board or near you during the entire class. Have a trusted student take
a screenshot of the gameday announcement display with you in the frame. In class the next day, say,
“OK, Test Today!”. Students will most likely be distraught and tell you that you told them it was a game
day. If you deny it, then your trusted student (who is in on the gig) will say, “I have proof!” and show the
picture of the Game Day announcement with you in it.

Opening: This will lead to a conversation about how anything posted online can be recorded and seen
indefinitely. In this conversation, have the students discuss some things they can share online and things
they shouldn’t. Discuss why specific pictures, tweets, videos, etc., should remain off the internet.

Activity: Watch the Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGV5OBa938I

Create a digital match game for students to sort through different items and how that particular item
could affect their digital identity. Example: Picture of you with an obscene phrase on a shirt. Match:
Negative, could be deemed as an offense.

Closing: Identify 3 items that should not be posted on the internet to maintain a positive digital identity.

EXTENSION IDEAS
Have students google themselves, their teacher, or their parents. Explain how each person has created a
positive (or negative) digital identity and why.

TEACHING TIPS
The teacher should ensure their digital identity is positive just in case students google them.

The teacher should make sure to do the previous day’s prep example, as described in the setup.
 Mini-Lesson 1 Reflection

Lesson Info
Lesson Title: Mirror Mirror on the Web (Digital Identity)
Goals: The student will be able to understand the importance of having a positive online
presence.
Activity: Watch the Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGV5OBa938I

Create a digital match game for students to sort through different items and how that
particular item could affect their digital identity. Example: Picture of you with an
obscene phrase on a shirt. Match: Negative, could be deemed as an offense.

Closing: Identify three items that should not be posted online to maintain a positive
digital identity.

Emotions
I was excited and ready to start my lessons on digital citizenship. I was anxious to see how the students
would be engaged with the new content. The students were engaged and had a lot of feedback, so I was
happy throughout the lesson.

Perspectives
Teacher: I was excited and curious to see where my student's current understanding of digital identity
stood. I took the time to engage them, knowing this would be the first of 6 lessons on a topic different
than my standard lessons, so I was eager to have early buy-in.

Student: I am excited to learn about a topic that affects me daily. I know some ways to uphold an image
that reflects my true self online, but I would like to learn more.

Addressing Diverse Learners

As a digital citizenship educator, I tried to reach my students in multiple ways. During the lesson, I used
videos and discussions. We also played a visual matching game to review some examples of how others
can perceive images. Addressing the lesson in multiple ways allowed me to reach many learners. Next, I
would like to do a pre-inventory to see where my students stand with their understanding of digital
identity.

Position
As an educator, I believe in teaching students relevant concepts needed to be successful citizens
(digitally and socially). Teaching students that their digital identity can have just as many implications as
their in-person identity is essential to students today, especially my middle schoolers, as they prepare to
become young adults. My peers and I were some of the first users of prominent social media users, with
chat rooms and Myspace being prevalent in middle and high school. How our image would be portrayed
in the future should have been discussed in class; our students today need these lessons. They need the
lessons early and often to understand the impact a negative post can have on their lives.

Actions
As a digital citizenship educator, I would like to do a preassessment of my student's current digital
identity awareness and habits. Next time, I would like to ask them if they have social media pages and if
they are comfortable sharing the content they post with everyone, including family, potential employers,
or college professors. I would gather their views before I start the lesson for my next group of students.

JAMIE LAMPKINS
MINI-LESSON 2 PLAN

LESSON TITLE
#NoFilter (Digital Privacy)

ISTE STANDARDS FOR STUDENTS

1.2.a: Students cultivate and manage their digital identity and reputation and are aware of the
permanence of their actions.

1.2.d: Students manage their personal data to maintain digital privacy and security and are aware of
data-collection technology used to track their online navigation in the digital world.

FOCUS QUESTION
What is considered oversharing, and how does that affect your digital identity?

RELATED QUESTIONS
Should you be completely open with your life/information online?

When is a “filter” for information appropriate?

 OBJECTIVE
The student will be able to identify what is considered appropriate information to share on the web.

RESOURCES NEEDED
● The Internet
● Online poster creator or presentation/slides program

ACTIVITY DESCRIPTION
Intro: Students will be shown a fake digital profile that includes sensitive information such as birthdays,
pet names, recent locations, etc. They will then be given the task of guessing that fake profile’s password
(with a choice bank). They will be informed that this person doesn’t practice appropriate data privacy
and their password was easily guessable with basic information on their profile.

Once the password is guessed, we will discuss why having “filters” on the personal information we post
online is important. And discuss how our passwords should not include easily identifiable information
such as pet names and birthdays.

Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yiKeLOKc1tw&t=2s or
https://learnenglishteens.britishcouncil.org/study-break/video-zone/oversharing-your-digital-footprint

Activity: Students will create an infographic of the dos and don’ts of internet privacy.

Closing: Students will showcase their infographic, sharing one of their do/don’ts and why that rule is
important.

EXTENSION IDEAS
Students will review their current social media accounts to do a privacy checkup to ensure that it doesn’t
include personal information.

TEACHING TIPS
Have a discussion with students to ask if they have social media. Some students may say no, ask them
why. Some parents may have disallowed the student from using social media. Usually, it’s a privacy
reason why to have those kids share. This way, others see the importance of caring for their social media.
 Mini-Lesson 2 Reflection

Lesson Info
Lesson Title: #NoFilter (Digital Privacy)
Goals: The student will be able to identify appropriate information to share on the web.
Activity: Intro: Students will be shown a fake digital profile that includes sensitive information
such as birthdays, pet names, recent locations, etc. They will then be tasked with guessing that
fake profile’s password (with a choice bank). They will be informed that this person doesn’t
practice appropriate data privacy and their password was easily guessable with basic
information on their profile.

Once the password is guessed, we will discuss why having “filters” on the personal information
we post online is essential. And discuss how our passwords should not include easily identifiable
information such as pet names and birthdays.

Watched: Oversharing and your digital footprint | LearnEnglish Teens

Activity: Students will create an infographic of the dos and don’ts of internet privacy.

Closing: Students will showcase their infographic, sharing one of their do/don’ts and why that
rule is essential.

Emotions
I felt eager as I was implementing this lesson. It was a continuum of the previous lesson, so it meshed
well, and the students would be able to move onto this topic seamlessly. The students enjoyed their
intro lessons to digital citizenship.

Perspectives
Teacher: I was curious to know how much my students share online. I viewed this lesson as if I was
protecting my own children. I was passionate about getting lesson objectives across because of the
seriousness of this topic.

Student: I should be aware of the information presented in this lesson. This can protect me from dangers
on the internet. The internet can be dangerous if not approached correctly; this lesson showed me how
to protect myself.

Addressing Diverse Learners

As a digital citizenship educator, I considered the needs and backgrounds of all my students by
attempting to reach them in multiple ways. I always do opening games and videos to engage students
and reach them with more active participation in the lesson. I did like that I added an element to this
lesson that allowed the students to create an artifact; this way, they have something to reference later.

Position
As a digital citizenship educator and parent, this is one of the most important digital citizenship lessons
to teach our students. This can protect them from physical harm, and that is a top priority. Lessons on
privacy and staying safe online should be taught before students are given devices at school. My children
are still very young but have iPads, and the oldest knows how to work on YouTube. So, even at 3, we
must start teaching young people how to stay safe online.

Actions
As a digital citizenship educator, I will present the seriousness of this lesson topic. I want to ensure the
students understand the proper use of the internet. I want to ensure I do not scare them from the
internet, but I need to ensure they know the major dos and don’ts while interacting online. I did like
adding the tangible artifact to the students' lesson and will have them start a booklet for the remaining
lessons.

JAMIE LAMPKINS
MINI-LESSON 2 PLAN

LESSON TITLE
Sharing is Caring if Done Right!

ISTE STANDARDS FOR STUDENTS

1.2.b: Students engage in positive, safe, legal, and ethical behavior when using technology, including
social interactions online or when using networked devices.

1.2.c: Students demonstrate an understanding of and respect for the rights and obligations of using and
sharing intellectual property.
 FOCUS QUESTION
Why should you give proper credit when using others’ work?

RELATED QUESTIONS
What are the expectations regarding using others’ work online?

What is the importance of following copyright protocols while using digital resources?

OBJECTIVE
The student will be able to understand the importance of intellectual rights and property laws and
expectations.

RESOURCES NEEDED
● The Internet
● Paper and drawing tools
● Slides editing software

ACTIVITY DESCRIPTION
Intro: Students will be asked to create a drawing or use a past drawing that they are proud of. I will then
ask students to share their work. I will then ask a few discussion questions. Such as:

1. Did any of you choose not to share your drawing or limit it to a small group of people? Why?
2. What if someone else shared it with you? Without your permission? What do you think about
that?
3. What if it took you more than five minutes to make? What if it took six months or a year to work
many hours each day?
4. What if it costs a lot to make, for example, if you had to travel to a faraway place or use special
equipment that was very expensive?
5. What if you’re a professional, and this is your livelihood? Would that make a difference?

This will lead us to discuss the proper use of others’ work and the importance of providing credit if
necessary.

Watch: https://drive.google.com/file/d/136wQSogViPkrp1PNImAIXeBi5M4-Dqgf/view

Activity: Students will research and add 3 facts about copyright and fair use in their digital citizenship
digital portfolio (running PPT/Google Slide for all mini-lessons. I will update my previous mini-lesson to a
running PPT/Google slides instead of a digital poster).
Closing: Students will share at least one of their facts with the class and add one additional fact they
heard from their classmates to their portfolio.

EXTENSION IDEAS
Additional discussion points can include copyright in other fields, such as movies and music. Students
can research copyright laws and how they may affect their favorite musician or band.

TEACHING TIPS
If the students understand and become really interested, introducing them to the different styles of
citing work, such as APA and MLA, can be beneficial. Also, providing them with sites such as
https://www.pexels.com/ where they know all pictures are available for free use.

The intro and the video in this lesson are from https://copyrightandcreativity.org/

Mini-Lesson 3 Reflection

Lesson Info
Lesson Title: Sharing is Caring if Done Right!
Goals: The student will be able to understand the importance of intellectual rights and property laws
and expectations.

Activity:

Opening: Drawing and Discussion Questions. Watch Video: Permission NOT Required?
Activity: Students will research and add 3 facts about copyright and fair use in their digital
citizenship digital portfolio.

Closing: Students will share at least one of their facts with the class and add one additional fact
they heard from their classmates to their portfolio.

Emotions
As I was implementing the lesson, I was unsure if the students understood the importance of adequately
crediting other users. They are used to so much sharing on their social media applications that it is
harder for them to understand this concept.
Perspectives
Teacher: I knew this lesson would be more academic than the previous two digital citizenship lessons, so
I was eager to ensure the students found connections to this topic within their everyday online activity.
The lesson went well. However, I do not know if I stressed enough the importance of giving proper credit
to others’ work.

Student: I understand I should give credit to content creators, but I still struggle with knowing when to
give credit. I would like to learn more about when permission is required to use pictures and other
online work.

Addressing Diverse Learners

As a digital educator, I was able to address many of my diverse students. Students were able to show off
drawings that they may be proud of and demonstrate their creative abilities. We also had a great
discussion to gather prior knowledge of how they felt about sharing content. I always aim to gear my
openings as fun activities that spark the student's interests, and this opening allowed that to happen.

Position
As a digital citizenship educator, I value citing other people's work. This is something I struggled with
early in my higher education career. Ieveblei it is because I never truly had lessons to teach me the
importance of doing it or how to do it. I hope this lesson stays with my students as they matriculate
through their education. Not citing work properly can have significant effects on a student, even if it is
not purposeful; because of this, we as educators should start teaching students how to do it early. The
multiple ways to cite should also be condensed to keep simplicity.

Actions
As a digital citizenship educator, I would approach this lesson differently by understanding my student’s
views on property sharing. If I had been more conscious of their uses of social media, I could have
addressed the lesson from that viewpoint.
 JAMIE LAMPKINS
MINI-LESSON 4 PLAN

LESSON TITLE
Permission Granted

ISTE STANDARDS FOR STUDENTS

1.2.b: Students engage in positive, safe, legal, and ethical behavior when using technology, including
social interactions online or when using networked devices.

1.2.c: Students demonstrate an understanding of and respect for the rights and obligations of using and
sharing intellectual property.

FOCUS QUESTION
How do I know if or how I can use others’ work on my assignments or other creations?

RELATED QUESTIONS
What is fair use, and how is it related to copyright?

How should you use others’ work samples in your own assignments and digital creations?

How do I know what the creator allows for when using their work?

OBJECTIVE
The student will be able to identify and describe the 6 types of Creative Commons licenses.

RESOURCES NEEDED
● The Internet
● Paper and drawing tools
● Creative Commons Website: https://creativecommons.org/about/cclicenses/
 ACTIVITY DESCRIPTION
Intro: Reference the student’s previous drawings from the previous mini-lesson on copyright.

Ask them a few engaging questions, such as:

1. Would you like to share their drawings with others across the web?
2. Would you like to have a say so in how the other person uses your creation?

Discuss that we have ways to share information that may be copyrighted as long as we follow fair use.
We will then discuss the 6 Creative Commons licenses allowing creators to share their work with specific
limitations.

Watch: https://youtu.be/xvZHNwBHirQ

Review the Creative Commons website: https://creativecommons.org/about/cclicenses/ and watch this

overview of the 6 licenses: https://youtu.be/2dw9MtyTunU

Activity: Students will use the above resources to add the 6 symbols for Creative Commons licenses to
their digital citizenship portfolio (running PPT/Google Slide for all mini-lessons.)

Closing: Students will share one example of their own experience of using an image and if they followed
the Creative Commons' best practices.

EXTENSION IDEAS
Have students research more about fair use and its importance in education and sharing information.

TEACHING TIPS
Students should be aware of the importance of fair use and its relationship with copyright. Make sure
they know many times violating copyright is NOT intentional, so we all have to practice being aware of
the creators' sharing expectations.
 Mini-Lesson 4 Reflection

Lesson Info
Lesson Title: Permission Granted (Fair Use)
Goals: The student will be able to identify and describe the six types of Creative Commons licenses.
Activity: Intro: Reference the student’s previous drawings of the prior mini-lesson on copyright.
Ask them a few engaging questions, such as:

1. Would you like to share their drawings with others across the web?
2. Would you like to have a say in how the other person uses your creation?

Discuss ways to share information that may be copyrighted as long as we follow fair use. We will then
discuss the six Creative Commons licenses allowing creators to share their work with specific limitations.

Watch: https://youtu.be/xvZHNwBHirQ

Review the Creative Commons website: https://creativecommons.org/about/cclicenses/ and watch this

overview of the six licenses https://youtu.be/2dw9MtyTunU

Activity: Students will use the above resources to add the six symbols for Creative Commons licenses to
their digital citizenship portfolio (running PPT/Google Slide for all mini-lessons.)

Closing: Students will share one example of their experience using an image and if they followed the
Creative Commons best practices.

Emotions
I was nervous about implementing this lesson because the topic was new information to me before this
module. I generally get nervous teaching concepts I need to become more experienced in, so this was a
mental challenge.

Perspectives
Teacher: I was nervous about teaching the lesson. However, the students understood the copyright
licenses well. They seemed engaged and even pointed out some times when they say a different Creative
Commons license symbol on different online creations they have come across.

Student: I learned a lot about copyright. I have noticed some of those creative common symbols at the
bottom of videos on YouTube sometimes, but now I know what they mean.
Addressing Diverse Learners
As a digital citizenship educator, I addressed diverse learners by allowing students to take ownership of
their drawings. We discussed how they would like to share their work. We also had multiple learning
modes: discussions, videos, and readings.

Position
As a digital citizenship educator, the internet is an interconnected web for humans to share creations. I
value the work it takes to create these artifacts and want to ensure I borrow ideas per the creator's
wishes. I would show my students the importance of this. Respecting and understanding how to use
others’ intellectual property is vital in academic and social (media) settings.

Actions
As a digital citizenship educator, I will make this lesson more active. I will have the students go and
search for intellectual properties on the web and identify which Creative Commons license is being used.
This will benefit the students more and provide authentic practice and application of the standard.

MINI-LESSON 5 PLAN

EMPATHY

LESSON TITLE
Windows and Mirrors

ISTE STANDARDS FOR STUDENTS

1.2 b Students engage in positive, safe, legal, and ethical behavior when using technology, including
social interactions online or networked devices.

FOCUS QUESTION
Why should students show empathy and respect while engaging in online communities?
 RELATED QUESTIONS
What is empathy?
Can you see your reflection through someone else’s window?
How do our differences shape our experiences and viewpoints?

OBJECTIVE
The student will be able to define empathy and understand the importance of empathetic responses and
conversations.

RESOURCES NEEDED
Word Cloud Tool: https://www.mentimeter.com/login
Handouts: Would You Rather Questions
All About My Family Questionnaire
Video: Empathy Can Change the World

ACTIVITY DESCRIPTION
Engage/Intro:

Teachers should start the lesson by asking students if they have heard of the term Empathy. Have them
provide definitions. The students will create an online word cloud of their descriptions.

Teachers can then discuss some of the answers students provided. The teacher will then give the proper
term for empathy and play the empathy video.

Once the discussion has reached a point of understanding, empathy is understanding or seeing other
people’s experiences, even if they differ from yours, and moving on to the work activity.

Work Period/Activity:

“Would You Rather?” Game.

Have the students answer the Would you rather questions by the show of hands (or digitally in chat for
my virtual world). Tell them to keep a mental idea of some of their peers who answered differently than
they did. After 10-15 questions, ask students to find their perfect “window” peer. They will do this by
finding peers in the classroom with different answers to their Would you Rather questions.

Once the students find their peers, have them explore their differences more deeply. Each pair should
ask each other questions from the “All About My Family Questionnaire.” Students should seek to
understand their peer’s answers even if they differ from theirs and even try to make connections to their
experiences.
Conclusion: Students will answer these questions with their partners, and we will discuss Mirrors and
Windows in class.

What do you see when you look in a mirror?

What do you see if you look through a window?
Did you and your window partner disagree on some topics?
How did you guys explain your viewpoint if you disagreed?
Explain why seeing the world with windows and mirrors is essential.

EXTENSION IDEAS
If students would like to explore more about their classmates and their differences, this link has many
great questions to help them learn more about each other. Additional Questions

If students seem very interested, take it a step further. Have students compare sympathy, empathy, and
compassion. Talk to them about how these feelings can seem similar but are actually different and
usually build on top of one another. This video is a great tool: Sympathy, Empathy, and Compassion:
How do they differ, and which do people prefer?

One final extension is to ask students how showing empathy may differ (or be the same) online.

TEACHING TIPS
This lesson is part one of two lessons. Students must first understand empathy and how it looks off the
internet. The next lesson will focus on how it looks in an online environment.

Mirrors and Windows is usually a topic within education that allows students to see themselves or
others in books they read. I believe it’s also an excellent way to explore differences in others around
them. Some kids may even be aware of mirrors and windows; this would be a great time to let them
express some of their previous knowledge.

Prep the materials and questions first, review the additional questions, or create different questions that
suit your students better if needed.

Please ensure the conversations remain respectful; teaching empathy cannot be done in a day, so
remember that we are still guiding students to acknowledge and accept others.
 Mini-Lesson 5 Reflection

Lesson Info
Lesson Title: Windows and Mirrors (Empathy Part 1)
Goals: The student will be able to define empathy and understand the importance of empathetic
responses and conversations.

Activity: Discussion to access students' knowledge of empathy

Watch the Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aU3QfyqvHk8

Have the students answer the Would you rather questions by the show of hands (or digitally in chat for
my virtual world). Tell them to keep a mental idea of some of their peers who answered differently than
they did. After 10-15 questions, ask students to find their perfect “window” peer.

Each pair should ask each other questions from the “All About My Family Questionnaire.” Students
should seek to understand their peer’s answers even if they differ from theirs and even try to make
connections to their experiences.

Conclusion: Students will answer connection questions with their partners, and we will discuss Mirrors
and Windows in class.

Emotions
Teaching students empathy and other social-emotional lessons are always my favorite lessons. I love to
see the compassion many students have for each other. Many times, we hear about bullying stories or
how mean students can be to one another. But these lessons allow us to see the kindness many students
have. I enjoyed this lesson!

Perspectives
Teacher: The lesson was a great success. Students felt heard, and their differences were acknowledged
and celebrated. This lesson will help bring us together as a class while teaching empathy online and
offline.

Student: I enjoyed hearing about my other classmate's differences and sharing my own. We are all
different and should celebrate what makes us different.

Addressing Diverse Learners

As a digital citizenship educator, I tried to reach my students in multiple ways. During the lesson, I used
video discussions and fun games. I addressed all my learners by allowing them to display some of their
home life and background. Addressing the lesson in multiple ways allowed me to reach many learners.
Acknowledging my learners' cultural backgrounds allows me to understand their needs more.
Position
As an educator, teaching students empathy in a person is imperative to them being able to translate it
online. Teaching students that their behaviors and attitudes online can have just as many implications as
their in-person identity is essential to students today, especially my middle schoolers, as they prepare to
become young adults. I want students to understand that the computer doesn't absolve them from
being decent humans, and the manners they learned as younger children should also be displayed
online.

Actions
As a digital citizenship educator, this lesson went well. I suggest allowing students to speak to the whole
class about a time they felt their differences made them feel as if they were not good enough. I
understand this is a heavier topic, but it is needed, especially with my 8th graders moving on to high

school and young adults.

MINI-LESSON 6 PLAN
EMPATHY (PART 2)

LESSON TITLE
Agree or Disagree #Respectfully

ISTE STANDARDS FOR STUDENTS

1.2 b Students engage in positive, safe, legal, and ethical behavior when using technology, including
social interactions online or when using networked devices.

1.7 b Students use collaborative technologies to work with others, including peers, experts, or
community members, to examine issues and problems from multiple viewpoints.

FOCUS QUESTION
How can you properly show empathy and respect while engaging in online communities?
 RELATED QUESTIONS
How can one show empathy while still expressing their feelings?
Does empathy differ when it comes to in-person versus virtual interactions?
How do you ensure you are received with a respectful and empathic tone when engaging online?

OBJECTIVE
Students will be able to respond to online scenarios with empathy and respect for others’ viewpoints.

RESOURCES NEEDED
Video: Guess the Emoji

ACTIVITY DESCRIPTION
Engage/Intro: Open the class with Guess the Emoji YouTube video. Watch a 2-3 min video, allowing them
to guess the facial emoji.

Start Discussion:

● Ask them to share a time they sent a text that was misunderstood.
● Ask them what they did to make sure the intended receiver understood. Use an emoji, call, or
tell their receiver that we can talk about it when we see each other.
● Lead the discussion into why we use emojis in our causal written communication, such as text
and nonacademic social media. Mention how our tone and facial expression are just as
important as the words we use.
● Then, ask what we do when we cannot use emojis, voice, or facial expressions, such as in an
online academic setting. How do we get our point across without sounding disrespectful or
rude?

Work Period/Activity: Global Warming online discussion board role play.

Here, we will work through different online scenarios based on a mock global warming discussion board.
Do the first role together as a class so students understand the expectations and they all have the same
start to the discussion. Then, break students into groups and assign each group a role. Each group is
responsible for creating a post that represents their role.

Role 1: Conversation starter: A digital citizen wants to discuss global warming, which has a ton of
evidence. However, it can be controversial. How should the person start their discussion?

According to _______, we should think about ______ in this way: _______.

Role 2: The Yes-man (agree, with evidence): A digital citizen read the original post and agreed. How can
this person add to the conversation?

Thank you, ________, for presenting your viewpoint. I agree because ___________.

Role 3: The No-man (politely disagree): A digital citizen disagrees with the viewpoint of the original
comment. How could this person respectfully disagree with the original post?

I appreciate the experience shared by _________, but in my experience, __________.

Role 4: Curious George (more information): A digital citizen needs help understanding the view of the
original post and would like more information. How should this person request additional details to help
them form an opinion?

I realize my views on ______ are limited. ______, could you expand on your idea a bit more?

Role 5: The Learner (acknowledge new understandings): A digital citizen wants to recognize their new
learning from participating in the discussion. How can this person realize their growth on the topic from
the online community interactions?

I used to think _____, but now I understand_________.

Conclusion: Have each group share their responses based on their assigned role. Have students record
and write down scenarios and sentence starters in their digital rules booklet.
Exit Ticket Discussion: How does online communication differ from in-person communication?

EXTENSION IDEAS
The students can role-play scenarios with no language, just facial and body language. They will see our
body’s significant role in communication and how we must make up for that missing aspect online.

Log off and Cool Down: Video on how we can misread online communication and how to take a second
to think about it. Students can create a mini storyboard of online miscommunication, like the storyline
from the video.

BrainPOP Faces: This video talks about how important the face is. This is a great way to truly show how
vital our written communication tone is due to the lack of facial expressions.
 TEACHING TIPS
I chose global warming because we have discussed alternate energy in class. Connect the discussion post
to a topic discussed in class; just ensure the issue can be debated. Topic ideas include dinosaurs, the
most outstanding athlete, evolution, or social justice. You must read your class and their maturity level
to pick an appropriate topic.

Depending on the level of the students, you can give them the exact sentence starters or guide them to
formulate their own appropriate sentence starters.

Mini-Lesson 6 Reflection

Lesson Info
Lesson Title: Agree or Disagree #Respectfully (Empathy #2)
Goals: Students will be able to respond to online scenarios with empathy and respect for other’s
viewpoints.

Activity: Open the class with Guess the Emoji YouTube video. Then, discuss being misunderstood via
text.

Work Period: Global Warming online discussion board role play. Break students into groups and
assign each group a role. Each group is responsible for creating a post that represents their role.

Conclusion: Have each group share their responses based on their assigned role. Have students
record and write down scenarios and sentence starters in their digital rules booklet.
Exit Ticket Discussion: How does online communication differ from in-person communication?

Emotions
This lesson felt bittersweet because it was the end of our digital citizenship lessons, and I believe that
students enjoy learning more about digital citizenship. They are often just told to be good digital citizens
but must be given opportunities to understand what that looks like.

Perspectives
Teacher: This was a great lesson. Students enjoyed their different roles and learning how to respond to
others, even if they disagreed. This was our last formal lesson because the kids enjoyed the content.

Student: I learned a lot about speaking to others when disagreeing. I understand how to add to our
future discussion posts in science class and how to contribute to everyone's learning.
Addressing Diverse Learners
As a digital citizenship educator, I tried to reach my students in multiple ways. During the lesson, I used
video discussions and role-playing. I chose global warming because we have discussed alternate energy
in class. This topic can sometimes be controversial. I aimed to keep the lesson science content related to
lessening controversy.

Position
As a digital citizen educator, we all have different backgrounds that create different viewpoints. It is also
essential to be able to discuss perspectives respectably. There have been times I have become upset and
not used my best judgment and spoken to others online impolitely. I want my students to have
conversations with all different people; when we can discuss and listen to others, we grow. I wanted this
lesson to show students that growth happens during uncomfortable times, such as disagreements, but
we can still have conflicts respectfully.

Actions
As a digital citizenship educator, I want to allow for practical experiences with online discussions. I want
to implement more discussions in my content class to allow students to practice this lesson in a more
meaningful setting. Next time, I may change the topic of my role-playing lesson to something more
light-hearted, and then, as students learn the basics of online discussions, add more thoughtful context
behind it.