KQED is thrilled to announce our participation as an anchor organization of DigCit Commit, a coalition convened by ISTE and committed to supporting educators with the tools, community and opportunities to learn about and teach digital citizenship.
“As a society, as a democracy, we have a choice to make.” -Richard Culatta, ISTE CEO
At the annual convention in Philadelphia, ISTE CEO Richard Culatta challenged the audience of education leaders to “evolve our thinking about digital citizenship.”
“As a society, as a democracy,” Culatta said in his keynote, “we have a choice to make. One possible potential future is a world where we continue to devolve, continue to have hate and lack of tolerance online, continue to use technology in ways that are self-serving and divisive. Or, another universe. One where we’re using technology to bring people together, to talk with people that we disagree with about important issues, use technology to serve our community and make the world around us a better place, to give a voice to the voiceless.”
5 new DigCit competencies: Inclusive, Informed, Engaged, Balanced, Alert
The DigCit Commit initiative will provide educators with a new set of competencies and updated resources, allowing for the sharing of best practices, and, by gaining commitments from educators, to a deeper collective commitment to digital citizenship. The five DigCit Commit competencies – inclusive, informed, engaged, balanced, alert – are designed to focus less on a list of DON’Ts and more on a proactive approach of DOs that challenge students to stay safe, solve problems and become a force of positivity.
“It’s no longer a ‘tech’ issue. It’s a community issue.” -Vinnie Vrotny, middle school teacher
After the keynote, educators came together in an open brainstorming meeting to talk about how to implement the new digcit goals. Common themes included a strong emphasis on student voice and creating new community norms in partnership with students, as well as concerns about breaking down silos. “It’s no longer a ‘tech’ issue,” said Vinnie Vrotny, of the Kinkaid School in Houston, TX. “It’s a community issue.”