Journal 1

Ribble, Mike (2008-2009, December-January). Passport to Digital Citizenship. Learning and Leading with Technology, Retrieved December 2008,

After reading Ribble’s article on “Digital Citizenship” several points stuck out. Ribble touches on the crucial role technology plays in our society and how are children are quickly becoming increasingly more educated than teachers and parents. “Digital Citizenship” promotes the appropriate and necessary education of technology needed to excel and adapt to our digital society. It is important to note that Ribble’s idea of technology education requires the inclusion of parents, teachers, and the community to learn and act as technology role models to children. Ribble’s four stages of Technology Learning for Digital Citizenship is a simplified construction plan of how to teach children and society how to become familiar with technology. According to Ribble, digital citizenship is a necessity for the future of our American and International society.

Question 1: How do we monitor children on the Internet?

Answer: I believe it is essential to monitor and keep children safe while they are using the web. The Internet is such a powerful tool that can be used for both positive and negative purposes. I think the “Digital Citizenship” program could be an incredible tool for people in our education system, but it would need a specific monitoring agent to protect children from viewing explicit material and being taken advantage of online. I would rather see cd-rom programs implemented to teach young children about Internet use in order to keep them safe at a young age.

Question 2: Is it realistic to launch a program like Digital Citizenship in our economic decline?

Answer: Due to our economic crisis I think it would be foolish to attempt a program like Ribble’s. Our education system in California is broke, laying off teachers, and increasing class sizes as the years go on. It would be so difficult not only to teach technology under these current conditions, but also to monitor the students use of technological devices would be next to impossible. At this time we cannot afford the equipment for such a program.