The Refreshed National Educational Technology Standards for Students (NETS-S) were approved last summer (International Society for Technology in Education, 2007). These standards are (1) Creativity and Innovation, (2) Communication and Collaboration, (3) Research and Information Fluency, (4) Critical Thinking, Problem-solving, and Decision-making, (5) Digital Citizenship, and (6) Technology Operations and Concepts (see Appendix A). The NETS-S Digital Citizenship Standard and the Civic Ideals and Practices Strand of the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) can be used by middle school teachers to create lessons that develop effective citizens and explore the ideals, principles, and practices of citizens in a democratic society (see Appendix B).
Since civic ideals and practices apply to the digital world, teachers need ideas for using technology while teaching civics. This is an opportunity for K-12 teachers to select developmentally appropriate applications of technology that promote civic engagement. As middle school students take on more responsibilities, they develop skills as citizens in both the face-to-face and online worlds; therefore, teachers must design instruction related to digital citizenship.
With the NETS-S and the NCSS standards as guides, three teachers are putting the new Refreshed NETS-S into practice. Using the NETS-S, Jaime Rhoades (Gifted Education Program Coordinator), Susan Biffignani (6th grade educator), and Erin Steinkamp (8th grade Social Studies teacher) designed learning experiences for 6th through 8th graders at Valley Park Middle School in Valley Park, Missouri. As Enhancing Missouri's Instructional Networked Teaching Strategies (eMINTS) teachers, Rhoades, Biffignani and Steinkamp are exemplars of how to infuse technology into the social studies curriculum and their classrooms. Students learn civic competencies while using technology and demonstrate respect, responsibility, and rights as digital citizens (Bennett, 2005).
The next section provides examples of how developmentally appropriate citizenship curricula incorporates the NETS-S for 6th through 8th grades. The application of the NETS-S skills section includes six technology skills with two to three curriculum examples and resources that have been implemented in middle school classrooms. The Refreshed NETS-S skills for the use of technology in the classroom are linked to middle school performance indicators for the NCSS Strand of Civic Ideals and Practices and are listed at the beginning of each civics activity.
Application of NETS-S to Citizenship Education
NETS-S: 1. a & b, 4. b & c; NCSS: X. c, e, & g
Activity I: Taking Perspectives with Cartoons. Sixth grade World History students study various political/editorial cartoons to understand point of view/perspective and the beginnings of propaganda in the media. Mr. Donn, Daryl Cagle Cartoonist, and St. Louis Today are possible sites for locating cartoons. After using the Internet to analyze many different cartoons, the students create original cartoons to show their perspective, or point of view, on a topic of interest. The students also write a letter to the editor to accompany their cartoon.
NETS-S: 1. a & b; NCSS: X. a, b & i
Activity II: Historical Advertising. In this activity, 8th grade United States History students research one of the original thirteen American Colonies and create an advertising campaign to encourage future settlement in that particular colony. While creating the ads for their colony, the groups look at living and working conditions during this time period to develop reasons to explain why people would leave Europe and come to America. Students’ campaigns focus on predictions and descriptions about the types of people or families who line in the colonies.
Using Microsoft PowerPoint, Word and/or Publisher, students develop a sales pitch to persuade the London Company to invest in their colony. While collecting online and print information, students gain brief background knowledge about the establishment of their colony which includes topics such as why certain people would come to that colony. A jingle or commercial to “sell” the colony is recorded with digital equipment. Students present their campaign to classmates, who give feedback on the quality of their persuasive advertisement.
NETS-S: 1. a – d; NCSS: X. c, f, & h
Activity III: Investigating Theme Parks. A gifted middle school class of 6th through 8th graders completes investigations about theme parks. Students pair up and delve into the research using Grolier Online Encyclopedias, The Theme Park Page, and magazines. Students examine many issues relating to theme park development throughout the unit, including the physics involved in different types of rides, the economic impact of theme parks on the surrounding geographic areas, theme park safety issues and guidelines, and the clientele/marketing strategies for theme parks. Some of the culminating projects completed by students from classroom labs and activities are outlined below. Students
- brainstorm, analyze, and investigate factors that affect the success of theme/amusement parks, as well as compile and organize data using Inspiration software;
- design a 3-D model of a theme park ride that includes all of Newton’s Laws and compose a business letter in Microsoft Word to a theme park owner about construction of the ride; and
- create a new theme/amusement park using Microsoft Publisher to create a brochure for the park, an advertisement for the park, and map of the park.
