When Prairie South School Division added elementary grades to its Virtual School in September 2020, it immediately needed to teach digital literacy skills since some students’ entire schooling could be learned through the online platform.
One of the first issues teachers faced was setting up a structure so elementary students could have face-to-face interactions and socialization with their peers on Zoom but also ensure they weren’t staring at a computer screen for six hours a day, explained Charmaine Collinge, vice-principal of the Virtual School.
“That was really challenging,” she told PSSD trustees during a recent board of education meeting, which featured the topic of digital citizenship.
Educators created a program that offered Zoom lessons throughout the day and enabled students to access teachers but also gave youths time for unplugged learning and pencil-and-paper practice. This would help prevent eye strain and prevent kids from being connected all day.
Conversely, the Virtual School provided teachers with opportunities to teach students digital citizenship daily, Collinge said. This included educating youths about how to behave during a Zoom call, how to use its chat feature, and what is appropriate and not appropriate to share. Students also learned about using a word processor and using a password.
One issue that worried teachers at the start of the pandemic was how they would connect with their students and how students would connect together while online, she continued. Teachers implemented many ideas but learned that because students are already connected to the online world, these challenges did not phase them.
Some activities teachers in the Virtual School used while teaching grades 1 and 2 focused on being kind and respectful to others online. This included taking turns speaking on a video call and using kind words or leaving positive comments on others’ work. This would help them when they use social media later in life.
Meanwhile, students in grades 3 to 5 have learned about digital footprints and how whatever is posted online becomes permanent, said Collinge. One teacher even used her name to search online for material about herself.
Students in grades 6 to 8 have learned about critical thinking, having a critical eye, analyzing materials and finding reputable sources. Teachers showed kids a website about a “tree octopus” and asked them to determine if it was real or fake by searching for links, pictures, maps and other items.
“They start thinking, ‘Well, this must be real.’ But in reality, this is a website that Joe Blow off the street created,” Collinge said. “So we use this as a jumping-off point to say, ‘what do you need to look for on a website to determine if it is credible or not?’”
This exercise worked surprisingly well as a starting point for digital literacy since it helped students realize they couldn’t believe everything they saw online.
Another issue that teachers have discussed is online safety and privacy and what to do if students see or experience cyberbullying. Collinge noted that educators see this as “very, very important” to teach youths, especially for students studying exclusively in the Virtual School, since they may not be connecting with anyone in a physical setting.
The next PSSD board meeting is Tuesday, Sept. 6.
