Charity Espina

Program Manager, EXSEED

Charity Espina is a former one room school teacher now Program Manager for EXSEED. Charity holds a Master of Outdoor Education from Southern Adventist University and has a passion for STEM project based learning. Her goal is to inspire educators to think outside the box and present the gospel the same way.

he ubiquitous experience of the recent pandemic forced us to scramble online to educate and communicate with our students, faculty, and staff. We know that having a strong digital citizenship plan in place lightens the load for teachers when suddenly shifting to online teaching.

The composition of your schools’ digital culture can help a classroom adopt a plan. It is a way to customize digital disciple training at home and at school.  A spiritually led guidance to connect a students’ mindset on being a digital disciple can bring discussion on topics like character education, moral ethics, and Christ-like behavior. Using the Adventist Education Core Curriculum, which is to purpose, plan, practice, and produce reflection, can be the outline to start:

Purpose your program points to integrate throughout the school culture for all to practice. In the classroom, collect information on where they spend internet time and seek how they view appropriate internet time. Connect scripture with their computer presence and reveal how it is relative.

Plan to describe your digital etiquette or netiquette to determine how to act, behave and be mindful of a positive internet profile. Reflect the essence of ethical practices reminding them of cyber footprint tying it to character and personality.

Practice appropriate and inappropriate computer-use behavior in this earth to prepare for our time above.

Produce ethical technology practices to exemplify understanding. This is no easy task. We all know the stronghold internet has on our youth today. It is all the more reason we as educators need a plan in place.

Setting up an active Digital Citizen Program is a positive directive to prepare for the unexpected. The Digital Citizenship course in Adventist Learning Community is a great place to start.