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    • Our Resources >
      • In Spanish
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  • DigCitSports
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    • Order DigCitKidsBook

local. global. digital.

The Power of a Student-Led DigCitSummit

3/29/2019

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Instead of talking at students about technology and social media, how can we learn with them?  

Just like Lake Shore Central School District, you need to be willing to learn side-by-side and change the narrative from the negative to the positive, provide ongoing professional learning opportunities for the entire school community, and host a student-led DigCitSummit for your community to experience digital citizenship in action.
What if students became the teachers for the day?

What if this day empowered students to be digital leaders in their school communities for the rest of their lives? What if teachers, school administrators, parents, and community members got so inspired by these students that they too vowed to support all students on their digital citizenship journeys?
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This March, a  student-led Digital Citizenship Summit   accomplished all of this and more in Lake Shore Central School District.This combination of student leadership, educator buy-in, and the DCI’s global perspective led to a Summit that was unique in its creativity, energy, and connectivity with its school community.

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Located about 30 minutes from Buffalo NY, Lake Shore serves around 2,500 students from Kindergarten through 12th grade. It’s a school that has put digital technology at the very heart of how it inspires its students through learning.

Their journey towards hosting their DigCitSummit started with students wanting to show children around the world, as well as people in their local community how the internet can, and should be a tool for doing good.

District Technology Integrator, Michael Drezek explains: "Through hosting our own DigCitSummit we really wanted to highlight the importance of digital citizenship and how it can be embedded into all subject areas, Everyone has an effective role to play; from students to educators, administrators to parents, through to our wider community members too.

“We know that technology plays a big part in our daily life, and we really wanted to drive home that it can be used for good in many different ways.”

Michael, along with a team of teachers across each school within the Lake Shore District, worked closely with the DigCitInstitute (DCI) to bring together their Summit, which was held on March 15th.

“When the DigCitInstitute came in, we looked at the work we were already doing with our students and talked about the importance of empowering students to become teachers of digital citizenship.”

Deann Poleon, K-12 Technology Integrator at Lake Shore explains more: “The students were motivated and energized by the idea that they would be teaching the teachers of the district. They also understood that their work could have an impact and be used by teachers and students throughout the district. They really wanted to show the teachers what they could do.”
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This combination of student leadership, educator buy-in, and the DCI’s global perspective led to a Summit that was unique in its creativity, energy, and connectivity with its school community.
Students, parents, and community members came together to celebrate Lake Shore students’ ingenuity; and experience student-led demonstrations of:
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  • Leaders in Action Digital Citizenship Carnival
  • Digital Breakout EDU
  • Digital Wellness: Tech and the Teenage Brain
  • EdCorps: Kind Kids Compliments Student Run Business
  • Flipgrid to Amplify Student, Teacher and Parent Voice
  • Global Problem Solvers with Bloxels
  • Junior Water Walkers Project & Coding Micro:bits
  • “I Will” Statements with GoBubble
  • Minecraft EDU Global Project with UN Global Goals
  • Public Service Announcement Animations with Powtoon
  • Student Help Desk: JT Waugh Tech Heads
  • Podcasting with Soundtrap and Buncee
  • 9 Elements of DigCit: Ethics Based Interactive Game

​To get a taste of the action on this impactful day, enjoy the following productions created with the help of recent Lake Shore graduate, Connor Kwilos:
Recap  Video
Full  Video
Feedback from those attending the event has also been empowering:
Excellent program. I appreciate the work that the students put into this event and loved learning from them!
It was amazing turning over the material I taught students and letting them decide what adults should learn and watching them blossom. They went so beyond my expectations. It was phenomenal!
I realize there is so much more to explore in the digital world that students can use for the good.

For Michael and his team, however, it was vital that throughout the day the students lead the conversations.


“Equipping our students with skills like these at such a young age is really important. We hope they’ll remember what they’ve achieved and carry it on from grade to grade, and after they graduate.”

Working with the team at the DigCitInstitute has been critical in making Lake Shore’s vision a reality.

Michael said, “As advocates for technology they were able to highlight examples from classrooms around the world and make it meaningful for our students.”

Dr. Marialice B.F.X. Curran, Founder and Executive Director of the DigCitInstitute is so proud of the Lake Shore Central School District:

“What I loved about Lake Shore’s student-led DigCitSummit was the intergenerational approach of learning together side-by-side. Instead of talking at students, the DigCitSummit was an opportunity to talk and learn with students. It was a wonderful reminder that digital citizenship isn’t just something we talk about or do at school, it is something we need to actively do at home and at work.”

And Lake Shore’s Summit is right at the heart of the DigCitInstitute’s vision for offering school communities professional and personal development for educators, parents, students and the community at large.

This student-led DigCitSummit planted the seed for continued citizenship growth and impact for years to come. Everyone involved realized that this work is too important to be a stand-alone event. A ripple effect of good was done. Lake Shore Central plans to continue this work in classrooms, at home and throughout the community as well as continue to inspire others around the world to follow their lead. To keep up with the action, follow along with the hashtag #digcitLSC on your favorite social media channels.

To learn more about bringing a DigCitSummit to your community and working with the DigCitInstitute, contact us at info@digcitinstitute.com.
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Building Empathy and Compassion with Moments AR  #31DaysofARVRinEDU

3/9/2019

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Guest post Kevin Chaja and Marialice B.F.X. Curran
​for Jaime Donally on ARVRinEDU.com 

Moments AR - Day 9

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To me, immersive technology is the future of digital citizenship, and as we all know, the future is already here. Our collective goal, in and out of the classroom, needs to introduce each student to experience empathy and compassion for people in local, global and digital communities. Building this foundation allows our students to literally walk the walk of others and experience the emotions of another human being who might live next door or anywhere around the world, who might speak the same or different languages, and who celebrate the same or different cultures and traditions. This list could go on and on, but the bottom line is that we are one world, one human race and until we truly experience the humanity of others, we’ll never understand that our words and actions on and offline really do matter.

Such a highlight to Noah from @WheelyJourney yesterday! So proud that you are part of the @DigCitSummitIRL organizing team! Let us know what you learn with the @MergeVR cube! #digcitsummitIRL pic.twitter.com/DB4Ii914yp

— Marialice B.F.X. Curran, Ph.D. (@mbfxc) April 29, 2018

Since my focus on inclusion and access has been at the heart of my work with digital citizenship, it should come as no surprise that when I explore emerging technologies, I’m always examining if the technology is accessible for all learners: Does each learner have equitable access? Are there closed captions for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing? Can the text also be spoken for the Blind or Low Vision? The best part is that these accommodations support all types of learners, not just those with disabilities. 

Check out my new video! Thanks again @mbfxc for the @MergeVR ! https://t.co/ors9NfOiMr @digcitsummit @DigCitSummitIRL

— David Duggan (@SchmavidDavid) May 1, 2018

Last April, I packed my suitcase with as many MERGE Cubes as I could fit for the Digital Citizenship Summit, #DigCitSummitIRL in Dublin. The theme for #DigCitSummitIRL was on accessibility, equity, and inclusion, so the timing was perfect for witnessing the power of learning from the palm of your hand. MergeVR is augmented and virtual reality products that support experiential learning and content creation. These tweets highlight the direct impact of the MERGE Cubes at #DigCitSummitIRL and how MERGE truly changes learning for all students in the way they learn, create and play. 

Fast forward to last June at ISTE when I got to meet Kevin Chaja, an app developer extraordinaire with a passion for social-emotional learning (SEL). Kevin’s Moment AR app for the MERGE Cube is a game changer in education because of the focus on SEL in augmented reality. The app brings access for each student to an entirely new level by creating a foundation built on empathy and compassion. This emphasis on SEL allows students to identify feelings through developing and managing emotions, thoughts, and values. In this way, the focus on ethical responsibility is similar to embedding digital citizenship skills both on and offline. 

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From the Developer: Kevin Chaja
Immersive Technology, two words that have changed my life. A few years ago, I met Franklin and Andrew (co-founders of MergeVR) who presented me with the concept of the MERGE cube. I just thought it was a unique, super cool toy, but I never realized it would lead to my very first app creation! 

My wife is a school psychologist, and on the same day meeting with the MergeVR team, she shared how she needed a tool to keep her kids immersed and engaged. I showed her the MERGE Cube, noted that it only worked in front of the smartphone, then said, “what should the app look like?” She needed the app to express emotions, so I put a different feeling on each side of the cube that evening, and she had a build on her phone in 24 hours to start testing with kids. 

My daughter has become a great beta tester. I always judge the success of my creation based on her reactions. She is the best QA (quality assurance) for my style of apps, because if she doesn’t enjoy it, then my target audience will have a similar reaction. I’m thankful for her participation in our work, and what’s truly powerful is the connection we now have because of an app, which is now available for everyone! 

Hey all! I'm the creator of "Moment AR" an app for the #mergecube for professionals in special education. I am now working on an #education app for the Mergecube and would love to hear educator's wants, thoughts, needs. Retweet, RT, and DM!#ARVRinEDU #AR #MergeCubeEDU #EdTech pic.twitter.com/VCOL3X2p1A

— Kevin Chaja (@el_chakka) March 2, 2018

At the very heart of digital citizenship and emerging technology is an opportunity to truly experience empathy and compassion, as well as an invitation for each student to be active participants — not just passive observers.

As we contribute to the #31DaysofARVRinEDU conversation, we hope you’ll try the Moments AR app and embrace this type of learning which promotes building positive relationships for all learners. We also encourage more app developers to apply the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework as they continue to develop products that are inclusive, promote empathy and provide opportunities for students to be active digital citizens.

Follow Dr. Marialice Curran and the Digital Citizenship Institute!

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DigCitInstitute Partnering with Local School District

3/6/2019

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Email: info@digcitinstitute.com


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