Digital Citizenship Week is Oct. 19-23, but in Canyons School District, teaching students to navigate the digital world safely and thoughtfully is a year-round priority.
From learning how to protect their personal information to recognizing misinformation and treating others with kindness online, Canyons students are developing skills to help them excel in an increasingly connected world.
Just as important as what students learn at school are the conversations that happen at home.
That’s why, in celebration of Digital Citizenship Week, Canyons is launching a new series of monthly tips to help families reinforce healthy technology habits, safeguard their children online, and spark meaningful conversations around the dinner table.
The tips will be featured in the District’s monthly CSD2U newsletter and prominently displayed in the headers of school websites, making practical advice and resources easy for families to find.
While Digital Citizenship Week provides an opportunity for schools to celebrate these important skills through trivia, games and other activities, digital citizenship is woven into instruction throughout the school year.
In elementary and middle schools, students receive regular, age-appropriate lessons through the District’s Thrive Time curriculum. Adapted from Common Sense Education, the lessons help students think critically, behave safely and participate responsibly online.
At the high school level, digital citizenship is integrated into technology-rich courses, with additional instruction and resources provided by teacher-librarians.
The goal is to empower students to use technology responsibly and with purpose — to explore the world, solve problems, express their creativity and connect with others in positive ways.
As technology evolves, so do the questions families face. How much screen time is too much? What should children know about protecting their privacy? How can parents help students recognize online scams, misinformation, or AI-altered or -created content.
“We want our students to be more than savvy technology users. We want them to be thoughtful digital citizens who know when to question what they see and how to use technology to make a positive difference,” said Digital Teaching and Learning Specialist Katie Gebhardt. “Parents are our most important partners in reinforcing those skills.”
Canyons provides a variety of tools to help parents make informed decisions about their children’s technology use. A deep dive on digital citizenship fundamentals and general questions about technology can be found on our Family Connections webpage.
Through the District’s Technology Connect Portal, parents can review and adjust internet filtering settings on their students’ school-issued Chromebooks, view flagged search terms and see Chromebook login times.
The District also uses internet filtering technology to help block inappropriate content on school devices, including when Chromebooks are used away from school. Teachers establish expectations for responsible technology use and monitor student activity during classroom instruction.
But technology safeguards are only part of the solution. Building good digital habits requires clear expectations and opportunities for children to practice making responsible choices.
That’s where families make a difference.
