Class Topics

There are several topics that we’ll cover as an entire class through a variety of methods, including discussions, personal projects, and other activities.

Topics covered can be grouped into the following six areas, each with related questions that we explore:

  • Mean Behavior Online — How should we treat one another online? How can we develop resiliency when people treat us poorly?
  • Digital Permanence — How can online behavior affect our goals and aspirations?
  • Privacy and Security — How can we stay safe online? How important is our privacy? What can we do to keep our data private?
  • Plagiarism and Intellectual Property — How can we avoid plagiarism? How does copyright work? How do we balance the rights of creators with the pubic good?
  • The Internet and Society — How do companies try to shape our behavior online? How are women and people of color represented online? How has the relationship between creators and their audience changed?

Topics may be added, removed, or changed to reflect current events or other identified needs.

Topic Discussions

Class discussions are an important part of our learning, and a vital component of this class. They are also part of being a responsible, contributing citizen in the offline and online community.

After reading, watching, or listening about a topic, you will be posed one or more questions and given time to consider them. Think carefully about how you feel, and consider the reason why you feel this way. Now, think about another perspective on the topic. What might someone who feels differently thank you think, and why? How might you — respectfully, and in a effort to help your own understanding — respond to them?

You may be asked to participate in an in-person discussion during class, or you may be asked to share your thoughts in an online message board. In either case, when you share your opinions with the class and respond to the thoughts of others, you are helping everyone to gain a deeper understanding of the topic and further clarify everyone’s own thinking about it.

Discussion Guidelines

Here are some starting guidelines to promote effective discussion, though we will come up with our own guidelines as a class:

  • Be respectful of others. This includes listening without interrupting, and accepting views that you might not personally share.
  • Create a safe environment. Allow everyone to participate, encourage different viewpoints, and give participants permission to speak up if they feel uncomfortable.
  • Focus on ideas, not identities. When you discuss opinions about a topic, be sure that you stick to the ideas raised, and not the people who raised them.
  • Be willing to embrace uncertainty. If you don’t understand something, or are having trouble making up your mind, bring that to the group.
  • Stay focused. Don’t allow your conversations to stray from the topic. If they do, simply recognize the fact, refocus, and move forward.

The Citizenship Badge

To earn your Citizenship Badge, you will be required to participate in a significant percentage of all class discussions, though it’s hoped that you will participate in all of them. Absences on discussion days may affect your ability to earn or level up this badge, and you will still be expected to participate in all online discussions.

Independently-Chosen Topics

You will have several opportunities to choose the topic you’ll be studying, including which tool or resource you review, what topic you choose for your research post, and what aspect you choose to concentrate on for your feature post. For more information about these posts, see the Student Work section of this site.