Digital Discussions

Grades: 9
Teachers: Alice Barr , Suzanne Hamilton, 9th grade teachers and administration
Subject: Information Technology and Core Values
Project Name: Digital Discussions
Resources: Digital Discussions

All 9th graders participate in 4 sessions about Digital Citizenship before the first quarter ends. We want to help students understand how the core values fit in to their online lives. We also want to expose students to appropriate online practices and help them make good choices about their digital lives.

Digital Discussion Website

1. Kick off: Digital Compass Activity - Students view a scenario about a dilemma. They choose the answer that they think fits. 
2. Session 1: Digital Footprint - All students participate in this session in small groups of 10. They watch 2 videos, do a reading and then have a discussion. This is followed by a time for reflection.
3. Session 2: Choice between Multitasking, Privacy, and Digital Overload. They follow the same format as Session 1
4. Session 3: Choice between Multitasking, Privacy, Digital Overload, Digital Activism, and Be a Creator. They follow the same format as Session 1
5. Session 4: Students create a product based on one of the sessions they attended. Here's an example of a project.

Digital Citizenship: Digital Discussions

Grades: 9
Teachers: Alice Barr , Suzanne Hamilton and 9th grade Teachers
Subject: Information Technology and Core Values
Project Name: Digital Discussions
Resources: Digital Discussions

This year we are going to have 3 periods during the year when we have discussions based on topics related to digital citizenship with 9th graders. Students will choose the topic they want to participate in. Round 1 will cover Digital Footprint and Digital Overload. Students will watch videos and read articles during Science and Social studies classes. On December 6th, students will participate in the Digital Compass opening activity and then go to smaller groups for the discussion. Groups will be generated randomly and each will have a teacher facilitator. Students will come prepared to the discussion ready to share and bring more questions. At the end of the sessions students will write a reflection. In future discussions, students will facilitate, based on the EdCafe Model.After the last discussion, students will write an essay based on the theme of Digital Citizenship.

Digital Citizenship: Online Living

Grades: 9
Teachers: Alice Barr and Suzanne Hamilton
Subject: Information Technology and Core Values
Project Name: Online Living
Resources: Online Living at YHS

Essential Question:

How can we use Yarmouth Core Values to guide our conduct and decision-making in our online lives?

Description:Students choose 4 sessions based on digital citizenship themes.

• Safe or Sorry
• Fake or Real
• Share a Little or a Lot
• Create/Credit or Steal
• Bully or Protect

Digital Citizenship Day

Grades: 9

Teachers: Grade 9 Team

Subject: All

Project Name: Digital Citizenship

Resources: Digital Citizenship Day 2012


Students explore scenarios related to Yarmouth's core values. They start out playing the Digital Compass game which is a way to gauge how students think about a topic such as Facebook use. Students are then put in small groups. We play core value jeopardy and watch a some public service announcements about a digital footprint. There is time built in for discussion. This year some of the seniors joined us for the conversations. Their comments and insights were valuable.

Next, students were asked to create their own digital Public Service announcement.  After submitting ideas from their discussions, students created a storyboard and got to work choosing the digital tools they wanted to use. At the end of the day, students submitted their work and wrapped up. 


New this year, we had the opportunity to be connected with Bonny Eagle High School. They have a theater troupe that performed "Sticks and Stones", scenes of bullying and harassment, which they wrote. The play was powerful and moving. 


Here are a few of the final products. We hope to have a showing before the end of the year.