Combat Cyberbullying with Cybercitizenship

In previous posts, Joann and I have advocated the use of Web 2.0 tools and other emerging technologies in the classroom. We have tossed around ideas about using cell phones, wikis, and social networking in class. Teachers are using these tools to help students understand, summarize, collaborate, and present ideas in subjects from art to math and everything in between. Many of these tools allow for a greater level of interactive communication among students and between students and teachers. With this increased interactive communication, there is a new platform for the age-old problem of bullying. According to CyberSmart!, who provided resources focusing on this issue, “When kids are intentionally and repeatedly mean to one another using cell phones or the Internet, it’s called cyberbullying.” Preparing our students for success in the 21st century includes preparing them to deal with this type of cyberbullying, both in and out of school.


Just as schools must take traditional bullying seriously, we need to look at the problem of cyberbullying carefully. Cyberbullying can be very harmful to our students. Many schools and districts are taking a stand by blocking certain sites and applications to avoid the bullying, but that can limit what teachers and students can do in class. A recent discussion on Twitter, #edchat, revealed a fear among many educators about the inappropriate use of the internet in school and a fear of cyberbullying. Our focus in this week’s discussion is how students can prevent this negativity so they can use cell phones and the internet positively in class. EnGauge created a list of important 21st century skills and a featured skill is interactive communication. Today’s students need to understand the proper etiquette and rules of this type of communication to use it effectively. The CyberSmart! resources Joann highlighted this week on The Gateway help students and teachers better understand the problem of cyberbullying and what they can do to stop it or avoid it all together.

If you follow Joann’s links to each of these resources, you will see that each of them connects you with a letter to educators about cyberbullying. This letter was very helpful to me, since I had a very limited knowledge of the problem. Each of the activities is self-explanatory, and shouldn’t require adaptations to fit into most classrooms. The activities and worksheets can be a discussion starter for students and teachers on the subject. There is a printable flyer to send home with students, too. This is important for getting parents into the conversation, since much of the cyberbullying our students are facing probably occurs outside of school.

Allowing your students to do a short, multimedia project on the topic might be a fun way to help the ideas from the lesson sink in a little better. I like letting my students pick what type of project they want to do from a list, so I have all different types of projects to grade at the end. This creates more variety for me, and a little choice seems to make students more excited about their work! Some ideas I have used are creating a short commercial on the subject, designing a comic strip, or writing a picture book to help younger students learn about cyberbullying. Better yet, actually have your students present their projects to another class at the end.

For some lists of web 2.0 tools you can use for student projects and presentations, please refer back to the links and examples in our posts on tech tools for teachers. We have a discussion about the subject on our Facebook fan page as well. You can use the links to create a list for students to choose project and presentation ideas from. Encouraging creativity can add variety to the discussion of this challenging topic and allow your students to open up more on the topic. If you have any ideas or comments about cyberbullying and its’ role in 21st century education, please share them with us. We love to see how these resources are working for you.


~Peggy's Corner~

Meet the e-Thugs

Remember Nelson Muntz from “The Simpsons”? He’s the bully with the simian brow and Cro-Magnon build. In many ways, he represents the stereotypical bully in our collective consciousness – physically intimidating, not very bright, and a social outcast. Recent studies, however, have found that most bullies – boys and girls – are self-assured, often popular kids that crave power, and who will use just about any means to secure and flaunt it. The Internet and cell phones have become frequently used venues in which to conduct aggressive behavior, and many schools struggle with how to effectively combat online bullying.


CyberSmart! is one organization that “gets it.” While their mission is to promote 21st century skills to increase student engagement and prepare them to succeed in an increasingly digital-centric society, CyberSmart! also addresses the importance of students’ personal safety and emotional well-being. Instead of trumpeting the dangers of the Internet and pulling out tired platitudes to “ignore the teasing”, they’ve developed a series of lessons and activities for K-12 students that aim to educate and empower kids when facing both traditional and digital forms of aggression. Also impressive are the supporting materials for each lesson: Student activity sheets, letters to educators about cyberbullying, downloadable home connections with topics for parents to discuss with their kids, extension activities, and optional Web 2.0 tools to further supplement the lessons. Each lesson is also aligned to the National Educational Technology Standards for Students. Bullying is a huge problem that needs more attention, and the materials from CyberSmart! are a definite step in the right direction. Huzzahs all around!

Group Think
http://www.thegateway.org/browse/dcrecord.2010-02-19.0598215240
Subjects: Bullying, Internet safety
Grade: 4-5

In this lesson, students learn how “mob mentality” can sometimes take over and drive certain situations. Afraid of upsetting the group’s balance (or becoming a target themselves), individuals suppress their own doubts or emotions, and “go along to get along.” Students here analyze the role of bystanders in bullying situations, and discuss how sometimes kids behave differently in groups than if they were alone.

Cyberbullying: Not a Pretty Picture
http://www.thegateway.org/browse/dcrecord.2010-02-19.3492346448
Subjects: Bullying, Internet safety
Grade: 6-8

Bullying via computers and cell phones has escalated in recent years, with cell phones rapidly becoming the weapon of choice. In this lesson, students discuss scenarios in which a friendly relationship turns into a bullying one. They also identify and note abbreviations and other textual clues to help reduce cyberbullying.

Acceptable Social Networking?
http://www.thegateway.org/browse/dcrecord.2010-02-21.7321797589
Subjects: Bullying, Internet safety
Grade: 9-12

MySpace might be dead, but social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter are thriving. In this lesson, students consider situations where one student creates a fake online identity in order to seek revenge or harass another student. Students discuss ways to resolve such situations, and brainstorm tips to help other teens avoid similar situations.

~Joann's Picks~