During Term 4 2013 we ran a full day training session for those teachers that would have Year 9 classes in 2014 – our first fully BYOD cohort. From these sessions a number of classroom posters were requested that would help students and teachers discuss the concepts of Digital Citizenship and appropriate usage of devices in the classroom.

The Deputy Rector (Mr Roland Burrows) specifically addressed the THINK poster in the final assembly of Term 2, 2014 and so I thought I would post these here.

Designed to encourage students to pause and THINK before posting content online.

A key message that we try to impart to students is that once they have posted content online, they are no longer in control of that image or text. Pausing to consider whether they really want that message “out there” is a critical step and may help to avoid future problems.

A simple poster that can be referenced during the class to help students know when device usage is appropriate or not.

A concern from a number of the teachers that emerged during the sessions last year was whether students would know when to shut off their devices. Having a poster like this allows for visual cues to be used, either through pointing or a comment such as “we are in orange for the next 20 minutes as I primarily want you focusing on discussion, not research.”

Very simply – students are encouraged to ask three other students before the teacher.

This poster stemmed from the debate on whether teachers would be “technically savvy” enough to be able to show students how to do everything on their laptops. A common theme that emerged was that students are great at helping each other with new concepts on their devices, so why not just encourage the students to ask at least “3 before me” to figure out how to do something on their computer.

A summary of what it means to be a good Digital Citizen at St Andrew’s College.

This Digital Citizenship poster is less targeted for regular student reading on the classroom wall, but more of a promotional summary of attributes we look for that make up a good Digital Citizen. It also contains our vision for eLearning at St Andrew’s College

Learners connecting confidently and actively within their communities

Introducing these ideas to students is never a “once and done” approach, but something that needs regular reinforcement from all levels of the school. These posters will be used in both our Secondary and Preparatory schools.