For too long, we’ve treated digital citizenship as a box to be checked, a lesson taught in a silo once or twice a year in the computer lab or the library. We deliver the information in isolation, separate from "real" academics and then send students back to their classrooms. But in a world where AI is drafting essays and social media algorithms are shaping our students’ worldviews, that disconnected approach just doesn't cut it anymore. We have to stop treating digital citizenship as a separate "tech thing" and start seeing it as the foundation of modern literacy.
Why We’ve Been Hesitant
I talk to teachers every day who care deeply about their students' digital lives, but they are drowning. Between the pressure of state test scores and the sheer weight of a packed curriculum, adding "one more thing" feels like the breaking point. There is also a very real fear of the "newspaper concern." Many educators are terrified that a technology mishap in their classroom or school will end up in the local headlines, so it feels safer to keep the lid on the box and leave the tech talk to the library media specialist.
But the shift happens when we realize that digital citizenship isn't an addition to the curriculum; it's the vehicle for it. When a student learns to vet a source in Biology or analyze bias in an English essay, they aren't just "being good digital citizens", they are practicing the high-level critical thinking that we are already trying to teach them.
What’s Really at Stake
When we keep this conversation restricted to the computer lab or library, the stakes are higher than just a lost password. We are seeing high school seniors lose scholarships because of a post they made in the eighth grade. We see students entering college unable to tell the difference between a peer-reviewed study and a deepfake article. Essentially, students who don’t understand how their data is used become products of the algorithm rather than masters of the tools in their hands.
Bringing It Into Every Classroom
The most common question I get is, "What does this actually look like in a math or science class?" It’s simpler than you might think. It looks like a Biology teacher showing students how to vet a "medical breakthrough" they saw on TikTok to see if it’s actually peer-reviewed. It looks like an English class moving beyond grammar to evaluate the "voice" and factual accuracy of an AI-generated text. In Math, it’s about understanding the limitations of algorithms—teaching students that a tool is only as good as the data fed into it.
Even in Art, we have a massive opportunity to talk about copyright and fair use in the age of AI-generated images. When we embed these moments into every wing of the building, digital citizenship stops being a library lecture and starts being a culture.
Changing the Culture
A healthy digital culture requires leaders who give teachers "permission" to spend ten minutes on a digital hook without fear of falling behind on a pacing guide. It requires us to use a shared language (whether we're in the cafeteria or the chemistry lab) so that terms like "digital footprint" become part of the everyday vocabulary.
I often hear the objection: "That's the tech teacher's job." But students spend 90% of their day in core subjects. If they only hear about digital safety once a week in a lab, they won’t value it. To the teacher who says, "I don't have time," I say: you aren't adding a lesson; you're changing the lens through which you teach your existing content.
Where Do We Go From Here?
You don’t have to overhaul your entire district by Monday. Start small. Next week, just choose one class and add one "digital check" question, something as simple as, "Where did this information come from?" The following week, try it in two classes.
By the end of the semester, you won’t just be teaching tech; you’ll be building a school-wide culture of thoughtful, ethical, and discerning humans.
Stay Connected: For more resources and weekly tips on navigating the intersection of tech and education, connect with me on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/evaharvell/.
Download: Digital Citizenship 101: Your First Month for teachers and Digital Citizenship 101: Administrator Launch Essentials for administrators