Kids these days are growing up in a digital world. They learn how to use a smart phone before they can even talk. They spend more time indoors on their computers than they spend engaging in outdoor activities with their friends. There is a shift in the way that children are learning, socializing, sharing, and creating which centers around technology. Parents and educators have a duty to ensure that children are “digitally literate” when it comes to using, reworking, and remixing the work of others. Common Sense Media is making their job easy.
Common Sense Media is a non-partisan, not-for-profit organization that provides trustworthy information, education, and an independent voice for kids and families to thrive in a world of media and technology. This, of course, includes informing them of intellectual property rights, including copyright, fair use, and piracy. You may be thinking that this topic is a bit advanced for a kindergartener. But Common Sense Media does just what their name claims. They break down the law into smaller portions that would make sense to small children. They have videos, online activities, apps, and learning tutorials, to help kids understand what’s legal and ethical when it comes to respecting other people’s work. They are encouraged to think about appropriate ways to use work responsibly.
More than 20,000 schools address all of those issues head on with the Common Sense Media Digital Literacy and Citizenship Programs. Their programs cater to children in grades K-12. Their comprehensive, research-based curriculum takes a grounded approach to the fastest-changing subject anyone has ever been asked to teach. With virtually no training and complete flexibility, educators deliver deeper learning that guides children to make smart, safe decisions and to live respectful digital lives.
The programs not only cover fair use, copyright, and piracy, but also cyber bullying prevention, violence in the media, children’s privacy rights, and social networking for kids.
“We believe that digital literacy is a baseline requirement of education today, and together we make certain that every school can provide it.”
As a Creative Arts Advocate, I approve.
For more information, check out http://www.commonsensemedia.org.
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