Integrating Social Emotional Learning
with Digital Citizenship
Billy Watts and Claire Handville
Digital Citizenship
Social Emotional Learning
Much of digital citizenship and social emotional learning has previously been applied in schools as singular lessons or events. Integrating skills found in social and emotional learning into digital citizenship helps our students navigate online connections and invest in healthy relationships, protect their digital identity through self-awareness/management, and safely express their values and identity through digital platforms. Embedding these skills into curriculum builds momentum and provide meaning to students, in turn affecting school belonging and outcome goals.
Alignment between who we are, who/what we associate with both online and in-person, and our values, beliefs, & goals
Set boundaries and reflect on our people and our choices, notice any imbalance, and move forward together
Engage in meaningful social interactions both online and in-person that lead to belonging
Healthy, thriving adult
Benefits for students might include...
Healthy Relationship Skills
Digital Well-Being
Personal & Digital Identity Awareness
Responsible Decision Making
Alignment to Core Values
In order to be successful and fulfilled after the guardrails of K12 education are removed, students need to have gained experiences allowing them to discover their way forward as well as determine who has earned the right to hear their story and walk alongside them.
Rethink digital citizenship talks to transition from one time events
Hacks to get started
Connect SEL & Digital Citizenship to a student's digital brand
Reflect on your digital relationships. Do they align with your values?
Use a chat tool to check-in with students or colleagues
Resources & Research
Jeffrey Hall
Communicate Bond Belong Theory
Robin Dunbar
Limits of friends research
Design Thinking
Bill Burnett & Dave Evans
Pew Research Center
Teens, Social Media, & Technology (2022)