ACTIZEN Activity 1
Build Your Digital Citizens’ Country
Type of Activity – Online/In Classroom Activity
Introduction
Digital Citizenship has never been in focus as much as it is in the present. With the pandemic, the number of Digital Citizens is growing day by day. Do you think that this would give rise to digital countries springing up everywhere? Have you wondered what is Digital Citizenship? Who is a Digital Citizen? What should one do to become a responsible Digital Citizen?
What is Digital Citizenship?
- Digital Citizenship is the responsible use of technology and etiquette when you interact with other users online.
- Just like there is a set of behaviours that a citizen of any country should display, there are behaviours that a Digital Citizen needs to follow while using technology.
Who is a Digital Citizen?
- A Digital Citizen is a person using Information Technology (IT) to engage in society, community, politics and government.
- Digital Citizens are the ones who use internet regularly and effectively.
Nine Elements of Digital Citizenship
- Digital Communication
- Digital Commerce
- Digital Literacy
- Digital Law
- Digital Etiquette
- Digital Rights and Responsibilities
- Digital Health and Wellness
- Digital Security (Self-Protection)
- Digital Access
A good Digital Citizen
- Supports human values and equal rights for all
- Treats others with courtesy
- Does not engage in bullying
- Does not steal or damage other Digital Citizens’ property
- Communicates respectfully and with empathy
- Pursues education through technology and uses it for life-long learning
- Spends and manages money responsibly
- Supports rights of privacy, freedom of speech etc.
- Protects self and others from harm
- Promotes physical and mental health
Activity : Build Your Own Digital Country
In this activity the students will connect with their peers, friends, and relatives online to build their own Digital Country.
Expected Outcomes
Students will be able to:
- Develop skills like communication, collaboration, creativity, and critical thinking
- Learn to develop online empathy
- Recognise the essentials to build a good country
- Appreciate, welcome, and accept diverse thoughts and ideas
- Connect with friends and relatives, whom they have not seen, or spoken to for long
Materials Needed
- Papers, colours, chart papers, pens etc.
- Mobile phones to call and connect
- Creativity and imagination
Steps of the activity
- Share the activity with the students. The responsibility could be assigned to the President and the Vice President of the Desh Apnayen ACTIZEN Club of your school.
- Ask the students to build an online country (their team) by connecting with friends, neighbours, relatives and acquaintances.
- Make a list of all those who have agreed to be a part of the Digital Country.
- Once the country is formed, name your Digital Country, and tell us the reasons for choosing that particular name.
- State the population of the country and share its location
- State the date of formation
- State the composition of the population (female, male and age group)
- Imagine a desirable climate for the country (hot, cold, rainy etc.)
- State the general feel of the country. For e.g. friendly, disciplined, law-abiding, loving, equality, accepting of diversities etc.
- Guiding principles (liberty, acceptance, truth, responsibility, respect etc.)
- The type of governance (monarchy, democracy, dictatorship etc.)
- The objectives of forming the country (with reasons)
- The goal that you plan to achieve
Fill in the above details in the format attached.
These are the very first steps.
Create a Flag for your Digital Country
a. Choose a shape for your flag and state why.
b. Choose the design and colours for the flag,
c. Choose symbols, if you would like to  any to be added to the flag.
d. Or design an emblem for your flag.
e. Draw and colour your flag.  Title it as ‘The Flag of (Your Digital Country Name)’ and upload the picture in the ‘Reflection Sheet’ section.
f. Share your creation with us. Also, use it as a display picture on your/your parents’ social media accounts, make a small flag and hoist it on your study desk, or come up with more creative ways to display your flag.
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