DeBrum T. Melander

IRA Newsletter Project: Effective Literacy #1

Common sense education (https://www.commonsense.org) is a website that is designed to help nurture our children to participate fully in their communities by helping them in their digital skills and knowledge. As it is stated in the homepage of this website, “Our award winning K – 12 Digital Citizenship Curriculum addresses top concerns for schools, prepares students with critical 21 – century skills, supports educators with training and recognition, and engages the whole community through family outreach.

The Digital Citizenship can help ease the hassles of searching and adapting their curriculum to incorporate technology into their own. This website arranges and groups timely topics and lesson plans according to grade levels. For example, in grades K,1,2, a topic is Media Balance and Well Being. In this topic for kindergarten, the students will be able to “know when to take breaks from device time”. If schools and educators implement and incorporate this curriculum, students will become more aware of the importance of technological ethics. It also supports educators by having classroom advises and professional development trainings.

Not only does this website benefit the schools and educators, it can also positively impact the students’ skills in using the internet resourcefully. This website also contains educational video games and interactive activities. These games and activities are created for every type of learners.

Finally, the website also offers a multifarious collection of reviews regarding significant ways to monitor what their children are doing on their devices and online. In addition it contains a collection of suggested movies for kids to watch and online games that may help the kids with their technology skills. It also communicates with parents and the community on issues regarding the well – being of the children in the digital age.

Being developed by experts from one of the most prominent universities in the United States, Harvard University, common sense education can surely make common sense common again. The resources and assistance from these experts are handy for any learner or educator who is willing to use the internet as a learning and teaching tool.