In an exciting new initiative for this school year, May Moore students in every grade are working with teacher Pamela Arcuri on digital literacy during library periods, using the Common Sense Education program. Recognizing digital literacy as a primary skill for learning and life success, the program empowers students to use technology to learn, create and participate while being reflective, responsible and ethical.

“Up until now, we haven’t really had a curriculum in place to teach kids how to be a digital citizen,” said Arcuri. “We’ve talked about being a citizen in the real world with rights and responsibilities. So now we are extending that into the online world.”

For kindergartners and first graders, the digital literacy focus is on balancing time spent online and sticking solely to safe digital spaces. The second-grade curriculum digs into greater detail on what kind of information is private and the concept of leaving a digital footprint.

Launching over a decade ago as a collaboration with the Harvard Graduate School of Education’s Project Zero researchers, Common Sense Education developed the first comprehensive digital citizenship curriculum and has continued to design updated programs to address the fact that today’s students lead connected, networked lives and engage with media from early childhood.