Portage Township Schools has once again been named a Common Sense Digital Citizenship District for the second year in a row by Common Sense Media.
All 11 schools in Portage Township earned this distinction, granting PTS the title of Common Sense Digital Citizenship District. To earn the distinction, students in all grades completed five Digital Citizenship lessons per year and used these programs throughout the year. These lessons included topics such as privacy, social media usage, cyber bullying, online education, and data. The lessons are available to all teachers.
According to PTS Director of Integrated Technology Michael DePasquale, many Portage High School teachers used these lessons during their Tribe Time classes, which meet once a week. The lessons are short and PDF-based, giving teachers the ability to quickly prepare and deliver each lesson.
DePasquale said that this distinction should be expected when coming to a school district with heavy technology usage. Students in grades kindergarten through 5 have in-school access to a variety of types of technology, including PC’s, Chromebooks, and iPads, and students in grades 6 through 12 are issued iPads that they are allowed to take home.
“A nice feather in our cap is what this distinction is,” DePasquale said. “This shows that we are very aware of media in our schools. When coming to a school where technology is used heavily, every parent should expect Digital Citizenship to be taught. We take this seriously and ensure that there are filters and protocols to help secure devices.”
For more information about the Common Sense Media Digital Citizenship Distinction and the lessons associated with it, visit www.portage.k12.in.us , select “Technology” and click on the Common Sense Media School link.