Puyallup School District Announces Partnership with Niagara Cares and Common Sense
to Launch Comprehensive District-Wide Digital Citizenship Program
Puyallup School District is collaborating with Common Sense, the nation's leading nonprofit organization dedicated to creating a powerful voice for kids and families in the 21st century, and Niagara Cares, the corporate giving arm of Niagara Bottling. Niagara Cares will support Common Sense’s deployment of research-based digital citizenship and learning resources in Puyallup, as well as other districts throughout the country.
This partnership will create a community-centric approach to help kids to grow up using the immense power of digital media to explore, create, connect, and learn, while limiting potential online perils such as plagiarism, privacy invasion, and cyber bullies.
“Navigating the world of digital media and technology can be a challenging road for parents and educators alike,” said Nancy Nelson, Instructional Coach for Technology. “This partnership with Common Sense and Niagara Cares will help our teachers, students, and their families to make the right choices when using technology and social media.”
Common Sense Education’s digital citizenship curriculum was created in collaboration with Dr. Howard Gardner of the GoodPlay Project at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. The resources teach students, educators, and parents tangible skills related to Internet safety, protecting online reputations and personal privacy, managing online relationships, and respecting creative copyright. The free resources are currently used in more than 90,000 classrooms nationwide.
"We applaud Niagara Cares for embracing digital citizenship as an important part of students' education and recognizing that teachers need support in effectively integrating technology into their classrooms," said Rebecca Randall, head of Philanthropic Partnerships at Common Sense. "With the support of Niagara Cares, we will continue to help students build the necessary foundational skills to compete and succeed in the twenty-first century workplace and ethically participate in an ever-expanding digital society.”
The digital citizenship curriculum includes over 65 media-rich lesson plans, videos, assessments, digital games and parent education resources. The digital learning program includes reviews and ratings of more than 3,000 applications, games and websites based on their learning potential. Teachers can search the database by skill, subject, grade, standard and more. The digital learning program also features professional development resources for teachers on how to use technology to propel student learning.
"We’re thrilled to partner with Common Sense to bring their important educational resources on digital citizenship to schools," said Kristen Venick, Director of Niagara Cares. "Our kids are growing up in a digital world and by proactively teaching students in Puyallup to use technology safely and responsibly, we maximize their opportunity for learning and prepare them for a positive digital experience."
For more information about Niagara Cares, visit: http://www.niagarawater.com/niagara-cares/national-partnerships/
To learn more about Common Sense Education’s Digital Citizenship program, visit: https://www.commonsense.org/education/digital-citizenship
About Common Sense Education
Common Sense Education provides teachers and schools with free research-based classroom tools to help students harness technology for learning and life. Our K–12 Digital Citizenship Curriculum and interactive games teach students how to make safe, smart, and ethical decisions in the digital world. Our educational ratings and reviews platform helps educators discover, use, and share high-quality digital products that propel student learning. Common Sense Education works with more than 340,000 teacher members in over 110,000 schools to help ensure all children have the opportunity to thrive in the 21st century.
Common Sense is the nation's leading nonprofit organization dedicated to helping families and educators thrive in a world of media and technology. To see all of Common Sense's education resources, visit https://www.commonsensemedia.org/educators.