Digital Heroes: Building a Kinder, Smarter Internet

Step 1: Engage – Discover the Problem

• Introduce the project objectives to the students, ensuring they understand the goals and purpose.
• Students are invited to share their current online experiences through a drawing, a written piece, or a verbal presentation. This can include activities such as playing video games, watching videos, and more.
• A video or brief presentation is shared with the associated class through the platform's board, where students present their digital habits, favorite websites and apps, as well as a digital dilemma they have faced.

Step 2: Explore – Spot the Digital Danger

• Students are provided with age-appropriate stories or mini-games in which they can identify inappropriate digital behaviors, such as fake friend requests or online bullying.
• Together with their international peers, they compare the challenges they face on the internet and create a global presentation on digital dangers. They can use tools like Canva or Google Slides and share the link on the platform's board.

Step 3: Explain – Click Code: Golden Rules for the Internet

• Clearly and formally explain and present key concepts related to the topic, such as the dangers one may face on the internet, healthy habits for safe online navigation, and practical tips that help students organize their new knowledge in a way that facilitates understanding and future application in their daily lives.
• Guide each team, made up of students from both classes, to create their own "Click Code," a visual guide with the golden rules for being a good digital citizen. The format can be:
• a) A colorful infographic with simple illustrations and key phrases (e.g., "Think before you post," "Don't share without thinking," "Be kind online," etc.).
• b) A short skit or video clip that depicts a common situation (such as receiving a chain message or seeing a hurtful comment) and shows how to act appropriately.
• c) A comic strip featuring digital superheroes facing challenges in the virtual world.

Step 4: Elaborate - Design a Campaign

• After reflecting on responsible digital behavior, students will design and implement a creative, collaborative campaign to promote values such as respect, empathy, critical thinking, and online safety.
• Students will be organized into teams to create a solution that promotes positive digital behavior. The options include posters, comics, short videos, or puppet shows.
• Some guiding questions to help organize the students' ideas are:
• a) What digital issue do you want to address? (e.g., Cyberbullying, sharing without permission, offensive language, fake news, etc.)
• b) Who is your target audience? (Younger children, peers, family, etc.)
• Each team will choose a creative format for their campaign:
• 🎨 Educational poster
• 🎬 Short video or educational TikTok
• 📖 Comic or graphic novel
• 🐻 Puppet or marionette show (recorded)
• 🎶 Song or jingle with a positive message
• Once the projects are completed, each team will share their final work with the class for questions and feedback.

Step 5: Evaluate and final presentation

• The classes will organize an online Digital Citizenship Fair, where they will present their campaigns and discuss their impact with family, friends, or schoolmates.
• Encourage a feedback session where the classes can provide constructive comments.
• At the end, encourage students to share their learnings and reflections on the process, highlighting how they collaborated to find solutions and what new perspectives they gained throughout the project.

Assessment and reflection  ✍️

• Rubrics to assess student participation, collaboration, and the quality of their research and presentations.
• Assessment Matrix - Facing a global challenge
• Reflective journal prompts to encourage students to think critically about their learning, personal growth, and the potential impact of their actions.
• Peer and self-assessment opportunities to foster accountability and ownership of learning.

Teacher tips 💡

• Foster a safe and inclusive learning environment that values diverse perspectives and experiences.
• Provide clear guidelines and expectations for respectful communication and collaboration. We suggest you review the coexistence policies of Class2Class.org.
• Facilitate the formation of diverse international teams, ensuring a mix of skills, backgrounds, and perspectives.
• Provide scaffolding and support throughout the research and action planning process, offering guidance and resources as needed.
• Encourage student agency and ownership of their learning, allowing them to drive the direction of their projects.
• Celebrate student achievements and facilitate meaningful reflection on their growth and the impact of their actions.

By guiding students to co-create solutions for responsible digital citizenship, you're not only addressing a critical modern challenge but also nurturing young changemakers who will shape the future of our online world. This project empowers your students with real tools to think critically, act kindly, and click wisely.