Challenging Digital Citizenship Discourse Through the Lens of (Dis)ability

Abstract

Digital citizenship is a term that has been used globally. However, many schools have also traditionally operated on a perceived need to behaviorally control children's activity. These control mechanisms have been presented in communities using terms such as citizenship–where the children and community are led to believe that strict obedience is for the common good. In this chapter, the authors share the experiences of Green, a child identified with multiple disabilities. The authors address laws in the United States and inclusive ethics and demonstrate the potential harm that is done when digital citizenship is defined around a narrow set of compliance behaviors that are too rigid for many students without support. The authors propose an alternative framing of digital citizenship that accounts for inclusive ethics and that encircles adults and institutions in collateral obligations regarding digital technologies' ethical use. The authors end with suggestions for classroom practices that support these definitions and offer an alternative ending for Green.