Shaping a Brighter Digital Future

As Mr Gregor Markovic, the Director of Educational Technology, shared: “Digital Citizenship is very important to us as it encompasses all aspects of our digital lives, which are constantly increasing their share of our time. At Wellington, we have our own definition of Digital Citizenship and its nine elements, which are meant to bring this key topic closer to our pupils and facilitate its effective implementation. In essence, we encourage our pupils to live by the five core Wellington values - Kindness,Responsibility,Respect,Courage,Integrity – in their school lives and beyond, as well as in the digital realm. In doing so, our pupils will ensure that they become the positive change our world needs. For instance, netiquette rules such as being polite, maintaining self-control, and avoiding negative conversations online are deeply rooted in the values of respect and kindness, while thinking before posting something online relies on responsibility and integrity, two more Wellington values.” 

As we and our children continue to spend increasing amounts of time on digital devices, which open a portal to the digital realm, it has become increasingly important to mind our digital health and wellbeing. After we have done eye and neck exercises to protect our physical health, it makes perfect sense to ensure that our mental health is not left suffering. Partnering with leading institutions such as Common Sense Education ensures that our pupils are well equipped with learning practices which will help them overcome issues that important topics such as privacy, clickbait, attention economy, and negative thinking traps bring along. Our goal is to stay not only safe but also sane online – then, there is no limit to our potential!

Across all year groups, pupils explored these vital themes through: 

• Special Assemblies focusing on rules of positive and constructive online behaviour and digital health and wellbeing strategies 

• Tutorial Discussions exploring real-world digital dilemmas and offering solutions 

• Curriculum-Integrated Lessons connecting digital citizenship to different subjects  

• Early Years: Class activities such as Ask Before You Share role-play (the importance of privacy and permission), Kind Words Online story time (encouraging kindness in digital interactions), and Password Practice with stickers (introducing the concept of keeping information private). 

   

• Junior School:  Group activities such as Internet Traffic Light (the dos and don’ts of online behaviour), Emoji Power (using emojis effectively in digital conversations to add tone, nuance, and personality), and Don’t Take the Bait (avoiding clickbait). 

   

• Senior School: Tutorial sessions with activities focusing on Attention Economy (our attention is worth a lot of money to companies) and Negative Thinking Traps (unhelpful, automatic thought patterns that can lead to feelings of anxiety and depression), and mechanisms to avoid and overcome them. 

One pupil shared with us: “The Digital Citizenship Week was an inspiring initiative that effectively spread information about netiquette, online privacy, and cyberbullying prevention among Junior School pupils, which combined with real-world scenarios to make the content relatable and memorable.” 

This special week is a key part of our ongoing commitment to nurturing thoughtful digital and global citizens, both within our curriculum and in every aspect of college life. Together, we are shaping a brighter digital future!