This is a great resource we use to raise ideas and discussion about internet safety and digital citizenship. I make up my own kit in a lunchbox and have presented at school assemblies or online discussions with our students.

Padlock.The padlock is to remind us to set strong passwords and to set up passcode locks on all of their digital devices. “Lock ‘em down”. 

Toothbrush.Passwords and toothbrushes are very similar in the fact that you never want to share passwords (Recommend that students share passwords with their parents). 

Permanent Marker.Everything that you put online is permanent—even if you hit the delete button after posting. Odds are, someone has retweeted, favorited—or taken a screenshot of the material if it was questionable. 

Tube of Toothpaste.Imagine the information that you are putting online is like the toothpaste coming out of the tube. Once it is out, it is almost impossible to get it all back in the tube! 

Packet of Seeds. What you are doing now—could have an impact on you in the future. Think about the “seeds” that you are sowing as you traverse the World Wide Web. Could the seeds you are planting grow into a bigger problem? Or is your plant going to be a strong, positive representation of who you are?

Plug In. It is okay to “unplug”. We don’t have to be connected all the time! Get outside and be a kid! 

Mirror.Imagine having the mirror attached to your computer or device. If you looked in it and saw someone in the reflection, would they approve of what you are doing or saying online? 

Sheet of Paper. Take a new sheet of paper & wad it up into a ball. Throw it on the ground and stomp on it. Then pick up the piece of paper and unravel it. Apologize to the piece of paper for destroying it..... The piece of paper represents someone’s heart that has been cyberbullied. We can apologize all we want, but the emotional scars that remain inside—don’t—go away.

Magnifying Glass. First impressions start with Google. People are using Google to find out information about us. What will show up when someone searches you on Google? 

Strainer.The amount of information on the Internet is amazing! As digital citizens, you have to be good at “straining” out the bad stuff, what is real, what’s not—and finding material that is applicable to their search and use of the Internet. 

Tattoos. “Digital Tattoo” instead of “Digital Footprint.” Footprints in the sand can be washed away. Tattoos are a lot harder to get rid of. 

Notebook. Imagine all of the things they do while online. Now imagine if it were kept in a journal. Would they be comfortable if anyone could read that journal?

 Soap.Too many times students are posting, tweeting, and retweeting information that is not appropriate. Keep it clean! 

Band-Aids.People are going to make mistakes. The mistakes kids make today will be Googleable. Hopefully, our mistakes won’t be too big. If a Band-Aid won’t help, then we have a problem! 

Pet Tie Cable.Set limits!

—Attribution: Craig Badura (@mrbadura), is pK-12 Integration Specialist for Aurora Public Schools in Aurora, Nebraska.