Page 173 - Šolsko polje, XXX, 2019, št. 5-6: Civic, citizenship and rhetorical education in a rapidly changing world, eds. Janja Žmavc and Plamen Mirazchiyski
P. 173
Book reviews
Frau-Meigs, Divina, O’Neill, Brian, Soriani, Allesandro, Tomé,
Vitor, Digital citizenship education: Volume 1 – Overview and new
perspectives. Strasbourg: Council of Europe, 2017.
The influx of digital technologies in our daily life over the last decades
have had a significant impact on the way we gather and transmit informa-
tion, participate socially and politically, and engage with different issues
globally. That is to say, digital technologies have had a transformative im-
pact on traditional forms of information, participation and engagement.
The development of competences and skills in the new forms of partici-
pation, however, shall not be haphazardly and spontaneously, left only on
the possibilities that the technology brings to us. Today’s youth and the
upcoming generations must be aware of their norms, rights and obliga-
tions as citizens in a society which has become increasingly digital. As Vil-
lano Qiriazi (2017), head of the Education Policy Division at the Coun-
cil of Europe, points out, an important objective of the European Union’s
agenda is the support of youth being active digital citizens in a safe online
environment. Obviously, this objective shows the need for the authorities
to adopt a comprehensive approach towards digital citizenship education.
This, in turn, means to integrate digital citizenship into school curricula.
The action the Council of Europe took in regard to the digital life of chil-
dren in the last 10 years, however, was focused mainly towards their safety
and protection in the digital environment instead of their empowerment
through education or acquisition of the required competences to become
active participants in the digital society.
171
Frau-Meigs, Divina, O’Neill, Brian, Soriani, Allesandro, Tomé,
Vitor, Digital citizenship education: Volume 1 – Overview and new
perspectives. Strasbourg: Council of Europe, 2017.
The influx of digital technologies in our daily life over the last decades
have had a significant impact on the way we gather and transmit informa-
tion, participate socially and politically, and engage with different issues
globally. That is to say, digital technologies have had a transformative im-
pact on traditional forms of information, participation and engagement.
The development of competences and skills in the new forms of partici-
pation, however, shall not be haphazardly and spontaneously, left only on
the possibilities that the technology brings to us. Today’s youth and the
upcoming generations must be aware of their norms, rights and obliga-
tions as citizens in a society which has become increasingly digital. As Vil-
lano Qiriazi (2017), head of the Education Policy Division at the Coun-
cil of Europe, points out, an important objective of the European Union’s
agenda is the support of youth being active digital citizens in a safe online
environment. Obviously, this objective shows the need for the authorities
to adopt a comprehensive approach towards digital citizenship education.
This, in turn, means to integrate digital citizenship into school curricula.
The action the Council of Europe took in regard to the digital life of chil-
dren in the last 10 years, however, was focused mainly towards their safety
and protection in the digital environment instead of their empowerment
through education or acquisition of the required competences to become
active participants in the digital society.
171
