Cardiff School District Recognized as a Common Sense Certified District for Digital Citizenship

Cardiff-by-the-Sea, CA – Common Sense, the national nonprofit organization dedicated to helping kids and families thrive in a world of digital media and technology, has recognized Cardiff School District as a Common Sense Education, Certified District Digital Citizenship for 2016-2017. The certification is given to schools that are leading the way in approaching digital media and technology issues in innovative ways. This is the second-year Cardiff School District has been recognized.

The two schools in the District, Cardiff School and Ada W. Harris Elementary School also received recognition as a Common Sense Education, Certified School Digital Education 2016-2017. In addition, Debbie Heyer, technology education teacher at the two schools was honored as a Common Sense Education, Certified Educator Digital Citizenship for 2016-2017.

Cardiff School District has demonstrated its commitment to taking a whole-community approach to preparing its students to use the immense power of digital media to explore, create, connect, and learn, while limiting the perils that exist in the online realm, such as plagiarism, loss of privacy, and cyberbullying.

"We applaud the faculty and staff of Cardiff School District for embracing digital citizenship as an important part of their students' education," said Jessica Lindl, head of Common Sense Education. "Cardiff School District deserves high praise for giving its students the foundational skills they need to compete and succeed in the 21st-century workplace and participate ethically in society at large."

“Digital media and technology will be at the forefront of our student’s educational journey and into their adulthood,” said Debbie Heyer, educational technology teacher, Cardiff School District. “We believe it is essential to teach our students about the opportunities and threats that come with engaging in online activities and research at a young age so that they will be prepared and exercise the highest-level integrity and ethics when using digital media and technology. I’m proud to be recognized with our schools and District.”

Cardiff School District has been using Common Sense Education's innovative and research-based digital citizenship resources, which were created in collaboration with Dr. Howard Gardner of the GoodPlay Project at the Harvard Graduate School of Education for over two years. The resources teach students, educators, and parents tangible skills related to Internet safety, protecting online reputations and personal privacy, managing online relationships, and respecting creative copyright. The free resources are currently used in more than 90,000 classrooms nationwide.

"We're honored to be recognized as a Common Sense Digital Citizenship Certified School," said Jill Vinson, superintendent, Cardiff School District. "By preparing our students to use technology safely and responsibly, we are providing them unlimited opportunities to maximize and personalize their learning."

About Cardiff School District

Cardiff School District is a small, two-elementary school district located on the coast in North County San Diego. Cardiff School was founded in 1913 and currently serves 369 kindergartens through third grade students. Ada W. Harris Elementary School, which presently serves 350 third through sixth grade students was originally constructed in 1960. The District thrives with dedicated staff and teachers and the support of the entire community. For more information about Cardiff School District, go to www.cardiffschools.com. To learn more about the criteria that Cardiff School District met to become certified as a Common Sense Certified District, visit http://www.commonsensemedia.org/educators/certification.

About Common Sense Education

Common Sense Education provides teachers and schools with free research-based classroom tools to help students harness technology for learning and life. Our K–12 Digital Citizenship Curriculum and interactive games teach students how to make safe, smart, and ethical decisions in the digital world. Our educational ratings and reviews platform helps educators discover, use, and share high-quality digital products that propel student learning. Common Sense Education works with more than 340,000 teacher members in over 110,000 schools to help ensure all children can have the opportunity to thrive in the 21st century.

Common Sense is the nation's leading nonprofit organization dedicated to helping families and educators thrive in a world of media and technology. To see all Common Sense's education resources, visithttps://www.commonsensemedia.org/educators.