Building Digital Citizens

The Centre for Digital Scholarship, Bodleian Libraries, is hosting a series of Continued Professional Development (CPD) events for school teaching staff.

The programme 'Building Digital Citizens', created by Jonny Tridgell, focuses on giving school teachers knowledge around digital citizenship and how this relates to teaching in schools. The events will help participants understand the challenges and affordances that come from digitalisation and what is meant by digital citizenship. Participants will also be able to learn how to weave this knowledge into their curriculum.

The series includes four online events focusing on different areas relating to digital citizenship. In addition, on Wednesday 1 July 2026, there will be a one day in-person event at the Weston Library, Oxford. This will bring together the topics covered in the online sessions and include a networking lunch. Further details and registration will open soon.

Jonny Tridgell has been a teacher working in Oxfordshire since 2009. He completed his MSc in Education (Digital and Social Change) at the University of Oxford in 2024, researching the development of virtuous digital citizenship through curriculum design. Jonny has worked as Head of Sixth Form, Head of Department and Lead Practitioner in schools, as well as a Curriculum Tutor on the University of Oxford PGCE.

Programme

What are the challenges and opportunities that come with digitalisation in schools?

Thursday 4 December 2025, 16:00-18:00 online session

This session will introduce key terms such as “datafication” and “digitalisation” and begin looking at the benefits and costs of becoming increasingly online. It will also consider terms like “Digital Native” (and why this term is contested) and reflect on the current state of play in UK schools. As with all sessions, there will be plenty of time set aside to discuss the implications of this scholarship for classroom practice, as well as time to think about school-based tasks to supplement this course.

Registration now closed

What is digital citizenship?

Wednesday 18 March 2026, 16:00-18:00, online session

This session will consider various conceptions of digital citizenship, including digital literacy, and how this relates to issues like the climate crisis, colonialism and social justice. This will be followed by a practical session focusing on how we might weave this into our classroom teaching, as well as a reflection on the virtue of assemblies, “drop days” and tutor time teaching as a means of promoting digital citizenship.

How should we think about mobile phones?

Monday 27 April 2026, 16:00 - 18:00, online session

The focus in this session will be on scholarship and our own experiences related to mobile phones in schools. We will look at posthumanism and at sex and relationships education as a new way of thinking about how we use and teach about mobiles and, in our practical session, reflect on how we might model responsible technology use in the classroom.

What next in digital citizenship?

Wednesday 10 June 2026, 16:00 - 18:00, online session

This session will reflect on the barriers to promoting digital citizenship in schools and what we can do about these, both collectively and individually. It will also explore the rise of AI and how this has impacted teaching.

Event Details and Registration

Events are free but registration is required. Handouts and session information will be provided in advance.

Please note, priority places are given to those working in schools. We would encourage you to register if you are currently working with educators and/or young people directly or are working in the field of curriculum design, and only if you are happy for the course to be situated firmly within English education.

Register for the online session 'What is digital citizenship? | Wednesday 18 March 2026

Register for the online session 'How should we think about mobile phones?' | Monday 27 April 2026

Register for the online session 'What next in digital citizenship?' | Wednesday 10 June 2026

Further Information and Resources

For further information about this programme, please email the Centre for Digital Scholarship: cds@bodleian.ox.ac.uk.

A bibliography for the 'Building Digital Citizens' programme can be viewed here.