The NCTE Definition of 21st Century Literacies explains that readers and writers need to "build relationships with others to pose and solve problems collaboratively and cross-culturally." The challenge of teaching students to meet this goal is ensuring that students understand how to build these relationships safely.
As students shift from sharing their texts in the classroom to discussing their ideas online, they move from a very controlled environment to one where anyone-friend or foe-is just a click away. Teaching students about online safety in the classroom helps prepare them for the demands of 21st century life by directly addressing the ethical responsibilities of participating in increasingly complex and dynamic online literacy communities.