Wow. Time has flown so fast. It’s hard to believe we are almost done with our semester. I am grateful to Alec and all my classmates for such a knowledgeable journey. I have learned a lot from EC&I 832 subject. I was not aware of many tools such as Flipgrid, Peardeck, and websites like Bit wander, Yandex which I learned from this class. Also, the Ribble’s nine elements of digital citizenship is very interesting and covers to be a good citizen online. I worked with my classmate Lovepreet and together we completed our Summary of Learning. I am also thankful to Lovepreet for her time and efforts in this assignment.
It is important to keep in mind ethical issues arising from the use of technology in the classroom as we increase its implementation. In order to address the most pressing ethical issues in our classroom, we need to identify the biggest ethical issues.
The classroom and technology
To create a thriving learning environment, ethics has always been essential. It’s well known that we teach students ethics by using principles, such as: this is the rule (don’t push); this is the purpose of the rule (don’t harm others).
New ethical issues arise as a result of the widespread availability of technology. Technology in the classroom can be extremely disruptive, according to Doug Johnson, an expert on educational technology. Unlike adults, children are not emotionally developed for some of the things society has forbidden them (for example, driving after 16, voting after 18, and drinking after 21). We are pushing children into cyberspace without providing any guidance in our effort to teach them computer literacy. When we haven’t fully taught them how to act ethically in real-life situations, how can we expect them to behave ethically on the internet, with their identity hidden?
Technology advances are speeding up faster than adults can understand the ethical implications of their use, according to the Alliance for Childhood. Children learn ethics more thoroughly in face-to-face interactions, especially at developmental ages, which is becoming increasingly rare due to screen time distractions.
It would be helpful if we spent some time understanding the most important ethical issues that affect our classrooms, so we could determine how to address them.
Today, downloading multimedia files online is easy (whether you do it legally or illegally). The line between what is free and what is copyrighted is further blurred by sites that offer unlimited downloads of movies, music, and games. Copying and pasting isn’t considered plagiarism in some cases because the source material was ‘common knowledge,’ and there was no author assigned.
There are many ethical concerns related to plagiarism, especially with search engines making it easy to find any query. Students can also fabricate research and fake sources due to the widespread availability of knowledge. This can be minimized by helping students understand how to cite authors and why it is important to respect other people’s intellectual property. A citation requirement will also help to prevent the fabrication of research.
It can be helpful for teachers to communicate with students electronically, but sometimes the line between business and personal can be blurred. Educate students about the dangers of thinking of their emails and text messages as personal, and make sure that electronic communications are professional. Email systems used by schools or businesses make it easy for these types of communications to be made public.
Cyberbullying & Social Networks
According to Facebook’s company page, 1.79 billion people are active on the site, with 66% logging in daily. How impressive is that? The use of Facebook is gaining more traction among educators for sharing multimedia with students, or for connecting with them and brainstorming together. We had a Facebook page at my college, but while it was created for the purpose of connecting students, no guidelines were provided for its use, which lead to ethical problems. On the page, students began taking pictures and posting them of a particular student to make fun of him. Cyberbullying is a pattern of repeated, hurtful behavior over time.
Using social media
Teachers who are friended by their students may also be faced with ethical dilemmas because of the use of social networking sites. Students’ posts about underage drinking may give teachers information about them. They often think that Facebook is anonymous since there is no face-to-face interaction, and they do not realize that they gave up their right to privacy by posting things on social networks. Another student was cyberbullied due to my classmate’s feeling of powerlessness. The purpose of this is to explain to students that Facebook is not a diary and that it is an anonymous platform. One day we could be prevented from obtaining a job because of actions and posts on public social media.
No person under 13 can create an account or use the Snapchat services in US. If a person is under 13, consent of parents/guardian is necessary. It is advised that parents should also review the terms carefully and by accepting the agreement. Here are some of the tips for parents and kids.
First of all always manage your setting in “Privacy Settings” menu. The default setting is “My Friends” which allows to share your pictures or snaps with friends only. So, you have to add the users to the friends list if your setting is “My Friends”. Guide your kids to be extra careful while sharing their pictures and their personal information like contact details, home address, or financial information. Being parents always remind your kids to never share anything which is illegal and can bring them in trouble. Keep the passwords unique and strong. Moreover, both Android and IOS offers parental control feature for mobile. Always manage your child’s phone and the usage. Guide your kids to keep real friends rather than adding random people in their friend list. As per Snapchat guidelines, bullying is not tolerated on the platform of Snapchat.
Harassment and Unwanted Snaps
If you find that your child is getting unwanted abusive Snaps, always tell your child to block the person. Blocking helps to prevent someone from sending their pictures or streaks. You can report the abuse by going on the option “report abuse”. As a parent it is important to help the kids to think critically and chose what is right for them. Teach them time management, privacy and safety in order to engage online.
BLOOKET
Blooket is a game based learning tools that is run on the web browser. This application claims that it is concerned for the protection of privacy of all the users. Moreover, in the Privacy Policy page of Blooket it is mentioned that they collect the personal information like email, name that identifies you personally and can share this information in accordance with their Privacy Policy. It is advised that being a teacher or student read the privacy policy carefully as Booklet says to review your personal information before sharing. Also, it takes the responsibility to protect your data under EU-US and Swiss-US Privacy Shield Frameworks. Blooket does not track the users over time or through any third pary. It claims that it do not respond to DNT signals. In addition to, as a teacher, you pledge the Blooket that your school or institution has obtained the written consent of children to share the data of students. In case of any issues one can report their complaints within 30 days.
FACEBOOK/INSTAGRAM
Facebook and Instagram shares similar privacy policies as they are now Meta. Instagram allows to create an account when you are 13 or above years of age. It says that it do not claim the ownership of your content but it gives you the license to use it. When we share any data like photos or videos, we grant a non-inclusive, royalty-free, and world-wide licence to use, distribute, and display the content. Moreover, we give the permission to Instagram to show our username, pictures, relationship status when accept the terms and services of Instagram. Moreover, if someone wants to delete their account it begins no more than 30 days after the request. Instagram says that it may take up to 90 days to delete the content after the process of deletion begins. It is advised that read all the privacy policies carefully before clicking on “I Agree” option.
Don’t get surprised! Yes, Instagram can be used for educational purposes. I have created a Podcast using Podomatic.com on the topic: Using Instagram in Classrooms. Below the is the link:
We all read every day and every time knowingly or unknowingly. Even when we scroll on Facebook or Twitter we read the news feed or different posts. We are divided between on-screen and print reading. I remember the days how I use to wait for newspapers in the mornings and read it thoroughly before leaving for school. I use to solve puzzles, SUDUKO, and jumbles. Those days are now old school and we are more leaned towards technology. Now, I have separate apps in my phone for each task. I have different application for news, games, making notes, payments and so on. All in all, my screen time has increased and I feel incomplete without my phone or laptop. Now I read more kindle books rather than holding a hard copy in my hand. Internet has took the place of in-person meetings and now we all enjoy working in our comfort zones. For me reading is different when I am doing it online as I skim the text quickly. I concentrate more, when I hold a printed book in my hand and I can feel a connection with it.
With context to the article written by Naomi Baron’s- Reading in a digital age, students multitask when reading on screen as compared to the printed material. Digital screens are easier than a book as it provide many option such as — shortcuts to find word-meaning, page number, highlighting using using colors.
As the role of media has increased in our lives, the decision making or the sense of information has also changed. In a blink of eye we believe whatever we see on the social-media. It also connects to the FAKE NEWS. Without a second thought we share it with friends or start posting on our personal Facebook/Twitter page.
I liked the article shared by Chris – A Reminder That ‘Fake News’ Is An Information Literacy Problem – Not A Technology Problem, as it clearly explain that it is not the technology, it is the society that has failed. We don’t bother for the misinformation shared on the internet and simply ignore it or accept it. It is our failing society who drifts with the false information. I remember the days when Covid vaccines were made compulsory for everyone in India. There were rumors that this vaccine will make us impotent, or people will die within 2 years after getting this vaccine, or government is inserting some chips in our body by means of vaccination. This fake news was spread on social media, and everyone started believing it, especially the people living in rural areas. This was due to lack of literacy or information among people.
The article shared by HollyFighting ‘Fake News’ in the Classroom, explains that how one can fight with the misinformation on media or news channels. Teachers should advice students how to use media in good ways and explain the definition of good journalism. Always do a fact check before believing any news that surprise you.
Think precisely, post carefully, make decisions rightly.
Literacy was associated with reading and writing exclusively for decades and even centuries. The 21st century will require far more than these skills to be successful. A sense of confusion develops in society, educational systems, and in people’s minds as people start to add more meaning to the notion. Although people have not developed a specific definition for literacy, most agree that being literate includes the ability to comprehend text, visuals, and audio. Critical thinking skills, social skills, and a range of technology skills are also deemed important by educators, in addition to the ones mentioned above. In the 21st century, we can observe that literate people can effectively process and respond to a variety of textual, visual, audio, social, cultural, and technology-based messages.
According to the article by Leah, the relationship between reading and writing has not changed over the years and is a part of literacy. It is important to be able to read and write texts before being deemed literate but reading and writing are only a part of the list of skills. To develop the most effective behavioral patterns, educators stress the importance of reading visual and audial messages. In the modern world, there is a wide range of visual and aural information bombarding us every day, and understanding those messages effectively is essential in order to succeed.
Furthermore, a 21st century literacy also includes the ability to utilize technology and media. Technological advances such as mobile phones and computers are well suited to the needs of youth and children. Generations in their mid- to late-twenties and older lag far behind, so they are less able to cope with modern day challenges. Young children and adolescents use technology inefficiently, despite their consumption of large amounts. In this respect, teachers should ensure that they empower both their students and their students’ parents so they can overcome issues associated with technology use.
In summary, despite the fact that literacy is not only about reading and writing, a proper definition of the term has not yet been developed. In that regard, many agree that literacy in the 21st century involves understanding, processing, and distributing textual, visual, audial, cultural, and social information. Technology and multiple forms of media should be accessible to modern people as well. Educators should ensure their students have all the skills they need in order to succeed as citizens. To raise the level of multiple literacy in different age groups, it is crucial that we take a distinctive approach.
What might be some different elements of being “fully” literate
In a society in which communication and information are increasingly accessible through digital technologies like the internet, social media, and mobile devices, having digital literacy means getting the skills you need to live, learn, and work in this environment. Developing your critical thinking skills is essential when you’re confronted with so much information in different formats – you need them to search, sift, evaluate, apply, and produce information. Digital literacy also emphasizes communication. Communication in a virtual environment requires the same skills and standards as in person, including expressing ideas clearly, asking relevant questions, maintaining respect, and building trust.
Furthermore, you will need practical skills for accessing, managing, manipulating, and creating information ethically and sustainably using technology. The number of new apps and software updates makes this a continual learning process, but your future self will thank you if you keep your digital life organized!
Learning to navigate and use the Web has become an innate ability of today’s learners. Students can now create, connect, and collaborate with a global audience via the Internet, which has evolved into a “participatory culture.” School districts implement Acceptable Use Policies, which specify acceptable student usage of technology at school and the Internet. Nevertheless, educators should consider how to train the next generation of life-long learners to be responsible and ethical. By using blogs, wiki spaces, learning management systems, online research, and so on, teachers must model, guide, and help students practice appropriate and professional behavior. The following tips help students learn to use technology TECH SMART. TECH SMART is spelled out when the first letters of each heading are put together.
Provide proper care for technology equipment
It could be considered a privilege for students to maintain technology equipment. Protecting the technology resources is also very important. As a result of increased use of email, fax, blogs, social media, and other means of electronic communication, malware such as viruses, worms, and Trojan horses have become even more prevalent. Keeping an eye out for suspicious messages, links, pop-up windows, etc. should be a student’s most important responsibility when interacting with computers. This helps to prevent the computers from being infected by malicious software. If there is malware on a student’s computer, the student should inform their teacher immediately so that any problems that may arise can be dealt with as soon as possible. My class fellow Gunpreesh shared an article of Common Sense Education, which explains some of the activities that can be done in a classroom. Being a teacher we can explain the harmful effects and malware knowledge to students.
Learn about safe and appropriate sites for learning and research
You should always use the Internet appropriately since it is a treasure trove of knowledge. Students should always use reliable resources on the Internet. A list of approved Web sites can be provided by teachers to their students at the beginning of the course. To make responsible and ethical choices while surfing the Internet, students must be empowered to evaluate sites. Research for school or work will be made easier with this practice. In order to identify if a site’s information is accurate and credible, students need to be able to recognize that information. By teaching them to critically evaluate Web sites, students can prepare themselves for future education and careers.
You should always be courteous and respectful when communicating online with other people. In general, it is a good idea to think of netiquette and to use the term as a way of communicating over the internet. Netiquette can be defined generally as a set of rules for communication using the internet. In order to effectively communicate online, students need to understand the different rules that govern each mode of communication, from social media to email, and students should be able to communicate through any of the platforms mentioned above. We need to address the issue of online netiquette in today’s classrooms. As teachers, we should provide students with opportunities to practice online etiquette by allowing them to communicate using various social networking sites, blogs, and email. This will provide students with an opportunity to model online etiquette. As a result, data suggests that the following norms become accepted when interacting using communications technologies: respecting the privacy of others, applying the real-world rules of common courtesy, using appropriate writing style, avoiding the use of offensive language, learning the rules of the community, refraining from profanity, and not using electronic devices when face-to-face interaction is in progress. Make sure that students are empowered to practice netiquette by using these guidelines.
Make sure that you always mention the source and give credit to the original author.
From the Gerry’sarticle, that shares the main competencies for digital citizenship and the most important is giving the credit to the author. It’s always important to give credit to someone else when you use their work. In the academic world, plagiarism is defined as the act of copying or stealing someone else’s work. I believe students should be taught about plagiarism, the risks associated with not citing borrowed words from a source, and the consequences. In order to help the students in gaining the knowledge and skills needed to properly cite the sources, source citations should be taught to them.
Some students are unaware that they are committing plagiarism, who use quotations and paraphrases from sources, but are not aware of how to cite them correctly. It is important to give them the opportunity to practice how to cite properly. They will become more familiar with the concept of plagiarism as a result. It is also possible for teachers to ask their students to begin research early in order to collect sources and then submit an early draft before the deadline so they can make any necessary final edits. It is important for today’s learners to be familiar with these tips so that they can properly document sources and prevent plagiarism.
It is very important for all digital creators to be thoughtful, effective, and ethical. Educators are responsible for teaching students to be accountable, thoughtful, and ethical when they create digital content. Students should be given the opportunity to generate their own skills through the use of digital tools so that they will be able to use technology more responsibly as we grow into the 21st century.
Digital identity theft can be referred to stealing of personal information and using it in an unethical way. According to the blog “The digital Identity: What it is + Why it’s valuable”, there are many categories of digital identity such as nationality, date of birth, place of residence, social media and so on. One can know everything about a person by simply navigating their social media account. It becomes easier for hacker to ruin your image in public by stealing information online. Moreover, offenders not only steal personal information, but they can also use financial information such as detail of credit card or bank details.
Here I want to share a story of myself. I also became a victim of digital theft. Someone created a Facebook account which looks similar to mine. That guy put a same profile picture and added similar friends. Also, later I came to know that he use to post similar stuff on Facebook which I was doing that time. One day, he texted my friend on Facebook Messenger that he needs 40,000 rupees immediately as there is some urgency at his home. He told my friend to transfer him through Google pay and gave his phone number and told that my previous mobile number is not working as he is out of town. My friend thought that it’s me who is asking for money. But luckily, he called on my mobile and asked me that why I need money and what happened. I told that I am not asking for anything and that’s not me. Then me and my friend figured out that someone as created a fake account of mine and I immediately reported Facebook. From that day I increased the privacy settings of my account.
This can happen to anyone. If I talk about my home country i.e., India, these digital thefts are very common. People are not tech savvy and old teachers do not have much knowledge of internet. They can be easily attacked by spammers. Even it takes a lot of time to resolve the issue if someone goes to the cyber court. It is always advised that one should change their password regularly and maintain their privacy on social media. We leave digital footprints whenever we go online. Always clear cache, use VPNs and use strong passwords. It is important to keep an eye on personal account and if you find any unwanted activity, immediately change your passwords and give an update that its not you.
Being safe online is as important as being safe offline.
With the growth and advancement in technology, education has also stepped into digital world. Now along with digitalization, some responsibilities also come on the users and this responsible use of technology is referred as Digital Citizenship. This term is not that popular and we often talk about educational environment in digital world. Both teachers and students need some skill to understand the tools and digital devices. This area is often neglected as we take things for granted and one doesn’t care about a healthy online communication. In my class, Dr. Mike Ribble gave an overview for what exactly Digital Citizenship is and how we can make it better. Dr. Ribble pointed out nine elements that cover how one can be good citizen online.
Ribble’s Nine Digital Elements
Text source: fractuslearning.com/digital-citizenship-poster/
Practicing Digital Literacy
Digital literacy is a wide area and it requires good planning for implementation. Teachers should be ensured that students understand the pros and cons of the digital world. There can be some ways by using of which teachers and students can become a good digital citizens and there are:
Fake News:It refers to false information and it alters the opinions of people posting the comments online. The fake news is biased and it degrades the image of someone. It is always recommended to ignore such news and prevent themselves from rumors.
Clickbait:Fake news and Clickbait are interconnected. Clickbait refers to an eye-catching headline, video, image or text that attracts the interest of the user. These are run by some organization who wants more clicks on their website to increase their online presence.
Security: New malwares can affect your computers and can steel every data. These virus can even track your clicks made on the device. Hackers steel the credit card information, credentials of social media and misuse them. It is always advised to be make a strong password and change it regularly. Use VPNs and install anti-virus software in the computers.
Connection of Nine Elements with Major Project
Although all the Ribble’s nine elements can be connected to my major project but I will talk about a few here.
Firstly, I think that out of nine elements, the digital literacy is the most important that I want to connect with my major project. This elements says that a student and teacher should have knowledge of online media and as I will use Facebook, Instagram along with the Gamification tools. So knowledge of the tools and application is foremost important.
Secondly, the element that I want to pick is digital commerce. It refers to buying and selling online. If I talk about Gamification, there are many educational paid games on the internet. Students should be aware that which website is legit and from where it is safe to purchase online stuff.
How we can forget digital security? In my major project as I will explain more about use of social media and passwords plays an important role in it. Weak passwords can be easily hacked and it is always recommended to use alpha-numeric along with special characters while creating a password. Also, teachers should tell about phishing, online scams, backing-up the data and identity theft.
As I will work on option #3 which is Personal journey into media. Along with use of social media, I want to include game-based learning in my final assignment. These days social media also provide platform for educational games and a student can earn some credits which can be use to earn a life in a game. I think this method is rewarding and will increase the motivation of student. Game-based learning or gamification is not a matter of single post. It may need well-designed posts or even a book. This is just a sneak-peak into what I will do in my major project. I will also try some use of game-elements in a non-game scenario
According to me, Game-based learning triggers the emotions of a student that help in the motivation. Gamification is stepping out of the comfort zone that triggers the cognitive process which the help of quizzes and helps in adrenaline rush. It brings out emotions like happiness, joy, esteem, fulfilment and so on.
Learning Without Gamification
Some educational gaming methods can include Gimkit, Kahoot or Blooket. I will explore these apps and will try to make its connection with use of social media in education. I will try to explain the steps to use some of these methods.
Moreover, going digital always do not have positive impacts. It too has some drawbacks. I am also planning to explain the issues related to social media and what are its limitations. Also, not everyone gets the advantage of using digital tools in education as there are lack of resources and knowledge.
