Saturday, May 8, 2010
aMap/CSUSM Web 2.0 Tools for Educators -NETS Three
For my wiki Project I choose to learn about the aMap.com tool for writing and creativity. I find this is be useful for me personally and for anyone who wishes to improve their writing skills. This would be an excellent tool for any classroom. Check it out! :)
aMap cool tool for debate - CSUSM Web 2.0 Tools for Educators
aMap cool tool for debate - CSUSM Web 2.0 Tools for Educators
Thursday, May 6, 2010
JCCS Internet Safety- NETS Four
JCCS Internet Safety
Piracy and Plagiarism
Aaron Sabbas
Week Three
Piracy and plagiarism has become an epidemic issue in recent years. With the advent and growth of technology inside and outside the classroom, educators are finding it more and more difficult to ensure that a student's work is original. In order to properly illuminate this issue I will first became with a brief introduction to the issue along with clearly defined parameters. Then I will cover the lesson articulated on week three of the JCCS internet safety website. I will close by addressing the significance of this lesson for both students and teachers. I will show why this is essential in any modern classroom.
According to JCCS Internet Safety Project, piracy and plagiarism refers to unlawful use of intellectual property. Intellectual property includes materials which are written, created, designed, or expressed by individuals. These materials include music, games, movies, photos, and written material. To illegally download or share intellectual property without the permission of the creator is a crime and punishable by law. What many educators don't realize is that this problem has grown out of hand in recent years. Moreover, this issue is dire for a students growth and development. How can a student create original works when all they know how to do is hit "copy, and paste?"
Week Three of JCCS starts with an overview which addresses the seriousness of piracy in the classroom. The article then addresses the ISTE requirements for technology in education. After which an article is presented titled "Lessons in Internet Plagiarism." The students are given some context to view this article. They are told to imagine a scenario where students pull an "all-nighter," in order to complete a research assignment. However at 1am the student's computer crashes and there is no backup for the lost information. This is a typical situation which would invoke unethical academic practices, plagiarism. In addition to this context, students are also given a series of questions to further guide their thought process.
1. Q: How did Ms. Prestebak discover that the high school student had taken his paper off the Internet?
A: The page indentations were suspicious
2. Q:How has the temptation to cheat been increased by access to the Internet?
A: copy/paste, availability
3. Q:What happened at the University of Virginia with regards to this topic?
A: 122 students investigated for plagiarism
4. Q:What did Donald McCabe’s survey reveal?
A: More than half of college students admitted to have downloaded their papers
5. Q:According to Cathy Aubrecht, what is a sign that a student has plagiarized?
A: An obvious change in the quality of their work
6. Q:What are some of the consequences for plagiarism?
A: The consequences are very lax. students may get a F and rarely not allowed to graduate. Often times students receive little more than a stern talk.
7. Q:What are some resources that schools can use to find out if students are plagiarizing materials?
A: There are web programs where educators can enter a sample of the student's work and compare it to other works which are stored in a database for easy reference. Also common sense investigation.
After considering the questions above and reading Katie Hafner's Article "Lessons in Internet Plagiarism," students will think twice about stealing work which is not their own. Students learn through narrative that teachers have numerous tools and common sense tactics to determine if a students work is authentic. As technology becomes more common place, piracy and plagiarism become more common place as well. In order to ensure the academic integrity of our education system and the future viability of our students this is an issue that must be taken seriously. It is vital to educate our educators to recognize and solve piracy in their classroom.
Cyber Bullying and Cyber Predators
Rosa Baker
Week 4
Cyber bullying is becoming more of an issue around the globe as the Internet continues to grow in popularity and the amount of kids on the Internet increases everyday. Cyber bullying can be anything from creating mean comments on a social networking page to breaking into classmates personal web pages and posting inaccurate information about the other person. Cyber bullying is one of those silent acts that no one really hears but sees, yet it has the same damaging effects of any other sort of playground face to face bullying. Cyber bullying may be even more damaging in the terms of it’s silence status because it’s harder to catch kids in the act and it’s spreads quicker than ever on the internet, which can leave children feeling alone and isolated in their battle against this keyboard bully.
I watched a short clip from Frontline, which showed the ways in which children are growing up with the Internet and the different ways in which they are using and abusing it at the same time. They showed clips of teenagers just taking all their computers and then having a game night, which is lacking actual human interaction but not really hurting themselves or anyone else. Then they showed kids which post things on the internet that display their whole life which can be truly detrimental their lives when they really don’t know who is watching them or what people they are giving information about themselves. The scariest part of the clip is that they were showing that kids were able to easily out smart their parents because the computer and the internet wasn’t their generation like it is today. I feel like that’s the hugest downfall for our parents today is that they try to keep track of what their children are doing on the internet and yet they really have no idea what their really doing. They showed a clip where a parent was trying to monitor the use of his teenager and yet his teenager could manipulate the screens so that the parent was seeing what the teenager wanted him to see and not actually see what he was really doing on the computer. According to the NETS 2007, Digital citizenship means that students practice safe, legal, and responsible use of the technology and yet many students today have free reign of the internet with no one looking over their shoulder to monitor their behavior and I think that’s where many of our kids today are out of control on the internet.
I think we need to teach our students to have respect for people not only face to face, but through the Internet as well. Cyber Bullying is not a responsible use of technology and I think that if students want to use the computer they need to know the rules of the world, even if it is a virtual world. Learning these skills for them is so important so that they can continue to use these rules in their life outside of school walls and know that the Internet is a privilege and they need to be responsible whether they are behind a computer screen or not.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/kidsonline/view/
CyberPredators
Rosa Baker
Week 1
Cyber predators are people that try to take advantage or make anyone a victim on the Internet. Whether it is verbally, financially or emotionally.Many predators try to befriend a child and then manipulate them into believing certain falsehoods because of their naiveness. The real objective when talking to your children or students about online predators is they communicate with you more about what they are doing or seeing on the Internet that might make them feel something is wrong. Again, talking to your students and children about the responsibility of the Internet is a huge aspect in having control over what your students are going to get into or be able to walk away from. Here, in the next section I watched a short clip that dealt with a young girl named Amy and her real life choices on the Internet that led to an unfortunate event. Afterward there are questions and answers that explains some of Amy's actions and why.
http://www.netsmartz.org/stories/amy.htm
1. Why did Amy start talking to the man online?
Amy started talking to the guy online because she felt like she should tell him that she couldn’t tell her friends or family because he was a stranger and it didn’t matter anyway.
2. Where did Amy first “meet” the man?
She met him in a private chat room.
3. How long did Amy talk to the man online before meeting him in person?
They talked on the Internet private chat for about a month.
4. Amy knew how old the man was. Why did she keep talking to him? She kept talking to him because he was so nice to her and she felt like she could talk to him and that it didn’t matter because she didn’t think they would ever have a relationship.
5. Had the man ever talked other girls into meeting with him in person? Yes, she said he had met 3 other girls and they met him.
6. Why is Amy still worried?
She wonders to herself, where are those girls that he’s talked to in the past.
7. Why does Amy encourage other teens to talk to their parents about what's going on even though they might get in trouble?
She says that because it was such a scary situation for her and she thought she was one only one, but some of her friends were also in the same situation and would have understood.
Then answer the following questions....
1. Why aren't many teens concerned about giving out personal information online? They think that people couldn’t really find them or maybe that it wouldn’t matter. Many teens are invincible and I think they don’t know anyone is really going to harm them.
2. At what point do you think Amy regretted sharing her personal information?
I think when the guy showed up outside her house she was regretful because at that she didn’t have a choice in which she wanted to meet with him or not. She basically had to.
3. What were the consequences of sharing her personal information online?
She had to meet him, they were gone for two days, they went across state lines, they were pulled over, it was basically like kidnapping her and yet he was caught which is great. He’s in prison now, but she will always have this terrible event in her past.
4. If your friend confides in you that he or she is thinking about meeting in person with anyone he or she first “met” online, what would you tell him or her? I would tell her no, that I didn’t think it was safe. I had a friend actually do this exact thing, I made sure that I knew exactly what time and where they were going to meet with her cell phone on. It’s a bad situation to get yourself into, but if your friend is insisting, do everything you can to keep him/her safe as you can by knowing all the information about their meeting.
I think it's a good idea to share with your students the dangers of cyber predators because although they cannot see them, they are real and a threat to your students and their lives. I think many children or students may be naive to the actual danger to them and sharing with them the facts about internet safety and what to look out for, will help them in the future, should they come across anyone looking to harm them in anyway.
Mark Noble
Internet Safety
Identity Safety has become an increasingly alarming issue with the advent of technology and web-based applications. While equally important, it also highlights the threat of Identity Theft. Essentially, it all comes down to a violation of privacy. Regardless of the perpetrator's goal, the issue at hand is the misuse of your personal information without your knowledge and permission. Identity Safety refers to the proper use of new technologies to preserve your privacy and make it harder for your information to be used inappropriately.
Week 1 Assignment: Putting a Face on MySpace...
Do you have a MySpace or Facebook page (or pages)? Do you visit every day? How much time do you spend on MySpace?
I have one Facebook page. I rarely visit it, maybe on a monthly basis - and that's if I'm keeping up with it. I actually went a whole year without logging on; it was because of this class that I even signed on again. Whenever I am on, I stay on for a hour or so, no more than two.
How would you describe what MySpace is to the following audiences? 1) your friends; 2) your parents; 3) a grandparent; 4) a teen living in the late 1800s
1) I shouldn't have to. They should know what it is, more than I do even.
2) It's an online profile that you make public so friends can find you. In addition if you were so inclined, it's a tool to facilitate social networking.
3) It's an advanced address book that lets you instantly mail letters/notes with your contacts back and forth.
4) Magic. Alien technology. The FUTURE.
Look at this mock MySpace page. How does this page reveal information about the person? What design and content techniques are used to catch your attention? Would you want to add this person as a friend or leave a comment on his or her page? Why or why not? What do you want to know about this person that is not posted on this profile?
It reveals information about the person in a linear, cut-and-dry, fill-in-the-blanks manner. It is bright and colorful and (supposedly) attracts attention - kinda like flowers and bees. I would probably never have any interaction with this person. If I were to comment on anything, I'd probably just come off as creepy, and I have no business talking to her anyways. All I would really want to know is why this girl has her profile publicly available - at least friend-lock it.
Watch the following report from Dateline on MySpace...
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/11066322#11066322
1. Read through some of the email responses to this report on MySpace.
2. Write your own email response to this report. In your response...
A. Discuss your own experiences with MySpace/facebook.
B. Agree or disagree with the central message of the report, that MySpace/facebook is a potentially dangerous place.
C. Give two strong reasons for agreeing/disagreeing.
I am glad others recognize the risks associated with blogs and social networking. Admittedly, my experience with facebook is minimal, but at least I understand the security issues involved for whenever I DO use it. I agree with a couple emails that DATELINE fails to address anything GOOD about social networking. I agree that there are many good uses for it - connectivity, socialization, etc. - so long as you use it properly.
Ultimately, I must agree with the central message of the report, "that MySpace/facebook is a potentially dangerous place," particular emphasis on "POTENTIALLY." In general, I'm fairly uncomfortable putting so much information about myself online, but because I use such applications appropriately, I have a better sense of security. These sites put your identity at risk and even your safety if you're not careful. It's a dangerous place, but only if you let it become one.
This is an important issue to teach to students because social networking and online based applications constantly require personal information from the user. There are so many applications out there that place your information at risk that it would be prudent to educate students in proper safety and security practices. Social networking is growing fast, and for lack of a better phrase "(almost) everyone's doing it." It's our duty to make sure nothing happens in the process.
***************************
Inappropriate Content
Inappropriate content has been defined in the Children's Internet Protection Act as "visual depictions that are obscene, child pornography, or material "harmful to minors" Categories include pornography, hate groups, violence, illegal activity, extremist groups, online advertising."
Week 1 Assignment:
1. Answer the following questions...
What are some of the ways that the Internet is a useful tool? (e.g., communication, education, entertainment, business)
The Internet makes the world go round. It's what makes computers worthwhile. It enables our digital age lifestyles. Information transfer and processing has been revolutionized by this tool. Everything uses it.
Do you think that the Internet can be dangerous? Explain your thinking or give an example.
Hackers, predators, identity thieves, etc.. they're all people who use the Internet for personal gain. They take advantage of the fact that information is so easily available and accessible and use it for nefarious purposes.
How have you heard the word "racist" used? How would you define the term "racist?"
I've mostly heard it as an adjective, sometimes as an adverb. Colloquially, it's also used as a noun, thought it's technically improper usage - but hey, that's how English works. For me, generally speaking, "racist" means to be biased or prejudiced against someone based on their appearance, beliefs, and other cultural factors.
Who knows what a chat room is? Explain.
A chat room is a messaging site in which multiple participants can talk about anything. It shows everything each participant types, so entire conversations can be reviewed and addressed, etc. Sometimes, specific chat rooms are limited to certain topics or are meant for a specific group of people.
Do you think that chat rooms can be a dangerous medium? Do any of you have any specific experiences with chat rooms that you'd like to share? (an example might address personal safety in chat rooms)
Do you think that chat rooms target a specific audience? Explain your thinking or give an example. (an example of a target audience might be children or young adults)
Oh look, I just said that earlier. Yes, definitely. Getting more specific, chat rooms can exist for very specific purposes depending on it's participants. There can be political chat rooms in which Republicans and Democrats debate like crazy. There can be chat rooms that discuss favorite TV shows or musical artists, etc. The whole point of a chat room is to get similar minds (or opposing factions) into one common room in which they are free to discuss whatever they want.
Have you ever been part of a chat room discussion in which either you or someone else gave out false information? Why do you believe people use chat rooms to create false identities?
Briefly, yes. I never got into chat rooms in the first place. In the few times I did, there were times when they were helpful, but some times, it was painfully obvious that they were full of crap and just lying. As for why? I tend to brush it off to the fact that they have no lives, nothing better to do, or even simpler, they're just a bunch of idiots.
2. Read "Daniel's Story"...
Daniel, a twelve-year-old boy, entered a chat room one day from home. Another boy who was in the room greeted Daniel and they proceeded to "chat." They discovered that they were both White Sox fans, so the boy typed, "Perhaps we can meet one day and go to a baseball game. What's your real name (not online name) and home phone number?" Daniel was excited to go to a game and he entered his information. As they continued writing, they discussed their families' origins. Daniel wrote that his grandparents were Holocaust survivors from Europe who were liberated after being in concentration camps for two years. The other boy didn't respond and logged offline. Within five minutes, Daniel received numerous e-mails saying: "Die Jew!" He received repeated phone calls repeating the same message. His parents finally were forced to disconnect the phone. When they asked what happened, Daniel told them the story. They asked him who the other boy was, but Daniel didn't know his real identity. When his parents asked to see the hate-filled e-mail messages, Daniel told them he deleted them as soon as he got them because they were so disturbing. Fortunately, Daniel did not give out his home address.
3. Respond to the following questions...
Describe, in your own words, what happened to Daniel.
Daniel was the victim of spam and hate mail, maybe even a virus.
How was he feeling before the hate message? After the hate message?
Before the hate message, he was trusting and simply looking to share his interests with a kindred spirit. After the hate message, he felt threatened and violated.
What could he have done to avoid this experience?
He shouldn't have give out his real name and phone number. Such information is sensitive and should not be given up so easily, especially to someone you don't know.
What would you have done if you had been in the chat room when these hateful messages popped up?
I would've left immediately ..or if I was savvy enough, I would maybe try to track down the person on the other end.
What are some of possible ways that people can protect themselves from this kind of hate on the Internet?
They just need to engage in safer online habits. Never give out personal information. Only use trusted and secure sites. Be less trusting and more speculative about others inquiring about your personal life.
Do you think it is ever safe to reveal personal information over the Internet? If yes, when? If no, why not?
Maybe if it's someone you absolutely know and trust. Still, revealing such information on the Internet is still risky because other unauthorized persons can access it it.
What other kinds of hate that could exist on the Internet?
Juvenile hatred - kids being kids; genuine bullies; cultural hatred - people who truly hate a particular group of people and integrate it into their lifestyle.
Have you ever experienced such kinds of hate?
I had a bully once, but it was in reality, not over the Internet.
What could you do if you encountered hate on the Internet?
Report it to those who can do something about it. Engage in safer Internet practices, if they were indeed the cause.
It's important to educate students in matters of inappropriate content. They shouldn't be putting such content on the Internet, and they likewise shouldn't have to be victims of such content either. Teach them what they shouldn't do on the Internet, and more importantly, what to do when they encounter inappropriate content. They should know how to judge what's proper and what's not, and also how to conduct themselves while they are on the Internet.
Piracy and Plagiarism
Aaron Sabbas
Week Three
Piracy and plagiarism has become an epidemic issue in recent years. With the advent and growth of technology inside and outside the classroom, educators are finding it more and more difficult to ensure that a student's work is original. In order to properly illuminate this issue I will first became with a brief introduction to the issue along with clearly defined parameters. Then I will cover the lesson articulated on week three of the JCCS internet safety website. I will close by addressing the significance of this lesson for both students and teachers. I will show why this is essential in any modern classroom.
According to JCCS Internet Safety Project, piracy and plagiarism refers to unlawful use of intellectual property. Intellectual property includes materials which are written, created, designed, or expressed by individuals. These materials include music, games, movies, photos, and written material. To illegally download or share intellectual property without the permission of the creator is a crime and punishable by law. What many educators don't realize is that this problem has grown out of hand in recent years. Moreover, this issue is dire for a students growth and development. How can a student create original works when all they know how to do is hit "copy, and paste?"
Week Three of JCCS starts with an overview which addresses the seriousness of piracy in the classroom. The article then addresses the ISTE requirements for technology in education. After which an article is presented titled "Lessons in Internet Plagiarism." The students are given some context to view this article. They are told to imagine a scenario where students pull an "all-nighter," in order to complete a research assignment. However at 1am the student's computer crashes and there is no backup for the lost information. This is a typical situation which would invoke unethical academic practices, plagiarism. In addition to this context, students are also given a series of questions to further guide their thought process.
1. Q: How did Ms. Prestebak discover that the high school student had taken his paper off the Internet?
A: The page indentations were suspicious
2. Q:How has the temptation to cheat been increased by access to the Internet?
A: copy/paste, availability
3. Q:What happened at the University of Virginia with regards to this topic?
A: 122 students investigated for plagiarism
4. Q:What did Donald McCabe’s survey reveal?
A: More than half of college students admitted to have downloaded their papers
5. Q:According to Cathy Aubrecht, what is a sign that a student has plagiarized?
A: An obvious change in the quality of their work
6. Q:What are some of the consequences for plagiarism?
A: The consequences are very lax. students may get a F and rarely not allowed to graduate. Often times students receive little more than a stern talk.
7. Q:What are some resources that schools can use to find out if students are plagiarizing materials?
A: There are web programs where educators can enter a sample of the student's work and compare it to other works which are stored in a database for easy reference. Also common sense investigation.
After considering the questions above and reading Katie Hafner's Article "Lessons in Internet Plagiarism," students will think twice about stealing work which is not their own. Students learn through narrative that teachers have numerous tools and common sense tactics to determine if a students work is authentic. As technology becomes more common place, piracy and plagiarism become more common place as well. In order to ensure the academic integrity of our education system and the future viability of our students this is an issue that must be taken seriously. It is vital to educate our educators to recognize and solve piracy in their classroom.
Cyber Bullying and Cyber Predators
Rosa Baker
Week 4
Cyber bullying is becoming more of an issue around the globe as the Internet continues to grow in popularity and the amount of kids on the Internet increases everyday. Cyber bullying can be anything from creating mean comments on a social networking page to breaking into classmates personal web pages and posting inaccurate information about the other person. Cyber bullying is one of those silent acts that no one really hears but sees, yet it has the same damaging effects of any other sort of playground face to face bullying. Cyber bullying may be even more damaging in the terms of it’s silence status because it’s harder to catch kids in the act and it’s spreads quicker than ever on the internet, which can leave children feeling alone and isolated in their battle against this keyboard bully.
I watched a short clip from Frontline, which showed the ways in which children are growing up with the Internet and the different ways in which they are using and abusing it at the same time. They showed clips of teenagers just taking all their computers and then having a game night, which is lacking actual human interaction but not really hurting themselves or anyone else. Then they showed kids which post things on the internet that display their whole life which can be truly detrimental their lives when they really don’t know who is watching them or what people they are giving information about themselves. The scariest part of the clip is that they were showing that kids were able to easily out smart their parents because the computer and the internet wasn’t their generation like it is today. I feel like that’s the hugest downfall for our parents today is that they try to keep track of what their children are doing on the internet and yet they really have no idea what their really doing. They showed a clip where a parent was trying to monitor the use of his teenager and yet his teenager could manipulate the screens so that the parent was seeing what the teenager wanted him to see and not actually see what he was really doing on the computer. According to the NETS 2007, Digital citizenship means that students practice safe, legal, and responsible use of the technology and yet many students today have free reign of the internet with no one looking over their shoulder to monitor their behavior and I think that’s where many of our kids today are out of control on the internet.
I think we need to teach our students to have respect for people not only face to face, but through the Internet as well. Cyber Bullying is not a responsible use of technology and I think that if students want to use the computer they need to know the rules of the world, even if it is a virtual world. Learning these skills for them is so important so that they can continue to use these rules in their life outside of school walls and know that the Internet is a privilege and they need to be responsible whether they are behind a computer screen or not.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/kidsonline/view/
CyberPredators
Rosa Baker
Week 1
Cyber predators are people that try to take advantage or make anyone a victim on the Internet. Whether it is verbally, financially or emotionally.Many predators try to befriend a child and then manipulate them into believing certain falsehoods because of their naiveness. The real objective when talking to your children or students about online predators is they communicate with you more about what they are doing or seeing on the Internet that might make them feel something is wrong. Again, talking to your students and children about the responsibility of the Internet is a huge aspect in having control over what your students are going to get into or be able to walk away from. Here, in the next section I watched a short clip that dealt with a young girl named Amy and her real life choices on the Internet that led to an unfortunate event. Afterward there are questions and answers that explains some of Amy's actions and why.
http://www.netsmartz.org/stories/amy.htm
1. Why did Amy start talking to the man online?
Amy started talking to the guy online because she felt like she should tell him that she couldn’t tell her friends or family because he was a stranger and it didn’t matter anyway.
2. Where did Amy first “meet” the man?
She met him in a private chat room.
3. How long did Amy talk to the man online before meeting him in person?
They talked on the Internet private chat for about a month.
4. Amy knew how old the man was. Why did she keep talking to him? She kept talking to him because he was so nice to her and she felt like she could talk to him and that it didn’t matter because she didn’t think they would ever have a relationship.
5. Had the man ever talked other girls into meeting with him in person? Yes, she said he had met 3 other girls and they met him.
6. Why is Amy still worried?
She wonders to herself, where are those girls that he’s talked to in the past.
7. Why does Amy encourage other teens to talk to their parents about what's going on even though they might get in trouble?
She says that because it was such a scary situation for her and she thought she was one only one, but some of her friends were also in the same situation and would have understood.
Then answer the following questions....
1. Why aren't many teens concerned about giving out personal information online? They think that people couldn’t really find them or maybe that it wouldn’t matter. Many teens are invincible and I think they don’t know anyone is really going to harm them.
2. At what point do you think Amy regretted sharing her personal information?
I think when the guy showed up outside her house she was regretful because at that she didn’t have a choice in which she wanted to meet with him or not. She basically had to.
3. What were the consequences of sharing her personal information online?
She had to meet him, they were gone for two days, they went across state lines, they were pulled over, it was basically like kidnapping her and yet he was caught which is great. He’s in prison now, but she will always have this terrible event in her past.
4. If your friend confides in you that he or she is thinking about meeting in person with anyone he or she first “met” online, what would you tell him or her? I would tell her no, that I didn’t think it was safe. I had a friend actually do this exact thing, I made sure that I knew exactly what time and where they were going to meet with her cell phone on. It’s a bad situation to get yourself into, but if your friend is insisting, do everything you can to keep him/her safe as you can by knowing all the information about their meeting.
I think it's a good idea to share with your students the dangers of cyber predators because although they cannot see them, they are real and a threat to your students and their lives. I think many children or students may be naive to the actual danger to them and sharing with them the facts about internet safety and what to look out for, will help them in the future, should they come across anyone looking to harm them in anyway.
Mark Noble
Internet Safety
Identity Safety has become an increasingly alarming issue with the advent of technology and web-based applications. While equally important, it also highlights the threat of Identity Theft. Essentially, it all comes down to a violation of privacy. Regardless of the perpetrator's goal, the issue at hand is the misuse of your personal information without your knowledge and permission. Identity Safety refers to the proper use of new technologies to preserve your privacy and make it harder for your information to be used inappropriately.
Week 1 Assignment: Putting a Face on MySpace...
Do you have a MySpace or Facebook page (or pages)? Do you visit every day? How much time do you spend on MySpace?
I have one Facebook page. I rarely visit it, maybe on a monthly basis - and that's if I'm keeping up with it. I actually went a whole year without logging on; it was because of this class that I even signed on again. Whenever I am on, I stay on for a hour or so, no more than two.
How would you describe what MySpace is to the following audiences? 1) your friends; 2) your parents; 3) a grandparent; 4) a teen living in the late 1800s
1) I shouldn't have to. They should know what it is, more than I do even.
2) It's an online profile that you make public so friends can find you. In addition if you were so inclined, it's a tool to facilitate social networking.
3) It's an advanced address book that lets you instantly mail letters/notes with your contacts back and forth.
4) Magic. Alien technology. The FUTURE.
Look at this mock MySpace page. How does this page reveal information about the person? What design and content techniques are used to catch your attention? Would you want to add this person as a friend or leave a comment on his or her page? Why or why not? What do you want to know about this person that is not posted on this profile?
It reveals information about the person in a linear, cut-and-dry, fill-in-the-blanks manner. It is bright and colorful and (supposedly) attracts attention - kinda like flowers and bees. I would probably never have any interaction with this person. If I were to comment on anything, I'd probably just come off as creepy, and I have no business talking to her anyways. All I would really want to know is why this girl has her profile publicly available - at least friend-lock it.
Watch the following report from Dateline on MySpace...
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/11066322#11066322
1. Read through some of the email responses to this report on MySpace.
2. Write your own email response to this report. In your response...
A. Discuss your own experiences with MySpace/facebook.
B. Agree or disagree with the central message of the report, that MySpace/facebook is a potentially dangerous place.
C. Give two strong reasons for agreeing/disagreeing.
I am glad others recognize the risks associated with blogs and social networking. Admittedly, my experience with facebook is minimal, but at least I understand the security issues involved for whenever I DO use it. I agree with a couple emails that DATELINE fails to address anything GOOD about social networking. I agree that there are many good uses for it - connectivity, socialization, etc. - so long as you use it properly.
Ultimately, I must agree with the central message of the report, "that MySpace/facebook is a potentially dangerous place," particular emphasis on "POTENTIALLY." In general, I'm fairly uncomfortable putting so much information about myself online, but because I use such applications appropriately, I have a better sense of security. These sites put your identity at risk and even your safety if you're not careful. It's a dangerous place, but only if you let it become one.
This is an important issue to teach to students because social networking and online based applications constantly require personal information from the user. There are so many applications out there that place your information at risk that it would be prudent to educate students in proper safety and security practices. Social networking is growing fast, and for lack of a better phrase "(almost) everyone's doing it." It's our duty to make sure nothing happens in the process.
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Inappropriate Content
Inappropriate content has been defined in the Children's Internet Protection Act as "visual depictions that are obscene, child pornography, or material "harmful to minors" Categories include pornography, hate groups, violence, illegal activity, extremist groups, online advertising."
Week 1 Assignment:
1. Answer the following questions...
What are some of the ways that the Internet is a useful tool? (e.g., communication, education, entertainment, business)
The Internet makes the world go round. It's what makes computers worthwhile. It enables our digital age lifestyles. Information transfer and processing has been revolutionized by this tool. Everything uses it.
Do you think that the Internet can be dangerous? Explain your thinking or give an example.
Hackers, predators, identity thieves, etc.. they're all people who use the Internet for personal gain. They take advantage of the fact that information is so easily available and accessible and use it for nefarious purposes.
How have you heard the word "racist" used? How would you define the term "racist?"
I've mostly heard it as an adjective, sometimes as an adverb. Colloquially, it's also used as a noun, thought it's technically improper usage - but hey, that's how English works. For me, generally speaking, "racist" means to be biased or prejudiced against someone based on their appearance, beliefs, and other cultural factors.
Who knows what a chat room is? Explain.
A chat room is a messaging site in which multiple participants can talk about anything. It shows everything each participant types, so entire conversations can be reviewed and addressed, etc. Sometimes, specific chat rooms are limited to certain topics or are meant for a specific group of people.
Do you think that chat rooms can be a dangerous medium? Do any of you have any specific experiences with chat rooms that you'd like to share? (an example might address personal safety in chat rooms)
Do you think that chat rooms target a specific audience? Explain your thinking or give an example. (an example of a target audience might be children or young adults)
Oh look, I just said that earlier. Yes, definitely. Getting more specific, chat rooms can exist for very specific purposes depending on it's participants. There can be political chat rooms in which Republicans and Democrats debate like crazy. There can be chat rooms that discuss favorite TV shows or musical artists, etc. The whole point of a chat room is to get similar minds (or opposing factions) into one common room in which they are free to discuss whatever they want.
Have you ever been part of a chat room discussion in which either you or someone else gave out false information? Why do you believe people use chat rooms to create false identities?
Briefly, yes. I never got into chat rooms in the first place. In the few times I did, there were times when they were helpful, but some times, it was painfully obvious that they were full of crap and just lying. As for why? I tend to brush it off to the fact that they have no lives, nothing better to do, or even simpler, they're just a bunch of idiots.
2. Read "Daniel's Story"...
Daniel, a twelve-year-old boy, entered a chat room one day from home. Another boy who was in the room greeted Daniel and they proceeded to "chat." They discovered that they were both White Sox fans, so the boy typed, "Perhaps we can meet one day and go to a baseball game. What's your real name (not online name) and home phone number?" Daniel was excited to go to a game and he entered his information. As they continued writing, they discussed their families' origins. Daniel wrote that his grandparents were Holocaust survivors from Europe who were liberated after being in concentration camps for two years. The other boy didn't respond and logged offline. Within five minutes, Daniel received numerous e-mails saying: "Die Jew!" He received repeated phone calls repeating the same message. His parents finally were forced to disconnect the phone. When they asked what happened, Daniel told them the story. They asked him who the other boy was, but Daniel didn't know his real identity. When his parents asked to see the hate-filled e-mail messages, Daniel told them he deleted them as soon as he got them because they were so disturbing. Fortunately, Daniel did not give out his home address.
3. Respond to the following questions...
Describe, in your own words, what happened to Daniel.
Daniel was the victim of spam and hate mail, maybe even a virus.
How was he feeling before the hate message? After the hate message?
Before the hate message, he was trusting and simply looking to share his interests with a kindred spirit. After the hate message, he felt threatened and violated.
What could he have done to avoid this experience?
He shouldn't have give out his real name and phone number. Such information is sensitive and should not be given up so easily, especially to someone you don't know.
What would you have done if you had been in the chat room when these hateful messages popped up?
I would've left immediately ..or if I was savvy enough, I would maybe try to track down the person on the other end.
What are some of possible ways that people can protect themselves from this kind of hate on the Internet?
They just need to engage in safer online habits. Never give out personal information. Only use trusted and secure sites. Be less trusting and more speculative about others inquiring about your personal life.
Do you think it is ever safe to reveal personal information over the Internet? If yes, when? If no, why not?
Maybe if it's someone you absolutely know and trust. Still, revealing such information on the Internet is still risky because other unauthorized persons can access it it.
What other kinds of hate that could exist on the Internet?
Juvenile hatred - kids being kids; genuine bullies; cultural hatred - people who truly hate a particular group of people and integrate it into their lifestyle.
Have you ever experienced such kinds of hate?
I had a bully once, but it was in reality, not over the Internet.
What could you do if you encountered hate on the Internet?
Report it to those who can do something about it. Engage in safer Internet practices, if they were indeed the cause.
It's important to educate students in matters of inappropriate content. They shouldn't be putting such content on the Internet, and they likewise shouldn't have to be victims of such content either. Teach them what they shouldn't do on the Internet, and more importantly, what to do when they encounter inappropriate content. They should know how to judge what's proper and what's not, and also how to conduct themselves while they are on the Internet.
Monday, May 3, 2010
Journal 6 -NETS Five
Gaming/ Web 2.0 tool
Journal six
Classroom 2.0 and Gaming
For my classroom 2.0 assignment and Journal number six, I have chosen to follow the tool option for gaming and check out some of the discussions. To begin, I ought to define the term gaming as it might be unfamiliar to some. Gaming and Gamers are terms applied to online game players. Games like WOW (World of Warcraft in common speak), Diablo, City of Heroes, Command and Conquer, and the ever-popular Sims. Gaming is the act of playing online on a PC or laptop. The discussion posted on August 30th, 2007 by Ed Jones asks the question, "How can we use gaming to teach students about history and literature."
This sounds really innovative and useful, I personally love gaming. I also love to learn and teach, so melding the two is brilliant in my eyes. If you follow the discussion you can see links which will show you some examples of gaming in use today for the purposes of teaching. The most common examples can be found in museums. I am sure we have all played an interactive learning game on display at some point in our lives. I think this is a positive way to get kids engaged in history in particular. I remember as a child one of my favorite games was Organ Trail. In it you actually go along the Organ Trail in a covered carriage and combat the various obstacles just as early pioneers. To be honest i spent most of my time hunting for food. Games like these could get kids to care about something which they show overwhelming apathy towards, history. I would also argue that this is an effective way to reach students who are slow learners. Gaming allows kids to work "hands on," as well as engage other modalities of learning.
Could aerobic gaming be integrated into physical education? Think DDR PE :)
How are students under the ADA given access gaming in their education. Is it possible?
Journal six
Classroom 2.0 and Gaming
For my classroom 2.0 assignment and Journal number six, I have chosen to follow the tool option for gaming and check out some of the discussions. To begin, I ought to define the term gaming as it might be unfamiliar to some. Gaming and Gamers are terms applied to online game players. Games like WOW (World of Warcraft in common speak), Diablo, City of Heroes, Command and Conquer, and the ever-popular Sims. Gaming is the act of playing online on a PC or laptop. The discussion posted on August 30th, 2007 by Ed Jones asks the question, "How can we use gaming to teach students about history and literature."
This sounds really innovative and useful, I personally love gaming. I also love to learn and teach, so melding the two is brilliant in my eyes. If you follow the discussion you can see links which will show you some examples of gaming in use today for the purposes of teaching. The most common examples can be found in museums. I am sure we have all played an interactive learning game on display at some point in our lives. I think this is a positive way to get kids engaged in history in particular. I remember as a child one of my favorite games was Organ Trail. In it you actually go along the Organ Trail in a covered carriage and combat the various obstacles just as early pioneers. To be honest i spent most of my time hunting for food. Games like these could get kids to care about something which they show overwhelming apathy towards, history. I would also argue that this is an effective way to reach students who are slow learners. Gaming allows kids to work "hands on," as well as engage other modalities of learning.
Could aerobic gaming be integrated into physical education? Think DDR PE :)
How are students under the ADA given access gaming in their education. Is it possible?
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