Sunday, September 21, 2014

Digital Badge #D

Everybody has a right to use the internet to fit their interests.  But, with that privilege comes responsibilities.  We are all accountable on how we utilize the usage of technology for work or personal interests.  Students need to be aware of appropriate technology usage, such as, plagiarism, copyright protection, and the effects of cyberbullying.  To promote awareness of the importance of good digital citizenship requires the input from parents and educators.   By exhibiting smart technology behavior, students can make good choices when online. 

It is so easy to copy and paste information from a website and presume it is our production.  By doing so, we are breaking copyright laws.  Copyright is a law that protects the rights of ownership of the person and their creation.  Any type of material, such as, videos, logos, and graphics, just to name a few, could be copyrighted.  If somebody wants to use such materials, they must ask for permission to use them.  Plagiarism is another form of “stealing” from the internet.  Plagiarism is when somebody copies somebody else’s work and does not give proper credit to its owner.  Another type of fraud is not providing quotation marks on a quote to properly document the source.   Respecting somebody else’s work and giving credit when it is due, students become ethical digital citizens.
 
Cyberbullying has become a huge concern in our schools and society as more people are becoming digital.  As our textbook states, it is a technology driven activity in which people use their cellphones, emails, or chat rooms to communicate in negative, hurtful ways.  Students should be informed of the negative effects this action causes and how to help prevent it.  As, teachers we can educate our students about how to help eliminate this growing trend.  Students can take steps to help avert cyberbullying when they see it happening because as bystanders they have a responsibility as well.  Some tips to encourage online safety are; tell your students to always keep their account ID and password private and never share it with anybody.  They should never post or give out personal information, such as their phone number or address and always delete unknown email attachments because they could carry viruses.  By following some basic technology etiquette, we can all become responsible digital citizens. 

We all leave a digital footprint when we use the internet.  That is why it is so important for all of us to be responsible digital citizens.  Following some basic technology rules can allow us to use the internet more effectively and teach the student to do the same.  We know that students use technology in their everyday lives, we just need to encourage proper online safety and respect.  It seems like the cyber world can be a somewhat scary and intimidating world but with the proper precautions, we can educate our students to become smart and savvy technology users.  

Resources:  
McConnell, C. R., Brue, S. L., & Flynn, S. M. (2012). Microeconomics: principles, problems, and policies (19th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill/Irwin.
Pittsburgh Public Schools / Homepage. (n.d.). Pittsburgh Public Schools / Homepage. Retrieved September 21, 2014, from http://www.pps.k12.pa.us

1 comment:

  1. You summarized the content information quite well. I also like that you highlighted this concept: "Any type of material, such as, videos, logos, and graphics, just to name a few, could be copyrighted. If somebody wants to use such materials, they must ask for permission to use them." Unfortunately, you then included in your blog post that was obviously copyrighted - did you get permission to use it? If so, you should note that in your resources. If not (more common!), it should not be used - doing so is not only copyright violation, but also a complete contradiction to what your words state!!l To be safe, always use creative commons licensed images and/or public domain (it must specifically state that it is public domain).

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