After reading some of the other blogs in the class -- particularly science in flower, Eschew Obfuscation, and Martin's COETAIL -- I would like to say more on the topic of when and where educators should be teaching students about their digital footprint and AUPs. As stated in Part I of my blog on this topic, I feel that teachers and parents should both be educating students about the nature of their digital footprint and how to manage their digital footprint in a way that protects them and others (starting with first time online users, children) and allows them to create an online image (starting with MS students) and brand (starting with HS and college students and adults) that contributes to and showcases their learning, accomplishments, values and relationships. Given the wired world kids of today are born into, this education needs to take place at a very young age -- when they first enter the wired world -- both at home and in our schools.
In her blog on the topic, Patience stated that she felt educators (and ISB) need to do more than teach about the "dangers of online life" and that while there was some classroom instruction on the topic taking place at ISB, "these efforts (by teachers 'in-the-know') can not be counted upon to reach all students" she was not sure of the best place ('approach') for these lessons (whether it should be the classroom, freshman seminar, or counseling).
In his blog on the topic, Jonathan stated that he feels "we need to be teaching students from an early age about their digital footprint." and that "ISB’s AUP ... is more a statement of ideas and philosophies, than a policy."
Finally, in his blog on the topic, Martin stated that "Digital footprints are most likely not the domain of any one course and time" nor of just parents or teachers and that classrooms (technology, Humanities and others) are places where he could see this issue addressed recurrently throughout the school years. As for the MS AUP, Martin expressed general satisfaction with its wording in addressing this issue and stated, "it's just a matter (now) of disseminating this information to staff, students, and parents."
Reading these three blogs and others helped me clarify where I feel students should be 'taught' about digital footprints in the schools. And I do think they should be taught. Having a clear and targeted AUP, especially an AUP that staff, students and parents are not familiar with nor invested in, is clearly not sufficient. I believe such instruction belongs appropriately embedded in the curriculum of every class students take K-12, not in a separate technology course, or 'home room', or grade-level seminar. Just as we were asked to embed the NET Standards for Students into our final course project (to combine our unit standards, or outcomes, with the NET-S standards), I think each course, grade-level, or department should be asked to similarly embed 'standards' addressing the safe, responsible and effective management of students' digital footprints. Doing so will allow all students to be effectively 'reached', to allow students to become safe, responsible and effective managers of their own online brand (a 'transportable gift' in the parlance of ISB), and to allow staff and students to feel comfortable enforcing and following a clear and targeted AUP about which both students and teachers are knowledgeable and invested.
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Is there such a thing as privacy online? Part I
After reading the recommending readings this week and last I would say the answer to this week's essential question is or should be a resounding 'No.' As clearly stated in the second recommended reading for this week, Don't overestimate privacy of online information, "The Internet is public". This message was also clearly (and cleverly) expressed through the video allegory of a FB friend and his friend coming to your house and graffitiing the 'wall' of your house. To expect privacy in a public venue is foolish at best and dangerous at worst. Both recommended readings and the video this week stressed the inherent lack of privacy online and the subsequent importance of vigilance in regards to our actions online in order to protect our (and our friends') identity, reputation, character and future prospects. As an adult, the reference to identity theft in the second article was concerning; and as a new FaceBook user (one-week and counting), the references to FaceBook in the video and third recommended reading, Beware: the Internet could own your future, were of further concern. However, as stated in my earlier blog, we need to move beyond fear (with our students and personally) and be proactive about finding our voice (our 'brand') in this new digital landscape, armed with knowledge and skill at protecting and promoting ourself and others.
An Internet search found these additional readings on the topic that others may find informative:
EFF's Top 12 Ways to Protect Your Online Privacy -- Self-explanatory title. Some excerpted useful tidbits:
An Internet search found these additional readings on the topic that others may find informative:
EFF's Top 12 Ways to Protect Your Online Privacy -- Self-explanatory title. Some excerpted useful tidbits:
- "If you are "required" to give an e-mail address to use a site (but will not be required to check your mail for some kind of access code they send you), you can use "someuser@example.com" (example.com is a non-existent site, set up by the Internet standards to be used as an example that will never accidentally coincide with anyone's real e-mail address, which is always a danger if you just make up one off the top of your head.)"
- Check out tip 8) "Be conscious of web security" if you don't know the difference between "https://" and "http://" and secure URL (Web address) lines.
- Check out tip 1) "Do not reveal personal information inadvertently" if you want to make your web browser and "Internet defaults" programs anonymous and prevent inadvertent disclosure of personal information.
- "In the U.S., the 'right to privacy' is not enshrined in the Bill of Rights, but it has long been a critical issue for many Americans. ... American courts and legislation have had a mixed record in protecting privacy, curbing data-sharing in medical records and other areas, and regulating data collection from children online. But there has never been comprehensive national legislation in the U.S. to protect people's personal and financial information online, or standards for the way businesses collect, save and share data."
- "Google should be given credit for producing a video series explaining online privacy on its various services -- from Gmail to Google Docs -- found on a YouTube channel."
When and where should we be teaching students about their digital footprint? Part I
The two recommended readings for course 2 this week (March 16-22) — Your Online Reputation Can Hurt Your Job Search and Protect Your Digital Footprint — were a nice review and extension of what Jeff spoke about during our f2f of March 18. Although the essential question for the March 18 f2f, "When and where should we be teaching students about their digital footprint?", focuses on students' digital footprints and the 2 recommended readings focused on adults' (job-seeking adults') digital footprints, I found the readings valuable as my own knowledge of this topic prior to this course had been very limited so the review and limited extension were helpful. I like the second article's definition of a digital footprint, "...a compilation of everything that's on the internet about you...", as the use of 'compilation' and 'everything' and 'you' hit home with the message that all our actions (photos, blog postings, searches, comments, links, groups, email addresses, et. al.) on the Internet are permanent and freely available to anyone who searches for such information for any purpose. This public accessibility of information that most people feel to be private is unwelcome and invasive (and worrisome for some) but a reality that has to be shared, discussed and managed. As educators, I do feel that we need to be discussing and helping students manage their digital footprints in the classroom so that they can safely and confidently navigate, access and find a place for themselves in today's digital landscape. In terms of timing, as the first article stated, it's easier to "promote the positive" than to "remove the negative" and so developing an understanding of the concept of a digital footprint and the skills to manage it and reputations online should be addressed in schools when students first begin accessing the Internet and then repeated throughout their schooling so that an age-appropriate understanding and skill set is developed.
Both to address the week's essential question and to deepen my understanding of the topic, I used my Google reader account and a newly created a delicious tag 'digital footprint' RSS feed to search for information about students and when and where educators should be teaching students about their digital footprints, their online reputations and how (the weeks' enduring understandings)...
Unfortunately, the delicious tag led me mostly to blogs which reiterated many of points from the two recommended readings and class so I turned to a 'traditional' Google search. I found three articles which begin to address the focused question of "When and where should we be teaching students about their digital footprint?" and that also provide new and useful information on the subject of digital footprints which could be shared with students and/or parents.
Finally, I would like to end with reference to our guest speaker Silvia Tolisano. I like the switch in emphasis Silvia brought to the topic of digital footprints and online reputations. While Silvia did discuss the need to protect your reputation online, more of her presentation was on the value of using today's digital landscape to create an online brand for yourself. It shifted the emphasis from the potential negative to the potential positive side of digital footprints and online reputations which was a good note on which to end our first class.
Both to address the week's essential question and to deepen my understanding of the topic, I used my Google reader account and a newly created a delicious tag 'digital footprint' RSS feed to search for information about students and when and where educators should be teaching students about their digital footprints, their online reputations and how (the weeks' enduring understandings)...
Unfortunately, the delicious tag led me mostly to blogs which reiterated many of points from the two recommended readings and class so I turned to a 'traditional' Google search. I found three articles which begin to address the focused question of "When and where should we be teaching students about their digital footprint?" and that also provide new and useful information on the subject of digital footprints which could be shared with students and/or parents.
- You Are What You Post: dual emphasis on the role of parents and teachers in helping students learn about their digital footprints. Well-written article with some new information such as three fallacies the majority of kids believe about the Internet that can damage their online reputations:
Myth #1: Setting an online profile to “private” allows control over who can see it.
Myth #2: Deleting an e-mail, instant message (IM), video, photo, or profile comment erases it permanently from the Internet.
Myth #3: Downloading, remixing, or copying content to use for a personal web page or to share with friends is legal.
- Your Child's Digital Footprint: emphasizes the roles of parents in helping students learn about their digital footprints and mentions that "some colleges now offer seminars about how to use Facebook, MySpace and other social networking sites."
- Personal Branding Blog: discusses personal brands (See next paragraph) and states that "To start teaching them about personal branding in college may be too late..." and that "...we can expect social media classes to pop-up in even more schools. Teachers value these tools, especially when they are supported by the school...When teachers use social media tools for class projects and communications, then students will learn much easier, ..."
Finally, I would like to end with reference to our guest speaker Silvia Tolisano. I like the switch in emphasis Silvia brought to the topic of digital footprints and online reputations. While Silvia did discuss the need to protect your reputation online, more of her presentation was on the value of using today's digital landscape to create an online brand for yourself. It shifted the emphasis from the potential negative to the potential positive side of digital footprints and online reputations which was a good note on which to end our first class.
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Technology worries of a digital immigrant (blogpost of my choice)
As a 'digital immigrant' teacher and parent I have concerns about the impact of today's wired world on today's youth. I understand and appreciate (to the extent of my current knowledge) the empowerment, creative potential, reach, speed, and wealth of information and knowledge available to those who participate in today's digital landscape. However, as stated by Mark Prensky in Adopt and Adapt: Shaping Tech for the Classroom, as with most digital immigrants I retain my pre-digital accent (and values) despite solitary and group forays (successful and unsuccessful) with my students and children into today's digital landscape.
So what are my concerns?
1. Although one of the powers of today's technology is in connecting people around the world, I see it isolating people (families and friends) in the same room. The attractive interface of the technology draws people in so that they lose touch with their surroundings and the people in it.
2. Most of today's technologies seem addictive. People are 'obsessed with' their technology of choice (gaming, face book, chatting) and lose track of time while engaged and become distracted thinking about their preferred technology of choice when not engaged.
3. Age appropriateness of content made available with today's tools. As a parent and educator in having these tools in your home and classroom, How can you ensure the appropriateness of the content of each game, each website, each video? The task seems impossible as the tools become more pervasive and information available through these tools grows exponentially.
4. Cost. Again as a parent and educator having the latest technological tools available to our children and students is expensive. And as with all marketed goods, anything we buy is soon outdated and needs to be updated with a new purchase or upgrade.
5. Time. There are only so many hours in the day. Given the addictive nature of many of these technologies I worry that what is being lost can be found on my list of "What will never be wrong..." below.
I don't agree with what Mark Prensky describes happening in many US schools, "locking down machines, refusing to allow students to access email...block(ing)instant messaging, cell phones, cell phone cameras, unfilitered Internet access, Wikipedia..." but I am cautious and don't believe we need to jump wholeheartedly as teachers or parents behind something just because of its pervasiveness in society. New is not always better and old is not always wrong.
What will never be wrong...
1. Reading books together as a family each night
2. Talking to your children (and husband or wife) about their day when they come home each day
3. Making a family meal together
4. Creating a birthday card from scratch
5. Climbing trees with your friends
Feel free to add to either list if you feel like me...
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