My Philosophy on safe, legal, and ethical uses of digital technologies.
Technology has advanced quicker in this generation than in any prior. It is important to recognize the growing technological literacy of our students, and to admit when their use has outpaced ours, as teachers and professors. At times, we have little to teach in the way of actual technologies, however, it is our duties to establish the proper use of these tools in and outside of the classroom.
Safety is our primary concern for our students, and should remain so online. Though it may not be present in our classroom, dangers await the unsuspecting student in a digital forum. We must, as teachers, provide the education behind safe internet use. We must teach best practices in all forums including chat rooms, email, and social media. Though these sites are normally prohibited on school grounds through the Children's Internet Protection Act, we must convey best practices for our students in these outlets. In my college classroom, I will demonstrate how employees have lost jobs over posting pictures on social media and by clicking on links in emails that allowed someone to hack into the private domain of their place of employment. I will use real stories found in the news and online to demonstrate that the things they do everyday can be considered unsafe online.
The internet has provided many outlets for all things education-related, and not all of them are productive - or legal. We must teach our students how to avoid cheating or plagiarizing using digital tools. Stealing is wrong, and very few students question this fact. However, many are tempted when they believe they will not get caught, and the internet has now given way to this platform. I will show students, in my college course, the ease of which professors can review for plagiarism using a real life example. I will write a plagiarized paper, from a number of sources, specifically for this exercise. I will submit this paper to turnitin.com, a website designed to search for plagiarism and produces a report, with a percentage of the plagiarized paper along with the sources from which the paper was plagiarized. I will project every step of this on the board with our projector, so students can see exactly what professors see. Then I will outline the consequences for plagiarizing a paper. Additionally, students should be given the proper lesson on copyrighting digital information and creative commons licensing.
The final point professors must make to their students regarding digital technology is the ethical dilemmas that can occur. The internet has provided a level of anonymity that some will take advantage of. We have an advantage with the written word online, in that we can take a minute to reflect on what we have written before we send it. We do not have this advantage in speech - once things are said they cannot be unsaid. However, once things are sent, then cannot be unsent. One way to illustrate this point in my classroom will be an assignment in which my college students must create a theoretical digital lesson for middle school students. I will have them create a number of scenarios in which the behavior can become either cyberbullying or cyberstalking. They must document these scenarios using digital technologies, such as creating a video. It is so important to create an ethical, digital society and one way to demonstrate this is to have the students teach it.
Safety is our primary concern for our students, and should remain so online. Though it may not be present in our classroom, dangers await the unsuspecting student in a digital forum. We must, as teachers, provide the education behind safe internet use. We must teach best practices in all forums including chat rooms, email, and social media. Though these sites are normally prohibited on school grounds through the Children's Internet Protection Act, we must convey best practices for our students in these outlets. In my college classroom, I will demonstrate how employees have lost jobs over posting pictures on social media and by clicking on links in emails that allowed someone to hack into the private domain of their place of employment. I will use real stories found in the news and online to demonstrate that the things they do everyday can be considered unsafe online.
The internet has provided many outlets for all things education-related, and not all of them are productive - or legal. We must teach our students how to avoid cheating or plagiarizing using digital tools. Stealing is wrong, and very few students question this fact. However, many are tempted when they believe they will not get caught, and the internet has now given way to this platform. I will show students, in my college course, the ease of which professors can review for plagiarism using a real life example. I will write a plagiarized paper, from a number of sources, specifically for this exercise. I will submit this paper to turnitin.com, a website designed to search for plagiarism and produces a report, with a percentage of the plagiarized paper along with the sources from which the paper was plagiarized. I will project every step of this on the board with our projector, so students can see exactly what professors see. Then I will outline the consequences for plagiarizing a paper. Additionally, students should be given the proper lesson on copyrighting digital information and creative commons licensing.
The final point professors must make to their students regarding digital technology is the ethical dilemmas that can occur. The internet has provided a level of anonymity that some will take advantage of. We have an advantage with the written word online, in that we can take a minute to reflect on what we have written before we send it. We do not have this advantage in speech - once things are said they cannot be unsaid. However, once things are sent, then cannot be unsent. One way to illustrate this point in my classroom will be an assignment in which my college students must create a theoretical digital lesson for middle school students. I will have them create a number of scenarios in which the behavior can become either cyberbullying or cyberstalking. They must document these scenarios using digital technologies, such as creating a video. It is so important to create an ethical, digital society and one way to demonstrate this is to have the students teach it.
Fair Use Guidelings
Use of Digital Resources
- Make sure your resources are from the public domain, as to not violate the copyright laws.
- If using copyright material, pursuant to the TEACH Act, make sure the material abides by the guidelines in the Act.
- If using copyright material pursuant to Fair Use, make sure material abides by the "10% Rule" of the U.S. Copyright Office.
- Always keep an eye out for Creative Commons Licensing, and make sure you are using the media with the correct allowances.
Academic Integrity
- ALWAYS cite your sources! Great work is always built upon the shoulders of other sources, just give them credit.
- If you put your name on the assignment, make sure it is your work. DO NOT CHEAT.
Online Safety
- Never give your password to anyone. Make sure you passwords to all networks are secure, and change them often.
- Be aware of what you are putting on the internet. Always make sure your spyware, firewalls, and virus-protection software is up to date.
- Never click on a link that you are unfamiliar with - even if someone you know sent it to you.
Etiquette
- Think twice before you send. Never send harmful pictures, videos, or ideas over the internet.
- Always be polite. Just because someone cannot see your face does not mean your actions and words have no impact.
- Make sure your resources are from the public domain, as to not violate the copyright laws.
- If using copyright material, pursuant to the TEACH Act, make sure the material abides by the guidelines in the Act.
- If using copyright material pursuant to Fair Use, make sure material abides by the "10% Rule" of the U.S. Copyright Office.
- Always keep an eye out for Creative Commons Licensing, and make sure you are using the media with the correct allowances.
Academic Integrity
- ALWAYS cite your sources! Great work is always built upon the shoulders of other sources, just give them credit.
- If you put your name on the assignment, make sure it is your work. DO NOT CHEAT.
Online Safety
- Never give your password to anyone. Make sure you passwords to all networks are secure, and change them often.
- Be aware of what you are putting on the internet. Always make sure your spyware, firewalls, and virus-protection software is up to date.
- Never click on a link that you are unfamiliar with - even if someone you know sent it to you.
Etiquette
- Think twice before you send. Never send harmful pictures, videos, or ideas over the internet.
- Always be polite. Just because someone cannot see your face does not mean your actions and words have no impact.
Resources for Teachers and Administrators
1. turnitin.com - I mentioned this one earlier, and I believe it is a great tool for teachers to monitor the sources their students are using, and to what extent they are copying other work.
2. USG's Fair Use Checklist - Refer to this checklist to make sure you and your students are correctly using copyrighted material.
3. American Library Association: Copyright - Use this website to stay up-to-date on copyright laws regarding electronic material.
4. American Library Association: DMCA - Refer to this resource for more information on The Digital Millennium Copyright Act.
5. Copyright Circular 21 - Use this document to learn more about Fair Use and Copyright laws in the classroom and library.
6. Fair Use FAQ - Refer to this list of frequently asked questions when it comes to Fair Use guidelines.
7. Copyright Advisory Network - This resource is a network of librarians who deal with copyright issues, many specific to education.
8. Education World: Guide to Fair Use - This five-part series is a guide to Fair Use for educators.
9. EduTopia: Five-Minute Film Festival - This nine part video series is a guide for Fair Use in the classroom and encourages the use of digital media.
10. Plagiarism.org - This resource is great to give your students on the details, punishments, and ways to avoid plagiarism.
2. USG's Fair Use Checklist - Refer to this checklist to make sure you and your students are correctly using copyrighted material.
3. American Library Association: Copyright - Use this website to stay up-to-date on copyright laws regarding electronic material.
4. American Library Association: DMCA - Refer to this resource for more information on The Digital Millennium Copyright Act.
5. Copyright Circular 21 - Use this document to learn more about Fair Use and Copyright laws in the classroom and library.
6. Fair Use FAQ - Refer to this list of frequently asked questions when it comes to Fair Use guidelines.
7. Copyright Advisory Network - This resource is a network of librarians who deal with copyright issues, many specific to education.
8. Education World: Guide to Fair Use - This five-part series is a guide to Fair Use for educators.
9. EduTopia: Five-Minute Film Festival - This nine part video series is a guide for Fair Use in the classroom and encourages the use of digital media.
10. Plagiarism.org - This resource is great to give your students on the details, punishments, and ways to avoid plagiarism.