Digital Citizenship

What is digital citizenship?
    In order to discuss what digital citizenship is in detail, I reviewed the website Digital Citizenship: Using Technology Appropriately. The website defines digital citizenship as: the norms of appropriate and responsible behavior, with regards to technology use. Digital Citizenship can be broken up into nine categories. The first is digital access, which is making sure that all people have access to the online community. The second category is digital commerce, which is related to buying and selling things on the internet. The third category of digital citizenship is digital communication. Digital communication is making sure students have the ability to understand how to appropriately communicate online. Digital Literacy is the next category, in which we view as teaching and learning online. The electronic standards of conduct and procedure is the next category, known as digital etiquette. Understanding that your online actions have consequences is known as digital law. Digital rights and responsibilities is knowing our rights and freedoms online. Health and Wellness related to online activities is another category. And the last category is digital security, which is knowing how to protect yourself in an online discussion or community. By teaching these different aspects of digital citizenship to students, we can teach them to become better at online communication.


What does digital citizenship mean to you in your personal life, professional life?
 

    In my personal life, I feel that digital citizenship is posting responsibly, protecting myself online, being polite to others online, and standing up for others who are being treated poorly over the internet.
    As a professional, all of the above apply, but to an extended degree. I need to help teach students to be responsible members of the internet. I also need to teach them what to do if they or someone else is being bullied online. As discussed on this Digital Etiquette website, students may not understand that even if they are using an anonymous identity, their actions can still be linked to them. We need to teach them this concept. The DoSomething.org website also gives the statistic that only 1 in 10 students reports when they are being bullied online. My hope is that by talking to students about telling a trusted adult or parent, we can help reduce the amount of cyber bullying in schools.
    Media Smarts in a great resource for parents and teachers. They discuss special concerns for children and also special concerns for teens when it comes to safely using the internet.


Have you ever had your feelings hurt by something shared online? Have you ever hurt anyone else’s feelings? What would you do differently?

     I honestly can say I haven't had any issues with things being posted online. I can't remember a time where I have hurt someone else's feelings on the internet either. When I was a teenager, I didn't use much social media. Even now, I don't often use social media. I have, however, seen others being bullied online. At the time, I reported the incident to Facebook. Looking back, I wish I would have stood up for the individual being bullied. I was scared of the negative action that would be taken against myself if I stood up for the person.


How might adult concerns and fears about the lurking dangers found online prevent digital citizens from capitalizing on the creative and civic potentials of a participatory culture?

    Adult concerns and fears about the lurking dangers found online can definitely prevent the potential benefits of a participatory culture. Parents and adults are afraid of fake users talking to their children. The internet is great and also terrible, because you can be anyone you want to be. Their is also a fear of people finding their child's location because of items posted on social media. Children should be aware of possible negative consequences of the internet, and parents should also be aware of the benefits of the internet. By doing so, we can create a middle ground for worried parents where their children can use social media and internet resources while still being cautious.

Learning to Cook a Four-Course Meal

Goals

     My goal is to be able to cook each portion of a four-course meal successfully. I will learn to make multiple different dishes in each category. In order to gauge whether or not my food is “successful”, I will be doing a taste-test with at least three other people, plus myself. I will have each person rate the meal on a scale of 1-5. If they rate it at least a 4, it will be considered a good food item.
     I hope by doing this project, I will learn more about cooking. At the current moment, my meals usually consist of pre-made food items. I want to be able to make tasty food from scratch.
Write a paragraph or two stating what you hope to learn over the course of your Major Project. Please include detailed learning objective in this space.
     My learning objective is that I will be able to cook a four-course meal that is considered successful (4 out of 5 rating). I would like to be able to learn multiple appetizers and desserts to bring to family get-togethers and functions. I would also like to be able to make good soups and salads for my own benefit and also to share with others. I think that being able to cook multiple different entrees will be useful in my future.

Resources and Learning Materials

     I plan to utilize multiple different resources. My major source for information is the internet. I plan to use the internet to choose the food that I cook. I may use videos, in order to learn how to do different things that are necessary for cooking. I also plan to use my older sister, who I consider to be a good cook.

Documentation of Progress

     I will document the learning process in a notebook, which I will then transfer to a blog. I will post to my blog and share it on twitter to make it available to multiple different people. I will document every step of the learning process (grocery lists, recipes, pictures of food, etc.). I plan to use my blog to write about how I feel, what I’m learning, to post pictures, and to post videos.
     I will pre-assess myself by writing how I currently feel about cooking on my blog. I will also ask others about my cooking and post that on my blog to gauge how they feel about anything I have cooked/made in the past. For a post-assessment, I will do the same.

Planned Timeline

     I will break this project up into multiple steps. I plan to grocery shop and cook each week. I will also have to do research on the items I choose each week.
     During the first week, I will focus on appetizers. During the second week, my focus will be on soups and salads. During the third and fourth weeks, I will focus on entrees. For the fifth week, I will focus on desserts. On the second to last week, I plan to cook a four-course meal for a group of family and friends. For the last week, I will reflect on the learning process. I will also create a general post with all the recipes used and the ratings.

Possible Challenges

     I honestly don’t have a clue how to cook anything other than eggs. So this will definitely present a challenge to me. I’m fairly certain that some of my recipes will not turn out well, which could also be a setback for me. This is a learning process for me, so I don’t intend to become an expert chef in a few weeks.

Critical Friend

     I have multiple people that have agreed to help me through the learning process. My sister has agreed to help me cook/ give me tips if needed. My family and friends have also agreed to taste and rate my food.

Piktochart: Week 7 Cool Tool

     I have chosen to use Piktochart. It creates infographics which can be used in the classroom, but also in real life for presentations and other uses. With this program, I created an infographic for a book. I have a friend, Peter Schmotzer, who recently released his book online, and asked me to create something interesting to help give the book some publicity. The infographic is a little difficult to read when I shrunk it down to post on this blog, which is something I told him to keep in mind. However, I was overall pleased with what I could create using this application.

     It is fairly user friendly. I found a few bugs (random white box that kept appearing) in the program. I’m not sure if these were because I was using the program on an older computer, or if they are issues with the program itself. The base model of the program, which would be effective in the classroom, is free. In order to upgrade to the Pro version, which gives you a lot more templates and designs, it is $27 per month. You can also create presentations in the style of an infographic using this program.

     Overall, I liked creating an infographic using this program. I think it would allow students a chance to present information in a different format than they are used to. It could be used to discuss a topic, do a book review, and could probably have many other creative uses in the classroom. I would probably use it once a year in the classroom.

     In my science classroom, an option that I think may be interesting would be to randomly assign students parts of the cell, and have them create an infographic for their given part. I could also use it for biomes, when working in an Earth Science classroom.
I would use this tool to help students who are visual learners be able to see information broken up into different sections. The target audience for this program would definitely be no younger than junior high. At this age, I believe students would be able to create their own infographics fairly easily.

     Adolescents who aren’t as creative could use a pre-made template, while others who are more creative could create templates by uploading pictures. It gives students who enjoy expressing their creativity a chance to do so. I think that students may have difficulty figuring out how to break information apart into sections. Working in partners or groups could help with this issue. Overall though, I like this program and will likely incorporate it into the classroom, especially because it could be used later in life.

How Can We Incorporate Online Tools in the Classroom (TPACK)

What is TPACK?

TPACK is a framework knowledge that is important for educators to use in the classroom. TPACK stands for technological, pedagogical, and content knowledge. The idea behind TPACK is that we need to use seamlessly incorporate online technologies into our lesson plans along with our content and pedagogical knowledge in order to best reach students. TPACK.ORG has a great definition of TPACK on their website:

     "Underlying truly meaningful and deeply skilled teaching with technology, TPACK is different from knowledge of all three concepts individually. Instead, TPACK is the basis of effective teaching with technology, requiring an understanding of the representation of concepts using technologies; pedagogical techniques that use technologies in constructive ways to teach content; knowledge of what makes concepts difficult or easy to learn and how technology can help redress some of the problems that students face; knowledge of students’ prior knowledge and theories of epistemology; and knowledge of how technologies can be used to build on existing knowledge to develop new epistemologies or strengthen old ones"

Questions to Consider Before Implementation

Before implementing, we have to ask ourselves a multitude of questions. The first is: What technology do I have available in my classroom? Some classrooms may be equipped with all of the newest technology while others may have only a computer and a white board. While we can still use technology in both of these situations, we will have to vary which types of technology that we use. The second question we must ask ourselves is: What type of framework will work best for the students I am working with? Each grade level and subject will need have the need for different types of technology. We have to figure out the best type for our specific grade level and subject. The next question we must ask before implementation is: Will students get a lot out of this technology? Although some technologies may be fun for students to use, we want to make sure that they are understanding concepts and learning from the technology we use. We don't want to just incorporate it into our classroom without direction. We want to transition well and be sure to incorporate all components of TPACK into our lessons.

Positives and Negatives to Introducing Tools in the Classroom

When used properly, the framework of TPACK has limitless opportunities to be used well in the classroom. Using TPACK can help keep students engaged and promote interest in different topics. Technology can be a wonderful thing in the classroom, especially when incorporated with the content knowledge of your subject and pedagogical knowledge. It is important to keep in mind that technology should be used as an aide to education, not in place of. Adding other activities, like those listed on The College Of William & Mary: School of Education's website, can help encourage students to stay engaged on the subject matter. Technology doesn't always cooperate. Sometimes the internet may be down, something may not work, or students don't have interest in the technology. When it comes to these problems, it is important to have a back up plan in place.

How to Choose Appropriate Technologies

Choosing the right technology for a lesson can be difficult. I think this is where having a PLN can become important. Seeing what other people have tried for different lessons may be beneficial. Also, I think it's important to trust your instincts with technology. If you think it may work well, give it a shot. Do your research and be well prepared when using the new technology. When we try something new, we can help others by writing about whether it worked or not. Keep in mind that what has worked for others, may not work for you. Also, things that have worked in the past, may not work now. The major goal of choosing online resources is to find items that will work for your particular group of students. The best technology will keep students interested and on task. Another important thing to keep in mind when choosing your technology is to make sure to combine content and pedagogy when using an online tool for technology.

My Personal Thoughts and Questions

TPACK is constantly evolving and updating. By introducing fresh, new technology into the classroom, we can keep kids interested in and excited about learning. I hope to be able to incorporate TPACK into my classroom. My major question to others is: How do I stay up-to-date on the constantly changing technology? I realize things like following others' twitters and blogs can help. What other ideas do you have to help an educator stay current on all of the technology out there. Do you think talking to students about new technologies that they are interested in can be beneficial to their learning process? Let me hear your thoughts on the matter. Thanks for reading and I appreciate any comments given.

Popplet: Cool Tools Review

What is Popplet?

Today, I am reviewing a tool that can be used in the classroom. Popplet.com is a concept mapping tool that can be used in multiple ways in order to improve students cognition in the classroom. You can include words, drawings, links to webpages, and YouTube videos to concept maps on this site. Different colors can be used to separate thoughts and ideas. What I particularly like about this tool, is that you can add collaborators (students) to input thought bubbles (called popples on this site) on your popplet. The student's name will appear with their input. This YouTube video from eduTeacherTV shows a tutorial for Popplet.

How can we use Popplet in our Classroom?

Popplet can be used in any subject. I created a Popplet for a high school biology course. My main focus was on the mechanisms of evolution. I used a Popplet in order to help students visual the different methods of evolution. I included a definition on each, as well as a YouTube video to give an example of each type of evolution.

Basically, you can use this application anyway you may have used a traditional concept map, with the ability to insert videos and images into your concept map. It can be used for brainstorming, putting knowledge together, and for many other uses. You can pre-create a concept map for students to have for use, you can have students create their own concept maps, or you can work together as a class in order to create a concept map.

Why use this tool in the classroom?

This is an easy-to-use tool for the classroom. It can be incorporated into a lesson or can be done by students on their own time. Students can also collaborate on a concept map, making it easy to use for a group project. Concept maps are also a good tool for students to organize their thoughts.

Can students use this app? What are the positives and negatives to Popplet?

Students will be able to use this application on their own. It is very user friendly and with just a brief explanation, they should be able to incorporate different forms of technology into a project or homework assignment done with Popplet. On the positive side: the app is very user friendly, students can collaborate on projects, multiple forms of media can be incorporated. On the negative side: the concept maps can become cluttered or messy if too much information is included, and may be used for memorization instead of understanding material.

Would I recommend this in the Classroom?

Yes! This can be very useful in helping students organize their thoughts and information. I would recommend trying Popplet in the classroom.

Open Access in Teaching and Learning Communities

     This week, I'm posting on another topic that I find incredibly important as a future educator. Creating online communities that promote open access to others are something that can be beneficial to us as consumers. They are also a place where we can benefit others by putting in our own input on topics and concepts. By participating in this culture of open access, we can become better educators and find ways to help our students to learn in the best way possible. The better we are at sharing our information, the better we can become at teaching.

     In order to capture the spirit of open, networked, and participatory communities in our learning environments, we need to teach students a multitude of things. Dr. Alec Couros provided a lecture in which he gave us a list of things to keep in mind when talking about open educational resources and online communities. The first concept is that we need to embrace and model connected literacies. In order to participate in social media and other outlets, we need to understand how these outlets really work. Being able to use the hashtag on Twitter can improve your experience with the website. Secondly, we need to critically select and analyze information that we find on the web. Next. we should connect, consume, create, remix, and share. By participating in each of these steps, we can create and participate in an online culture. We also need to be sure to help our students understand the online culture and their digital identity. The last major point Dr. Couros made in his lecture is that we all need to be active and socially conscious online. We are connecting to people and not to technology. I encourage you to follow Dr. Couros on Twitter in order to stay current on open networking and other education topics.

     Incorporating open access in the classroom should be a smooth transition. At the current moment, we need to continue to follow state standards for teaching while also adding online resources for education. Using learning communities can help better us as teachers, by giving us more resources for lesson plans. Students should also be taught about open educational resources and ways that they can improve upon their learning experience. Overall, I think that the more we incorporate technology in the classroom, the better reception we will have from students.

     My hope for the future is that OERs will be used in the classroom. The K-12 OER Collaborative is working towards developing open educational resources to be used in the classroom. This would include comprehensive instructional materials, assessments, and other online ways to improve comprehension for students. Websites like Open Educational Resources: Share, Remix, Learn have fantastic resources for teachers to use in the classroom. The website includes tutorials, interactive labs, and other resources that can be used to improve my teaching and hopefully aid in the students learning process.

     By having an interactive community that shares information, we can gain knowledge from anyone, anywhere, and anytime! We can Skype with people from another country. We can watch videos to gain insight on other cultures. We can look at Instagram to see pictures of people across the world. The internet makes learning opportunities endless. As long as we teach students how to properly use all of this technology, the future of learning is bright.

     I think that textbooks will be used much less, if they are used at all. I think some students prefer learning out of a textbook, so textbooks or online books should still be available for use. However, I think that the majority of students will comprehend information better when it isn't in the traditional textbook format.

     Let me hear your thoughts! As always, I'm open for discussion.

How Sharing can Improve Teaching and Learning

This week I’m reflecting on the importance of sharing my thoughts, opinions, and ideas with others. Teachers and leaders have many different outlets for sharing with others. Things like posting on others blogs, writing reviews, and commenting on posts are a small way that we can present our opinions and start a line of communication with others. We also can begin the sharing process by creating blogs, posts, and posting on social media websites.

    I think that when it comes to deciding what to share and not to share, there are a few rules to follow. First, it is important to make sure that when commenting on someone else’s post, you do not use any negative wording or hurt the person’s feelings. We can express our feelings without hurting someone else’s. Second, our posts and thoughts should portray ourselves in a positive, professional manner. Foul language and incorrect spelling/ grammar should be avoided. Lastly, we should try to educate our audience when posting.

We need to keep in mind that there are a few things to teach students “off stage” in order to prevent their failures being highlighted instead of their successes. We need to teach them to use proper writing and to check their facts before posting online. We also need to make sure students understand that things they post online can be seen by anyone. We should also promote a positive online culture. Negative or derogatory posts online should not be allowed.

    It’s important to keep in mind that sharing doesn’t always have to be online. We can share ideas face to face. Being face to face limits the number of people that you can share with, but it can still be effective. We can open up a line of conversation that can lead to new knowledge and thoughts on different topics.

    I personally feel that sharing “everything” isn’t always a positive thing. By oversharing, people may lose interest in your social media and unfollow you. We should try to share our successes and failures when it comes to teaching, but we don’t want to give every detail of our lives over social media.

    I hope that by sharing my thoughts online, I can create a personal learning network. By having other individuals to share my thoughts with and bounce around ideas, I have a larger chance of learning what works best in my classroom. Seeing what works for others and what doesn’t may help to improve my own lessons and teaching methods. By sharing what works for me and what doesn’t, I open a line of communication with others to positively comment and share their thoughts.

    Many individuals believe that all writing on the internet should be formal and error free. I understand the thought behind this statement, but I think that we need to really evaluate sources before believing what we read. As the reader, we have the responsibility to double check facts before passing them on. It is important to remember that everything that you read on the internet is not true. I do feel that when I am personally posting, it is important to be as formal and error free as possible.

    When posting online, we should try to promote transparency. Making sure others check their facts before posting and teaching our children how to properly check sources is very important. Also encouraging students to be transparent in their writing can be important in teaching future generations how best to post online. Students should be accountable for what they post on the internet, and they should be ready to communicate with others about their post.

    What are your thoughts on the matter? Do you feel that we have a responsibility to share with others? What are your favorite online platforms to share posts? Feel free to share your thoughts and opinions with me.