The old saying that, “the pen is mightier than the sword,” has taken a whole new dimension in the
virtual realm of cyberspace. It seems
more appropriate to say that “the print is mightier than the sword,” since it
can cut through the heart of any matter faster than anything or anyone standing
in its electronic path. The topics
presented by each group discussed major issues occurring in the utilization of
electronic media, which did fit into a cohesive educational unit.
Such topics included: FUP/Copyright Issues, Cyberbullying,
Textual Harrassment & Sexting, Phishing, and Pharming, and Digital Safety
& Privacy. In preparing to teach our
students to be good citizens on the internet, it is imperative that teachers,
although implementing technology in the classroom, are aware of the dangers
that lurk within in which we may unwittingly expose to students and especially
to ourselves.
How all these elements relate to each other is based primarily
on the content in print. Copyright issues deal with plagiarism, as
in using someone else’s intellectual property to be passed as their own, or
without giving proper credit to the owner.
This is where content of ones intellectual property is essentially
stolen and improperly used for someone else’s gain.
In the case of cyberbullying,
textual harassment and sexting, the content is deemed as highly
inappropriate communication between parties.
While Cyberbullying and textual harassment are unwelcomed comments, that
is where sexting differs, in that it may be welcomed, but due to a
proliferation of sexting from minors, laws have been implemented stiffening the
penalties, making such a crime a serious felony. The law in In Guam considers texting a third
degree felony (G.C.A 28.101).
The bait and switch method done through Phishing and Pharming, again uses the content of a message to
intentionally defraud an individual. It
is a crime that has cost billions of dollars, once again, showing just how
extensive the damage is.
Digital safety and privacy basically deals primarily with
keeping personal information or content secure.
In almost all cases, it is usually access to financial information that
is being targeted.
I wouldn’t want to delete any of the topics as all have an aspect
of a side that can produce serious negative effects, and we need to be aware of
what exactly can be a danger and what measures can we take to protect ourselves
and the student’s. There is no doubt
that in the future the utilization of the internet, and digital media
increases, many more issues will abound, and cause other issues to surface.
Provocative Images Another
topic that can be added is dealing with images or photos that can be
manipulated or can be incriminating or humiliating. There have been issues among girls, minors
who pose and take snapshots of themselves acting provocatively. Youths basically do not understand the type
of permanence or duplication posting questionable images have, until years
later when their maturity level develops which often causes them to look back
and regret such an inappropriate act.
I would use the technology tools made known by this course, to
teach the students about being safe, and to apply “netiquette” as a reflection
of their knowledge of being a good “netizen”. They must know to always be on guard when using
electronic media that on the same hand, is where the danger lurks. Educators have been increasingly, and sometimes uncomfortably, aware that
students need education not just in Internet tools but also in Internet
behavior. Given the more spectacular worries about online predators or identity
theft, efforts so far have focused most on safety: Virginia now requires Internet-safety lessons in public
schools, and Texas and Illinois have passed laws encouraging them (Weir, 2008).
The tool we used was
voicethread, and the site can be easily used by the students. It is amazingly
user-friendly, easy to navigate and very interactive. The students can record their voices by
opening up their email and join the current thread. This could be a lesson under character
education in middle school, and we can go over all the issues mentioned
earlier.
I highly recommend using
Voicethread as a tool since it is very versatile in which you can continue to
work on your project, still be on-line with other group members, and add on
information or comments to the thread.
Students can easily become engaged and maintain a good level of
commitment with this highly interactive media so that learning continues to
happen and they are more informed about digital safety issues .
The only thing I would
want to change about the assignment is the length of time to work on the
assignment should be lengthened.
References:
Sexting
-- Guam -- 9 GCA Section 28.101. Retrieved May 5, 2012 from:
http://www.cybertrapsfortheyoung.com/Sexting/sexting-statutes-guam-9-gca-section-28-101.html
Weir,
Laila. August 18, 2008. Edutopia.
Behaveyourself.com:
Online Manners Matter
Retrieved
May 10, 2012 from http://www.edutopia.org/whats-next-2008-netiquette-
guidelines
