Thursday, September 30, 2010
Sean's Post for Evaluating Software and Hardware Tools
With all of the technology in today's world, how then as an educator, does one choose the most appropriate source of technology to use in the classroom that will have the most positive academic impact on his/her students? This question can pose many difficulties on "up and coming" teachers and even be a challenge for current teachers to overcome as well. The Evaluation Cycle can be excellent source for teachers to determine whether or not a technological product may be of great worth in the classroom. This cycle requires the educator to evaluate the software or hardware tool before, during, and after instruction and then completing a final evaluation in which the educator can revise and make the necessary decision on whether or not the source is beneficial to the students.
In evaluating appropriate software and hardware, an educator may also receive guidance from other teachers, the school district, or even the State Department of Education. School districts compile and evaluate software and then have the ability to provide these evaluations to teachers while the State Dept. of Education also has a list of recommended software that can be used in the classroom. Company catalogs can be of great help for educators as well in respect to appropriate technology. These catalogs provide extensive information on how to use specific hardware and software and they also provide information on how the product may relate to the curriculum and learning standards.
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Legal and Ethical Issues with Technology in the Classroom
Ethically there are many things on the Internet that could be a threat to students. The Internet opens up the entire world to students and a lot of the information available may not be appropriate for them. While some of the information may not be illegal, it would be unethical to have children view them, or play games or go on social sites that aren't pertaining to the lesson that is being taught. It is also the responsibility of the educator to keep the students safe while they are using the Internet in classrooms. There are predators online that prey on children and certainly information parents wouldn't want their children to know about. It is important to remove legal and ethical problems when introducing technology in the classroom.
Legal and Ethical Issues with Technology
Ethical and Legal Issues with Technology
When you think about ethical and legal issues, usually what comes to mind is not technology. However, because technology in education has become more and more popular and increasing tremendously it is now a subject matter that needs to be addressed. Teachers must lead by example in this case also. It is very important that educators remember to follow netiquette and teach netiquette to students especially if they are requiring them to use technology for any assignments; it becomes the responsibility of the teacher. In most cases when students plagiarize with technology is because they are unaware of the ethics and legal aspects for using technology as a source for research and to explore different ideas and to trigger a creative side in their learning process.
It seems that you must first remember that the Fair Use Guidelines do not extend to the World Wide Web. Secondly, and one of the most important, in my opinion, is ALL documents, handouts, articles, etc either print or digital must be cited. Furthermore, it is important for teachers to remember to emphasize that there are programs that can detect plagiarism; so if a student is not sure check it. Also, the there is a flip side to that meaning, the student needs to be aware that if he/she attempts to plagiarize that there are ways available to detect it and the consequences are major. Lastly, students need to realize that just because it is on the internet does not make it credible or fact. Educators need to inform students on ways to determine if a website is a good source to use for their research. Also, a teacher must “engender respect for others and their property by discussing with your students the effects of spam, computer viruses, and other inappropriate uses of the internet’s capabilities” (Create).
Friday, September 17, 2010
Mod 3-Issues with Technology in the Classroom
In today’s classroom the computer gives students the ability to search the web for ideas and to explore. However this also allows students the opportunity to be dishonest along the way in their own work. Academic Integrity in the classroom today is extremely important. One way students break this rule is by plagiarizing. Plagiarism is the act of taking another's work and not giving the original author credit. Today, because we use the internet in education, plagiarism has increased in classrooms around the world. Thus making it incredibly easy for students to have the ability to copy and paste, rather than using their own work. Plagiarism most times is intentional: some students may choose to download a paper or copy full reports. However when it is not intentional, such as paraphrasing, but still not giving the original author any credit, students should still be aware of what they have done.
Plagiarism can be detected in many ways. For example teachers may notice that the students own voice is not represented in their paper. The paper may also have different font, spacing and margins. Plagiarism can also be detected if a teacher is knowledgeable about the topic and has read the information before. Teachers may use many approaches to maintain academic integrity with all of their students. With this said teachers may ask for parent involvement and ask that parents help proof read and go over their paper with their child. It is also extremely essential to hold a classroom discussion about plagiarism and make your points clear and concise so there is no confusion. When giving assignments teachers should require specific questions to be answered, as well as have their students use one or two other sources from books. A new option now is to use detection software, a program that allows you to scan your student’s paper for originality. Plagiarism is not a new form of academic dishonesty; it has become overly easy for students to do so. Plagiarism is a serious offense and should not be taken lightly.
It is very confusing to educators and students exactly what is and what is not allowed by law with regards to copyright and fair use. Respect for ownership and privacy are considerations that need to be examined when using copy written material. Copyright laws “are designed to protect the intellectual property of authors, artists, filmmakers, web designers, etc. so that their own work isn’t stolen for someone else’s profit”. However, under Section 107 of the copyright laws, fair use is allowed for use in the educational arena.
Educators face many issues when using technology in the classroom. They must respect ethical laws when using computers, software, and the internet. The problem is, what is lawful, and what is not. “Educators lack the knowledge about Fair Use laws and policies” according to the article. Professional development can help teachers by clearly outlining which products and websites are acceptable in the classroom, the type of use etc. Copying material also requires guidance. For example, a teacher may copy original legally acquired material to be used by students, but cannot widely distribute this material.
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Kasey Vice Article Summary and PPP
In an effort to inform youth about the misdoing of Internet conduct, the University of Delaware, the International Society for Technology in Education, and the United States Justice Department have all begun to take action. The University of Delaware’s new students are required to read a booklet about the appropriate use of computer networks and then must pass a quiz before accessing the school’s campus network. The International Society for Technology in Education is teaching everything from web-site development to consequences of misuse of the Internet. In addition, the United States Justice Department has a web page for children discussing hacking. The US Justice Department is also working with the Internet trade association to start an educational campaign regarding good citizenship online through use of public service announcements. Overall, all three agree that the Internet is a powerful instrument that requires educated responsibility.