Digital Safety Reflection

Digital Safety Reflection

 
The five topics that digital safety encompasses are cyber bullying, fair use practices and copy right isssues, phishing and pharming, digital safety and privacy, and the last topic is textual harassment and sexting (Cyrus, J).  

These 5 categories are topics that teach individuals what should not be done online.  Each topic intertwines with the other and fits into a cohesive educational unit.  I would not delete anything from the list of topics.  I would, however, add "online gaming" as one of the topics.
 

In our presentation we included online gaming under the umbrella of digital safety and privacy.  On-line gaming is popular among our teens and there are consequences that involve exposure to images or situations that exhibit violence, profanity, and sexuality.  The YouTube video below lists some of the danger and risks involve with online games.

 
After doing the group presentation on digital safety, I would carry out a survey questionnaire activity to get an idea of what the students know about digital safety.  I can also a pre-activity discussion regarding this question:  "Is there anything that is PRIVATE when it comes to the Internet?"  This could be a timed discussion with the students assigned in small groups.  I would then carry out some of the lessons that I found on a website by Carnegie Mellon.  This website is comprehensive and covers most of the topics regarding digital safety. 

Our group decided to use Google Chat instead of Wiggio to plan and collaborate on our project.  We had problems with the audio, but we liked the scheduling option with Wiggio.  For the digital safety project we used LiveBinders which enabled us to work asynchronously.  Each one was responsible for building a tab in accordance to their assigned topic.  I do believe that Google Hangout can be used to better collaborate and allow every group member to participate while utilizing other Google Apps such as Google Docs.  The video below illustrate the usefulness of Google Hangout:

  I enjoyed this project because of the information that I learned regarding digital safety and also allowed me to use tools such as JooMag and Spicynodes.  I learned that I need to be careful on where I go online and to have proper digital etiquette.  Thank you for reading this post and I encourage you to continue to be aware and promote digital safety.



References:

 

Digital Safety - LiveBinder. (Napalan, R, et al.). Retrieved June 25, 2013, from http://www.livebinders.com/play/play?id=919585

Jacquelyn Cyrus. (2012) Retrieved June 23, 2013 from: http://soe-studentexamples.blogspot.com/2011/04/copyright-and-fair-user-practices.html

Mellon, C. (2013).  Classroom and Support Materials - The Carnegie Cyber Academy - An Online Safety site and Games for Kids. (n.d.). Retrieved June 25, 2013, from http://www.carnegiecyberacademy.com/classroomMaterials.html

Risks of Kids Playing Video Games Online - YouTube. (Gerrish Reports). Retrieved June 25, 2013, from http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=XYpweecXNOk

 

Evaluating Technology Tools

MY STAR RATING SYSTEM:

1. MOODLE: 5 stars (excellent)
http://campus.uogdistance.com/

For the past year and a half, I have used Moodle as a way to be on task for all the University of Guam MAT courses I am taking.  Moodle is a great way to connect with the professors and fellow classmates.  SInce, Moodle is user-friendly and enable me to stay on task with all my school work, Moodle deserves 5 out of 5 stars. Moodle is something that can be used to implement or offer a virtual learning environment.





 

2. MOZILLA FIREFOX: 5 stars (excellent)
http://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/fx/#desktop

Of all the browsers I could choose from, I would prefer using FireFox from Mozilla.  FIrefox continues to improve its user-friendly interface and its ability to sync your bookmarks with handheld mobile devices like Android phones.  I also like the "awesome bar" where you can type in the address bar and it would remember some of the websites you visited before or make suggestions that would make searching for a particular site easier.  I definitely give Firefox five stars!

 

 









2. GOOGLE APPLICATIONS: 5 STARS (Super Excellent)  !!!! No question about it
http://www.google.com/apps/  

Google Apps, what would I do without you?  I am a big Google Apps supporter and user.  I started using Google Apps prior to taking this class.  I have used it for organizing all my documents and used it to carry out my lessons through the use of Google Docs and Google Drive to store all my created files in a cloud.  I prefer Google Docs over Zoho.  I also prefer Google Drive over DropBox.  I feel more secure that I have all my documents safely secured and I could access it in any computer where I have access to my Google account.  Gmail is my e-mail address of choice (even when I had my Yahoo account for a long time).  Google Hangout is the newest Google App that I am currently using to carry out a video conference.

 

4. LiveBinder: 4 stars (Above average) http://www.livebinders.com/

This is the first year that I learned about LiveBinder.  As soon as I learned about it during class, I immediately started creating various types of LiveBinders.  One was for ED 609 class assignment.  The other two are LiveBinders that helped me organize my resources for next school year.  One is a LiveBinder for Chemistry and another for Physics.  I am also collecting LiveBinders that deal with free Web 2.0 tools that I can use for teaching.  I gave LiveBinder 4 stars because I think that more improvements can be made regarding making changes or rearranging  tabs.

 

5. Animoto   4  stars (above average)
http://animoto.com/

 I first used Animoto when I was taking classes at SJSU for the Library Information Science Master's Program.  I used Animoto to create a music video regarding graphic novels.  The only thing I would like to see change is increasing the length of the video for the free version of Animoto.  Other than that, Animoto is a great way to make videos using photos taken from class or pictures taken from the web.


 

6. WIX: 4 stars (Above Average)
http://www.wix.com/
This site allows you to create a professional looking website for free.  I am used to using Weebly so when tried out Wix, I had to re-learn how to make changes to my website.   I plan to use this more next school year as it looks more professional than Weebly.  However, I didn't give Wix an excellent rating because there is no collaboration features.

7. OOVOO: 5 Stars (Excellent)
http://www.oovoo.com/  
Oovoo allows me video chat with more than one person. Much like Google Hangout, Oovoo allows you to have a video conference with two or more people.  This is a free and convenient way to keep in contact with those far away.  You can also consolidate all your Facebook and Gmail contacts on Oovoo.  I prefer Oovoo than Skype for its sleek interface and its ability to carry out video conference calls for more than one person free of charge.

8. WIGGIO: 3 stars (Average)
http://wiggio.com/

If I didn't know about Skype, Google Hangout, and Oovoo then I would have graded this collaboration tool a higher rating.  I like the unique scheduling feature as well as the ability to collaborate on a whiteboard.  Wiggio reminds me of Blackboard, the collaboration tool I used during my classes at San Jose State University.  The reason I gave Wiggio only three stars is due to its audio quality during video conferencing.  There is too much of a lag time that occurs when speaking on the mic.
 

9. JooMag: 5 stars (Excellent)
http://www.joomag.com

If you want to make a digital magazine or e-book, look no further.  Joomag is an amazing tool for anyone to use.  You can create an e-book by adding text, photos, and videos.  I would like to see collaboration features in Joomag in the future.  For now, I really do like the user-friendly feel to JooMag.  I give JooMag  5 stars.

Online Educational Game — Reflection

I believe that the most challenging task for creating a rubric for the online educational games is finding a game that encompasses all the different aspects and trying to assess all of them.  There is no such thing as a perfect game.  The game could have great graphics and layout design, but does not meet the objective of the lesson that is being taught. In our group we found an online rubric that we thought encompasses all the aspects that we wanted to assess.  The game we wanted to assess was game called "Perpetual Motion" game.


Our group created and showed our presentation which we created through Prezi.  Our presentation was created through teamwork and collaborating with my other group members: Rhonda, Liezl, and John.  It was a great learning experience and be able to practice group collaboration skills.


Since I teach high school Physics, this game will be a perfect fit to my content area.  I can use the game to teach not only gravity, but also Conservation of Energy.  In Chemistry, I can also use this game to demonstrate critical thinking skills.  If in a group setting for both subjects, I can use this game to teach group collaboration skills as well.

From what we experience as a group, I would definitely provide clear group assignment roles so that the group assignment would run smoothly. A group leader needs to be clearly indicated.  I would also give a time limit so that every group member would exhibit and practice good time management skills.

Out of the five NETS standards for teachers, this assignment satisfy second standard.  According to the ISTE, the second NETS standards focuses on designing and developing digital age learning experiences and assessments.  The following is the actual standard descriptions from http://www.iste.org/docs/pdfs/nets-t-standards.pdf?sfvrsn=2

0. Teachers design, develop, and evaluate authentic learning experiences and assessment incorporating contemporary tools and resources to maximize content learning in context and to develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes identified in the NETS·S. 
   
   
   
   0. a. Design or adapt relevant learning experiences that incorporate digital tools and resources to promote student learning and creativity 
      
      
      
      2. Develop technology-enriched learning environments that enable all students to pursue their individual curiosities and become active participants in setting their own educational goals, managing their own learning, and assessing their own progress
         
      3. Customize and personalize learning activities
         to address students’ diverse learning styles, working strategies, and abilities using digital tools and resources
         
      4. Provide students with multiple and varied formative and summative assessments aligned with content and technology standards and use resulting data to inform learning and teaching

      
       
      

I am looking forward to carrying out this assignment next school year.  I hope that it would meet the objective of the lesson, but also allow the students to learn new ways to use technology.

REFERENCES 



California State University.  (2013).  Educational Games Rubric. Retrieved on June 15, 2013 from  http://www.csus.edu/indiv/k/kaym/rubric/edgamesrubric.html

School Times Games. (2013).  Perpetual Game Motion. Retrieved from on June 15, 2013 http://www.schooltimegames.com/Science/Perpetual_Motion.htmlhttp://www.schooltimegames.com/Science/Perpetual_Motion.html

International Society for Technology in Education. (2013) Nets for Teachers.  Retrieved on June 16, 2013 from http://www.iste.org/docs/pdfs/nets-t-standards.pdf?sfvrsn=2

Integration of Assistive/ Adaptive Technology (AAT) in our lesson plans

Assistive Technology: Enabling Dreams, featured a variety of tools and instruments that helped in aiding individuals with disability to communicate, socialize, and carry out their work effectively. The video presented tools such as speech recognition, wheelchairs, devices that aid in playing musical instruments, and communication with computers through body movements.  


Smith and Tyler (2010), in their Introduction to Special Education, mentions how IDEA 04'  supports the inclusion of AAT in day-to-day lesson plans (pages 28-29).  Assistive/ Adaptive technology permits students with disabilities to overcome their physical/mental limitations and achieve the same academic goals as the rest of their peers. According to a PBS article for parents, "IDEA states that school districts must consider assistive technology for any child in special education. That means that for any child receiving special education services, the educational team must ask if there is a device that will “increase, maintain, or improve functional capabilities” of that child."


From the video, "How Assistive Technology Enables Dreams", I saw the various possibilities for our students here in Guam. Assistive / Adaptive Technology (AAT) can do more than just assist a student with a disability, it can changes one's life and enable them to dream big. The video made me realize how some of the lesson plans we carry out does not always meet the learning needs of individuals with disability. It is important that we revise our lesson plans to address any disability. A revised lesson plan may include giving more time for completing activities as well access to various assistive/adaptive technologies. A student may have a difficult time listening or writing due to a learning disability.

A great deal of my lesson plans include lecture and discussion.  I can revise all my lessons that have a lecture and discussion component by allowing the student to use  portable devices such as an I-pad to take pictures of the lecture notes or record the lecture through the recording capabilities of an I-pad.     This would allow the student to successfully have the opportunity to finish his or her notes while being able to re-play the lecture at a later time.  This would give the student the opportunity to comprehend what was being discussed in class.  Right now, I do not have this revision implemented, but I do believe that this would helped student who for instance have a difficult time comprehending the material being discussed.  Students that have difficulty reading can use use word-to-speech software such as the case in Microsoft Word or even the standard VoiceOver software for Mac users.  The video below gave me some great ideas to implement in teaching Science:

In Chemistry and Physics, where I implement a lot of group work, I can revise the lesson that will allow students with a disability to work with his or her group mates with the use of an AAT such as an I-Pad to communicate more effectively. Without AAT devices, student with a learning disability for example, may feel bored or easily discouraged during group collaboration. 

An idea I can add to activities that includes the use of AAT, would be for the student with a disability to teach the class from their own perspective. The student instructs the class on a particular lesson by the use of AAT devices.  Therefore, those without a disability would be able to see a different perspective.  Our students need to be informed about the various disabilities that others may have.  This will create an atmosphere of respect and awareness.

It is vital that lesson plans be revised to include students with disabilities, as it would be a form of discrimination to exclude them. However, the students with disabilities must feel comfortable with their role throughout the lesson. This will take teachers to take a closer look at their lessons and see how they can involve ALL students.  Assistive / Adaptive  technology allows students with disabilities to overcome their physical/mental limitations and achieve the same academic goals as the rest of their peers. 


REFERENCES 

K-12 Using Assistive Technology for Math and Science. (2011, August 11). [Video File]. Retrieved on June 13, 2012 from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ik1BuiLyMkYhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ik1BuiLyMkY

PBS Parents. (2013). Assistive Technology.  Retrieved on June 12, 2013  from  http://www.pbs.org/parents/education/learning-disabilities/strategies-for-learning-disabilities/assistive-technology/ 

Smith, D. D., & Tyler, N. C. (2010). Introduction to special education: Making a difference. Upper      Saddle River, N.J: Merrill. 

The George Lucas Educational Foundation. (2005). Assistive-Technology: Enabling Dreams [video file]. Retrieved on June 12, 2013 from http://www.edutopia.org/assistive-technology-enabling-dreams-video

My Voki

Practice Post ---First day of ED609 at the MAC Lab

This is my first day of ED609. So far, I have learned many techniques regarding firefox and the other search engines I can use.  I also learned  about the history of the Internet and the various components that comes from a web address. I did all of this at UOG.  All of the essays will be submitted on the blog.