When I first discovered Wikipedia I thought it was great. I used it often and believed that it was a very reliable resource. Then my college professors informed me that Wikipedia was not a credible source and would not be accepted as a reference in papers. I was unaware that the content that I found could have been posted by any person, they didn't need to have any background experience on the subject they wrote about. I now try to stay away from Wikipedia but I have to admit I still sometimes refer to it for a quick guide or brush-up on certain material.
After being told about the credibility of Wikipedia, I try to use websites where the authors have a great deal of experience with the subject. I also look for articles that have been peer-reviewed. Another way to find more reputable sites is to use Google scholar where you will find numerous peer-reviewed articles and sites that are highly credible.
When I begin teaching I don't think I will let my students use Wikipedia. They need to be able to find the high quality websites and not rely solely on Wikipedia. If they use Wikipedia for information then they will need to find another resource that backs up the information they found. I really want my students to be able to recognize a good source from a bad source, this will help them so much when they are in college and will need to find these reliable sources.
I don't want my kids to only use the Internet to find all their research. I think being able to navigate your way around the library is just as important. If they have a research paper assignment then they will have to include peer-reviewed articles and at least one source that does not come from the Internet. I want them to be well-rounded researchers.
Monday, November 23, 2009
Monday, November 9, 2009
Cyberbullying
With today's students having more access to technology in their everyday lives we have encountered a new problem with our children, cyberbullying. Cyberbullying is the new-age form of bullying. This not only is occurring in our schools but it is present in the media where you may hear that some celebrity is suing a company or person for posting inappropriate photos or videos of them. This act of cruelty can wreck havoc on an individuals self-esteem or damage their reputation with their peers. When I was in school I never experienced any sort of cyberbullying or witnessed any of my classmates being affected by this issue. Students at my school said things face-to-face or in the worst case scenario wrote about a person on the bathroom stalls.
This becomes a tricky issue for schools to address. As educators you don't have the ability to monitor what a student does at their home on their own time. Disciplining a student for cyberbullying could be a violation of their rights of speech. If this act is not taking place on school grounds or violating school activities, then this is in the hands of the parents. After reading "Should Schools Regulate Off-Site Online Behavior" I agree with the counterpoint. We shouldn't be expected to control what goes on beyond the walls of the classroom. I agree there must be a reasonable approach to this issue. As teachers we can discuss with our students what appropriate use of technology is and talk about the effects that sites such as Myspace and Facebook can have on others and yourself. We need to focus our attention on learning strategies, after-school programs, and student safety in schools. I believe that this is more of the parents jobs to monitor their child's behavior on the Internet.
As a educator I will pay close attention to any signs of bullying that I see and address it accordingly. I also will make sure that I'm in contact with parents of both parties so they can keep a close watch on their child's behavior and provide what discipline they see fit. If bullying enters the school and affects a students learning then it is up to the teachers and administrators to make sure the problem is resolved. I feel that all parents should be aware of this issue so that they too can protect their child from the cruelty of cyberbullying.
This becomes a tricky issue for schools to address. As educators you don't have the ability to monitor what a student does at their home on their own time. Disciplining a student for cyberbullying could be a violation of their rights of speech. If this act is not taking place on school grounds or violating school activities, then this is in the hands of the parents. After reading "Should Schools Regulate Off-Site Online Behavior" I agree with the counterpoint. We shouldn't be expected to control what goes on beyond the walls of the classroom. I agree there must be a reasonable approach to this issue. As teachers we can discuss with our students what appropriate use of technology is and talk about the effects that sites such as Myspace and Facebook can have on others and yourself. We need to focus our attention on learning strategies, after-school programs, and student safety in schools. I believe that this is more of the parents jobs to monitor their child's behavior on the Internet.
As a educator I will pay close attention to any signs of bullying that I see and address it accordingly. I also will make sure that I'm in contact with parents of both parties so they can keep a close watch on their child's behavior and provide what discipline they see fit. If bullying enters the school and affects a students learning then it is up to the teachers and administrators to make sure the problem is resolved. I feel that all parents should be aware of this issue so that they too can protect their child from the cruelty of cyberbullying.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Social Networking Reflection
After searching for myself through Google and Pipl, I found very little on myself except for my newly created blogpage, my Myspace page, and me and my husbands wedding registry. I recently got married so my I have a new last name which could have effected the outcome of my search. Since I was in elementary school I have always gone by Dani rather than Danielle which is my legal name. With all these factors it made it difficult to find any information on me. I don't spend a great deal of time on social networking sites so there isn't much information to find in the first place.
Due to the lack of information about me displayed on the web I feel that I must be doing a good job at not making myself overly public. I keep my Facebook and Myspace accounts set to private where only my friends can view my profile. Even if my students or colleagues were able to view my Facebook account or Myspace page I don't feel they would find anything offensive or inappropriate. I definitely will be even more careful now that I see how easy it would be for people to find information on my personal life.
I believe that as future educators it is important that we are always aware that we are role-models, mentors, and leaders to our students. We have an obligation to these kids, we need to lead by example when we may be the only positive role-model that they can look up to. Also I think that everyone is entitled to privacy in their personal lives but realize that when you post photos or blogs about your personal life on the Internet you have made the decision to make it public domain. Parents have the right to know who their child's teachers are and make sure that they are getting the best education possible.
After reading this article I was in shock that people don't make their social networking sites private. Teachers should not be allowing their students to be friends on their Myspace pages. Unless you create a page that is strictly school based that would be the only exception. I understand wanting your students to feel comfortable with you and feel they can communicate their concerns is important in building a positive relationship with your students, there are more appropriate ways to go about this than Myspace. Create a classroom blogpage or webpage where they can go and post their thoughts or concerns. This way the line between the teacher and student relationship does not become blurry.
Having this brought to my attention definitely makes me think about how I will handle this situation when I become a educator. I will make sure that my social networking sites are kept private and always think before I post.
Due to the lack of information about me displayed on the web I feel that I must be doing a good job at not making myself overly public. I keep my Facebook and Myspace accounts set to private where only my friends can view my profile. Even if my students or colleagues were able to view my Facebook account or Myspace page I don't feel they would find anything offensive or inappropriate. I definitely will be even more careful now that I see how easy it would be for people to find information on my personal life.
I believe that as future educators it is important that we are always aware that we are role-models, mentors, and leaders to our students. We have an obligation to these kids, we need to lead by example when we may be the only positive role-model that they can look up to. Also I think that everyone is entitled to privacy in their personal lives but realize that when you post photos or blogs about your personal life on the Internet you have made the decision to make it public domain. Parents have the right to know who their child's teachers are and make sure that they are getting the best education possible.
After reading this article I was in shock that people don't make their social networking sites private. Teachers should not be allowing their students to be friends on their Myspace pages. Unless you create a page that is strictly school based that would be the only exception. I understand wanting your students to feel comfortable with you and feel they can communicate their concerns is important in building a positive relationship with your students, there are more appropriate ways to go about this than Myspace. Create a classroom blogpage or webpage where they can go and post their thoughts or concerns. This way the line between the teacher and student relationship does not become blurry.
Having this brought to my attention definitely makes me think about how I will handle this situation when I become a educator. I will make sure that my social networking sites are kept private and always think before I post.
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