Staying Safe As a Digital Citizen

Digital safety, something a lot of people take for granted. With our ad blockers, anti-virus programs, and firewalls, we assume that we are safe, immune to all the creepy crawlies, worms Trojan horses, etc., but the fact of the matter is that, as we become more tech savvy and further delve into a technologically driven society, so are other people; people whom intend to destroy everything you have worked for and or to erase you from existence.

            In an online article published by the Huffington Post in 2010, one statistic states that 55% of Americans use the internet daily, and in about a month, they spend nearly 60 hours online doing various activities such as participating in social media, online gaming, and other activities relating to school and or business. As such avid users of the internet, as a society, we have created a whole other culture, complete with commodities such as online shopping, banking, education, and in some countries, even online medical treatment is available, via robots and other methods. And as such, we have inadvertently created a new term for the people whom roam and almost live in the cyber world; Netizens. As defined by the online version of Merriam-Webster, a netizen is a person who actively uses the internet especially in a proper and responsible way.

        So what is the big deal about being responsible and staying safe while online? Well, for one, even if all the necessary precautions have been taken (firewalls, ad blockers, malware detectors, spyware detectors, anti-virus applications etc.,), the threat of being victimized on the internet is still 100% real. As we surf the internet, we leave tracking cookies, most of which are harmless, However, in the cases of online pharming/phishing people, also often called hackers, can obtain information about you based on the types of sites you visit. For example, credit card information, one of the most important aspects of your online identity. If compromised, the hacker could easily destroy your life either by ruining your credit and or taking your identity and making fraudulent charges you name. Another reason to consider when approaching online safet,y is that whatever you say and or do, whether intentional or not, can be and will most likely be used against you. Online bullying has become one of the most widespread problems in regards to online safety. According to a statistic taken from the i-SAFE foundation, over 25% of adolescents and teens have been bullied repeatedly through their phones and or over the internet.

(Cyberbullying PSA; Imagine if it was one of your loved ones)

(Be a friend and reach out)

            So in order to combat some of these problems, as a class we were tasked to create presentations about digital safety. As a cohesive unit, every presentation was great and informative; however a change I would make, especially when it is taught to students, would be to include texual harassment and sexting in the cyber bulling portion of the digital safety presentation. This way, it can be seen as one continuous topic that flows easily. As a lesson, as done in the class, I would prefer the students to do presentations themselves, because it gives them a chance to identify and analyze the most important information in regards to their specific topic. However, for activities I’d like to take some part in this in order to ensure that the students remain on topic, especially since elementary students have a tendency to stray from their material.

In terms of the tools that we used for our presentation on Copy Right and Fair Use, we used the tools we were already mildly familiar with and not Wiggio, although from the looks of it, we should have. Overall, I’m satisfied with the presentation we produced, and especially proud of that little storybook I created. But overall, I’m fairly satisfied with what I have learned from all the presentations, and hopefully future presentations will be even better.

References

Smith, C. (n.d.). Internet Usage Statistics: How We Spend Our Time Online (INFOGRPAHIC). Retrieved November 28,2015, from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/06/22/internet-usuage-statistics_n_620946.html

Would you have surgery at the hands of robot? – CNN.com. (n.d.). Retrieved November 28, 2015, from http://edition.cnn.com/2013/08/02/tech/da-vinci-robot-surgery/

Bullying Statistics. (n.d.) Retrieved November 28, 2015, from http://www.bullyingstatistics.org/content/cyber-bullying-statistics.html

Making Sure of Your Lesson: Assure Lesson Planning and Revision

Making Sure of Your Lesson: Assure Lesson Planning and Revision

Plans, schedules, guidelines; it is what our lives are centered on and around, whether we realize or not. From the moment we are born, whether it is from our parents or a higher being, plans have been made for us; however that is not to say that they are set in stone, because as conscious and functioning human beings, we ourselves are capable of making decisions and plans for not only ourselves, but for other beings as well. As an instructor, it is imperative that making plans, specifically lesson plans, is something that can be accomplished and followed with the utmost attention to detail and procedure.

As a means of simulating this future experience, we were tasked to create a lesson plan modeled after the ASSURE lesson plan model. This lesson plan ensures that students not only understand what they are doing, but it also ensure that they absorb and are able to recall what that have learned. A perk of this model is that it is easy to understand and to follow for both students and instructors, because of its systematic nature. For this particular assignments, students had to identify the sugar, salt and fat content of three different cereal brands, analyze the information they gathered, and then be able to create a visual representation of not only their data, but their understanding of the data. An important detail to note however, was that someone else would be teaching and instructing my lesson plan and students. Based  on how the lesson goees, if there was ever a need to create another lesson plan in my absence, I would try to ensure that each group has a shift in members in order to increase diversity and interaction among my students, especially for those whom suffer from disabilities. 

Another slight change I would make to the lesson plan would include more hands on activities among the students themselves. Although we live in such a technology dominated society, I'd like to incorporate a little more physical activity to keep the children awake and focused. Short exercises I'd include would be simple things like standing up and stretching and or even just running in place. In an online article by Edutopia, John Ratey, a clinical associate professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School says, "... learning functions are all about brain cells actually changing, growing, and working together", of which can be achieved by physical activity. However, in order to make more concrete changes, I would really need to check over the evaluations and feedback from both the substitute instructors and my students, Without their input, improvements and progression would not occur.

As hinted in the lesson plan, students would be assigned homework involving finding the nutritional information of three additional cereals and compare it with those of their group mates. In continuance with the topic of health, students would then be lectured about healthy diets and meal planning in reference to what they learned about nutrition and reading food labels. After this lecture, class work would consist of looking at the nutritional labels of everyday food items, such as snacks like chips, popular beverages like soda and tea, as well as the nutritional label and information of popular fast food choices at their respective restaurants.

Additional material that would have been needed would be the nutritional information and labels of various everyday food items, either voluntary brought to class by the students, or if in the case that there is not enough material, additional online (handouts, pdf and links to the fast food restaurant themselves) material would be provided. After completing the lecture and a small class activity, as an additional lecturer, I would request an invitation for a doctor and or nutritionist to speak to the students about the importance of good health, because according on an online pamphlet published by the Department of Public Health and Social Services, heart diseases, stroke, cancer and diabetes are some of the biggest killers on island, something easily preventable if the rights precautions are taken.

To conclude the topic, in place of a test, I’d prefer my students to give a presentation about what they have learned to their peers; their whole grade level and its teachers. If they can convey and get across the meaning and point of their lecture in a clear and concise manner, then I have done my job for this particular topic.

 References 

Department of Public Health and Social Service and the Non-Communicable Disease Consortium. (2013). Guam Non-communicable Disease Strategic Plan 2014 - 2018. [Brochure]. Mangilao, Guam

A Fit Body Means a Fit Mind. (n.d). Retrieved from http://www.edutopia.org/exercise-fitness-brain-benefits-learnings

Assistive Technology: The Future of Learning

As one of the forefront figures of education in a student's’ life, teachers take on the duty of not only ensuring that students learn and obtain the knowledge they need, but to also ensure that all students have the same opportunities, regardless of any shortcomings or any extra needed assistance or support. Special needs students are everywhere, and the likelihood of having a special needs student in the class is now expected. In the past, special needs students were usually separated from the rest of the class and more or less left to a corner, however, after congress enacted IDEA in 1975, special needs students finally received the help they rightfully deserved, and because of it, they were slowly integrated back into the class classroom.

So what exactly is a special needs student? According to the online article, “What are Special Educational Needs?” the term ‘special educational needs’ refers to children who have learning difficulties or disabilities that make it harder for them to learn as compared to other students the same age. So if given a specials needs student, how does one go about teaching and interacting with a special needs student? The answer is simple; through any means of communication that is possible, hard work, patience and cooperation. In the beginning of the video, Assistive Technology: Enabling Dreams, Susanna Sweeney-Martini, a young college student at Washington University explains just how pivotal the role of assistive technology plays in her life. Without it, “I could not exist as I am today…” (The George Lucas Foundation, 2005).

Like Susanna, thousands of other students in the U.S suffer from disabilities. According to the U.S Department of Education Website, 12.1 percent of the nations’ K- 12 students have disabilities. This entails that now more than ever, assistive technology is essential for these students to be an active participant in the class. So in terms of adapting and modifying a lesson plan to suit the needs of the special needs students, it is important to start off by getting to the know the student. Using the ASSURE model, the first step would be to analyze the student. What is she or he capable of? What problems or difficulties might arise for the student? By getting to know the special needs student beforehand, a teacher saves time and shows initiative and interest in caring for the academic needs of the student. The second step is making or modifying a lesson plan is to state the objectives. Plan and state specifically what you want and expect of the student. Even if they have a disability, that should not stop them from learning, no matter how little that may be. Once that is established, manageable goals should be created, and along with it, have a plan of reward or support from other classmates to encourage the continuing effort to learn. The third step is a combination of selecting the appropriate materials and media and utilizing them in a manner in which the special needs student is able to use them.

For example, if there was a student who is hard of seeing, in his or hers best interest, it would be advisable to have a separate laptop or similar device for them to have, whereupon the lesson is projected or shown in a manner that is easier for the student to understand (e.g., bigger font, pictures instead of words and in the most severe cases, an audio version of the lesson). The fourth step is where upon the student takes an active part in the lesson. If the lesson has been planned and or revised accordingly, then the student should not have too many problems during the lesson. The last step, evaluating and revising is where the teacher is successful or not either with planning or modifying the lesson in the first place. It is important to know that evaluating a special needs student is and should be different from evaluating non special needs children. As a teacher, different methods to ensure that special needs students have learned as much as they could is needed. An example would be an oral exam in place of a written exam for a student with physical difficulties. If they student has learned and managed to retain what they have learned, then for that particular lesson, the challenge has been conquered and the teacher can consider that lesson a success.

Throughout the Assistive Technology: Enabling Dreams video, many assistive tools were presented; specialized wheelchairs, speech recognition and generated programs, and musical instrument aides. Yet, despite these technologies being available, in particular to Guam I still feel like the government and Department of Education does neither have nor place a high enough concern for special needs students. Having heard and seen the experiences of my older sister, whom has a learning disability and one of my closest friends, who suffers from Fibromyalgia, a physical disability, I can say that for them, it feels like the education system does not care for them as much as they should.

In my sisters’ case, the school did not provide any assistive technology for her; rather they just supplemented her with extra classes only after my mother berated the administration. However, instead of an extra math class as requested by my mother, they put her into a computer programming class, of which was especially difficult for her because of her dyslexia. In my best friend’s situation, she was given a laptop customized to her needs as well as having the emails of all her teachers stored into the laptop. However after that, the school did not do much else. She eventually stopped attending school for awhile, and aside from a few phone calls, nothing else happened.  So what is the importance of these particular cases; time span. My sister and my friend are approximately ten years apart, and although they could just be isolated cases, the matter of them still happening is concerning.

In these cases, it is apparent that some of Guam’s educator and educational institutes do show a lack of regard of special needs students, which is frustrating. It would be almost common sense by now with what all assistive technology is and can do in today’s society, that even specials needs students can actively participate in regular class lesson plans, but that is not fully true nor realized today. Admittedly, it is not right to place the blame on any one specific figure or individual, rather, it is a culmination of factors that contribute to lack of knowledge and need for assistive technology. However, as a technologically dominated generation, I think it should be normal now to have various assistive technologies in every single classroom, regardless of grade level.

Reference

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

What are special educational needs? (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.nidirect.gov.uk/what-are-special-educational-needs

How many students with disabilities are in our school(s)? (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.data-first.org/data/how-many-students-with-disabilities-are-in-our-schools/