Journal #3

Ribble, Bailey, and Ross, "Digital Citizenship: Addressing Appropriate Technology Behavior"

This article discusses the misuse of technology by students and teachers, and it suggests ways of addressing such problems by promoting the idea of digital citizenship. It argues that teachers need to provide instruction to students in nine areas: etiquette, communication, education, access, commerce, responsibility, rights, safety, and security. Just as we need to teach our kids how to be good citizens in the real world, we also need to teach them how to be good citizens in the technological realm, because it is simply another way in which we all interact together.

With the addition of technology, I feel that the learning environment has changed in both good and bad ways. One good thing is that students have more access to information and alternative ways of learning. On the downside, students can also use technology disruptfully or dishonestly. It is now a regular occurrence for cell phones to go off in class, and students often play with their phones in class instead of paying attention to the lesson. Many of them have started to use internet lingo in their essays and other assignments, which is a big one I have definitely noticed. Students also misuse the internet by plagiarizing and by bullying other students. Luckily, there are ways of trying to counteract these negative trends in the learning environment. The article suggests that teachers talk to students about the school's rules about cell phones and other technology and why they are important. Teachers should themselves model the proper use of technology. This is a big one for me, because I think that many students pick up irresponsible technology use from their parents and other adults-- how many times have you seen a parent completely ignore the cashier while talking on their cell phone in line at the grocery store? It's important to try to counteract those bad examples by modeling the correct use and drawing students' attention to it. The article also suggests using cell phones for learning purposes (anybody have any ideas on that?), teaching about the costs and consequences about breaking copyright and fair use laws, and talking to students about why they are in place and how they would feel if somebody downloaded their own material without permission.

Q1.) How will I prevent the misuse of cell phones and other technology during my class?

I will establish clear rules with my students from the very first day of class. I will talk to them about the school's policies and why they are in place. I will hold a class discussion on social etiquette and the irresponsible use of cell phones in their day to day lives. Cell phones are to be kept in backpacks at all times during my class, and if I see one out or hear it ringing, I will confiscate it for the entire day and the student will be responsible for picking it up after school. If this becomes a recurring problem for a certain student, I will call home. During tests, I will walk around the room to catch any students who attempt to cheat using technology or otherwise. I will keep my own cell phone off and out of sight during class. I will also warn my students on the first day of class and again before major writing assignments of the consequences and likelihood of getting caught for plagiarizing.

Q2.) How will I address the misuse of communication tools by my students, for example through virtual bullying or using inappropriate slang or shorthand in class assignments?

Again, I think it is important to have discussions about these problems on the first day of class and frequently throughout the year. I will let my students know that shorthand will be unacceptable in any assignments that will be turned in for grading, and I will encourage them to check their writing for slip-ups. I will have my students peer-edit using checklists, and one of the things I will have them look out for is the use of internet lingo. I will talk to them about why we use internet lingo with our friends, and why it is not such a good idea to use it when writing to an unknown audience or to convey knowledge. With virtual bullying, I will have discussions and writing prompts about how students would feel if they were the victim of virtual bullying. I will remind them that the internet is public and that anything they write will be viewed by other unintended audiences.