Chapter 9: There is a fine line between students’ right to express themselves (freedom of speech) and the requirement that educators must protect all students from inappropriate commentary and invasion of privacy. How will you handle balancing your student’s right to express and the requirement that they behave as good digital citizens when using technology in school? Give examples. Students oftentimes, if not all of the time, completely misjudge what is appropriate or not when it comes to what is appropriate or not online. In my first year teaching, I encountered many instances where students used their devices inappropriately during school. The may have been by searching inappropriate content, bullying other students or teachers online, or expressing themselves in such a way that made them a spectacle. Although there is a right to freedom of speech, there is not a right to hurt others. In the new digital age, we must teach students what is and is not appropriate because the time we live in requires knowledge of 21st century skills. My district does not allow the use of cell phones in class unless it is for instructional purposes. However, I personally found it very difficult to be strict in my classroom about this because we were not 1:1 the first semester, but we were required to work in Google Classroom. When we finally got to be 1:1 and students received their devices, it was difficult to reestablish new boundaries for cell phones. This year, I intend to be strict from day 1 about cell phones. I will not tolerate the use of cell phones in class. Although it seems harsh, I believe that it will help teach students digital awareness and keep them focused on the reason they are at school: to learn. I think the most Important thing that I intend to do this year is actually teach students what is and is not appropriate online. I think that as adults, we often forget that kids have to learn how to behave in an appropriate manner. We think that they should inherently know, but they actually have to be taught, just like with anything else. Therefore, I want to give a presentation that shows examples of appropriate and inappropriate internet use and behavior, and have students write a short narrative about their own thoughts in regards to Freedom of Speech. If we teach students what is expected, they will usually follow it. Chapter 10: Consider your level of educational technology literacy as you complete this course. How competent do you believe you are in order to teach in a technology-rich environment? What other opportunities would you search for to become even more proficient in the use of technology in the classroom? Prior to taking this course, I was anxious about my technology literacy. I struggled my first year in the classroom incorporating technology because I simply did not know what was available. I also just did not have the time to dedicate to exploring them as a first year teacher with 3 preps. However, after taking this class, I do feel more confident in my ability to teach with technology. I fully believe I can utilize many of the resources I learned in this class, particularly programs like Padlet, Quizizz, and Thinglink. I am very interested in looking at how I can utilize Google Sites as well. Although I have all these new technologies in my toolbelt, I know there are many other potential resources out there to use. In particular, I need to find more resources that will help me with teaching my specific curriculum. It is surprising how little there is out there to teach Chemistry, Human A&P, and Zoology. I intend on doing more research and diving deeper into finding more resources to help me teach my courses.
2 Comments
Michaelah Martin
7/25/2021 03:58:51 pm
Sarah,
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Eli Morgan
7/25/2021 09:41:40 pm
Hi Sarah! As always, great work this week in your reflection, and I think you brought up some really great points. With cellphones, it can be a definite minefield to navigate, and I always ethically felt strange occasionally confiscating them since they are some elses personal (and expensive) property. Since our school utilizes chromebooks, students dont necessarily need cellphones for educaitonal purposes, but I think most people would agree that they can be strategically utilized in special scenarios. Again, great reflection this week, and I am so honored to have gotten to work with you in this course!
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Sarah HolderA quirky science teacher with English teacher handwriting. ArchivesBlog Reels
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