I am just now finishing up with the text “Digital
Citizenship in Schools”. While reading
Chapter 4 I came across a section “Digital Etiquette Issues” and found the
teacher activity very interesting. The
question the activity is focused on is -Are there times that technology should
not be used? The activity aims at having teachers collaborate with each other
to decide on some of the major issues that present itself in a flipped
classroom. Teachers are asked to come together to determine what digital
manners are, and how they should be enforced.
One of the resources for this activity was an online link to a website
called rudebusters. I went on the website, and was pleasantly surprised- some
of the topics that are discussed include a guide to electronic communication
and network etiquette, and the ten commandments of cell phone etiquette. After checking this website out I thought
that the activity in this text would work great with students. I think it would
be a great idea to create a lesson about digital etiquette, including some of
the information found on rudebusters.
Rudebusters even has an interactive link for kids and parents presented
by Disney that includes online awareness, safety and the top ten netiquette
tips. One of our major concerns as teachers when implementing technology into
the classroom is, who will be monitoring the use of technology as well as who
will be teaching our students what is/isn’t an appropriate use of technology. I
believe that the rudebusters website has some useful information for all
students, and if introduced to children at a young age (by parents or teachers)
students will become more aware of digital etiquette. At the High School level I believe Rudebusters could be used in conjunction with other lessons about bullying and appropriate use of technology. For an example the common core standard-CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.9-10.1d indicates students should be able to"Respond thoughtfully to diverse perspectives, summarize points of agreement and disagreement, and, when warranted, qualify or justify their own views and understanding and make new connections in light of the evidence and reasoning presented." Teachers and administrators are constantly dealing with cyber bullying issues at our High school, I think it would be a great idea to create a day workshop that all students are required to take. Students would be able to use the interactive tools in rudebusters, combined with the mini lessons and fun activities that will force students to think critically about the effects of cyber bullying, and communicate with one another about ways it can be stopped. I believe this workshop would be a great tool to address some of the common digital etiquette issues teachers are currently facing.
4 comments:
My school district is always trying to be the pioneers in every new initiative that comes along (again..Pumpkinville!), especially when it comes to technology. Every academic team in the school has a laptop cart with anywhere from 20-24 laptops. We also put into place in the beginning of the year a BYOD (bring your own device) policy. This policy requires the students and parents to sign off on the rules of the policy. At any time, a teacher/administrator can confiscate and look through the device. Out of my 100 students, I've seen MAYBE 5 of them bring in their own device.In response to Cassie's question "who will be monitoring our students", I believe the threat of confiscation and discipline will help. But this brings up another point in our schools...the discipline.I feel that as long as the students know the rules ahead of time, and these rules are strictly enforced, they will monitor themselves. Cassie also mentioned flipping the classroom. I love it! I flipped a few units last year and am currently doing so in all my classes. But...it's definitely easier to do in math than in other subjects. I feel that the strong majority of the students enjoy flipping the classroom and using as much technology as possible.
I went to the website you mentioned Cassie and agree that it would be great to incorporate some of these ideas into lessons about proper use. The book I'm reading also talks about the need for teaching students to use the internet appropriately. According to November, the need for teaching students to self police their internet browsing is more important than basic skills (many of which we all know they have higher skill levels than us!) I agree with him. Although I think these lessons and a true discussion of appropriate internet use would take a lot of class time, if all teachers incorporated these lessons, I think that our overall stress and workload of "managing" students in their browsing would be easier.Like Steve, we are working with a new BYOD policy, but unfortunately my district is not in Pumpkinville and is resulting in constant battles about Facebook, Twitter and Instagram posts. Many of these aren't appropriate for school and some are resulting in discipline referrals. I feel that there is a disconnect in my students. They freely post their whole lives in public domain and then are upset when others comment or judge them based on said material. How can we help students understand the link between their digital lives and those they live everyday?
This post really makes me think of our current policy of cellular devices in school. As of right now, it states that all cellular devices must be turned off and stored in ones locker for the school day. Should the device be found in class, it will be confiscated. Now, at the same time, we have been told that students may use their devices in the classroom if it is appropriate for their learning. (IE, taking a picture of the notes on the board, or using their calculator on their phone..) So very basic usages. I guess my concern right now is that we, my school district, are sending mixed communication to students because some think it's okay to have their device and others are "scared" to have it because they don't want it taken away. Where is the communication to the students? I think we are so far behind the eight ball on technology that we don't know where to start. I would LOVE to incorporate more technology in my classroom and have my students bring in their own devices but there needs to be a "pre-req" class perhaps to enforce rules and appropriate usages of apps, websites etc. Also, I get nervous with thinking students will be losing a "sense of reality." I still believe it's important for our youth to be able to have a conversation, be an advocate for themselves (in person), and be able to communicate without a keyboard or screen.
We have a similar policy at my school. The STEM 21 class has access to laptops daily, although there are glitches sometimes. It seems that our science and math departments are ahead on the techology. English and history teachers have to sign out the computer labs, which is like scheduling an orthodonitist appointment months ahead of time. It would be interesting to have students quickly check the internet for answers to questions or for guided resesarch within the classroom. I agree that the more students understand that there are rules regulating their internet use,having the opportunity to access it in a structured environment will only help them them discern appropriate from not.
Right now, there's maybe three students out of my team of 80 who use their phone without permission. It's definitely important for students to have 'face time' without the technology if the student doesn't have any social skills. However, there are many professional (real) jobs that are completed from the home computer and phone.
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