Digital Identity and 21st Century Teachers

Digital identity of our students tells us about them as an individual and the way they learn. It is this identity that interactions with others occur. Interactions further contribute to self identity. As teachers we must assist them to understand the distriction between private space, public space and data protection. Students need to understand the power of social media. Teachers must ask themselves, "Are students making good decisions about what to put online?" and "How can they help students understand immediate consequences of their posts but long-term consequences?".  Students must understand that everytime they go online they contribute pieces of information about themselves that forms their digital identity. It happens automatically. Once posted, they need to understand they have no control of who sees it, shares it, copies it or uses it. We need to understand, discuss, teach, model and set expectations around online behaviours. As teachers, we must regard ourselves as instructional in helping students develop a positive online identity.

We need to come to know their digital identity. Knowing who your students are and continue to build a strong positive sense of who they are can infuse into their digital identity. To get to know their students digital identity, the teachers needs to know what games do they play online, which tool do they use to communicate, what topics are they interested in, what kind of access do they have to technology, how is technology is used by the student and their family, how much time do they spend online - this is all important information to build our 21st century classroom.

Through the use of student portfolios, blogs and other online tools teachers can encourage students to develop positive online pressure. Most importantly, close involvement with parents is essential to continue positive online identity at home.

REP's in Teaching Digital Technology

It is important as teachers to ensure that our students become "digzers" - safe users of technology. Technology in the 21st century has rapidly expanded. It has brought us to cyberspace, that is something with the world and therefore exposing vulnerability. Students must understand that they must use technology safely, legally and ethically.

Before doing so teachers need to become well versed in digital citizenship and exhibit legal and ethical behaviour in their own professional standards.

We are all aware of the rise theme of digital citzenship. The concept of REP's (Respect Educate and Protect) is a way to explain to students the theme of digital citzenship. Respect yourself and others includes etiquette, access and law. Educate yourself and connect with others (literacy communication and commerce). Protect yourself (Protect others) rights, responsibility, safety, health and welfare.

The ikeep safe is a Google developed website that is an interactive curriculum that is filled with bands on and scenario activities for students, lesson plans for teachers and handbooks for parents. The program emphasize the REP's concept and most importantly it emphasizes partnership with teachers and parents in the goal of developing a responsible digital citizen.

The use of the digital passport I found was an innovative strategy that addresses key issues that children face in the digital world. Students move from one video game to another. They successfully relieve a digital citizen passport once completed each game when addresses issues on cyberbullying, evaluating online messages, etc.

There are many effecive teaching tools to address safe use of the interest and contribute to upstanding young digital citizens.

Gamification and Gamification in Education - Let's Play to Succeed!

Gamification is the concept of applying game techniques to engage and motivate people to play and achieve their goals. There are strategies tapped in the program that also fulfills desires and needs of the user. These stategies reinforce two concepts statues and achievement. These concepts are impoirtant to learning. Simply students want to feel good about themselves and their accomplishments as learners and they want reinforcement and acknowledgement of their achievements. Therefore, gamification can be successfully applied to education. The ultimate results would be an engaged learner, who pays attention to detail and is able to demonstrate problem solving abilities. The student is allowed to become self-directed in their learning and learning achievements. They are permitted through game strategies to make their own choices.

They are able to invest his/her learning and ultimately feel pride in their work. They are able to receive immediate feedback correct their errors because they are challenged to do so or move on to the next successful level. Students are able to see progression of success through built in strategies of attaining certain levels and achieving points (putting a running numerical value on their work). Games are self challenging. Failure is experienced and the immediate opportunity is provided to rechallenge oneself to correct their errors. Trying and retrying helps us learn. Games in education are based on ther Cascading Information Therory (unlocking information continuosly). This theory helps us gamify coursework. The process unlocking information continuously helps students build on their knowledge. It ensures that basic knowledge is achieved before mocking up to another level. Furthermore, the unlocking theory also provides unexpected bonuses to the student unexpectedly that encourage the incentive to play. In addition, through self navagating through the game the student encounters and discovers pockets of information.

Games in school can be used to deliever content about a particular subject, allows students to take on different identities, for example, learn to think like a mayor in SimCity). Furthermore, games help students familarize themselves with technology - the use of PC and mobile devices students can be encouraged to design their own games. They can research a subject matter and utilizes game strategies they are familar with and apply these strategies to create a game. Games in education do not provide a grade, they provide an opportunity. We learn with opportunities. Often it has been said we learn more by taking a test than studying for a test, games allows us this opportunity.

For teachers, games allow them to assess the "whole picture". They are able to witness live students problem solving steps in tackling problems.

My final words on Gamifiication in Education - A way to help kids learn from what they do best - PLAY!

Copy Right...Copy Wrong

Copyright laws protects "works of authority" which includes literacy works computer software, audiovisual works, dramatic work and sound recordings. Copyright law does not proect ideas, facts, words, names and symbols. These laws are designed to protect a creator's right to be compensated and to control how his or her work is used.

Educators often ask the questions, "What can  and my students use in our lessons, presentations and wokshops an what is protected by copyright". Virtually, the answer to this is every tangible expression is copyrighted upon creation. An author does not need to have to register his/her wok, it is copyright protected as soon as the work is created in tangible form. Copyright laws are mostly about money, that is if the work you use is unlikely to bring financial gain to the orginator - one will not be accused of copyright infringement. However, it simply will be seen as "bad manners". It would be most respectful to ask permission - particularly if one intends to post or quote from emails, message boards, lias to sites that contain video or audio. All software is not freeware, it is copyrighted on creation. Therefore, lets go back to copyright laws and the meaning to teachers. In a nutshell, teachers cannot show a video in class without acquiring public performance rights, Youtube videos must have a CC(Creation Common License), creative commons address the need for copylight listeners that promote open sharing of created work, distribution or use of copied material in the class is prohibited, unless payment is made to copyright owners. This is completed through copibec. Knowing this, as teachers we must take the responsibility of teaching our students about copyright laws. Role modeling and open discussions of materials shared in the classroom copyright laws and fair use should be part of daily repetoire. There are many publically avaiable activities online that are engaging and interactive that can be used in the classroom to reinforce copyright laws. We must encourage the value of original thinking and responsibility others work in our students!

Knowing this, as teachers we must take the responsibility of teaching our students about copyright laws. Role modelling and open discussion of materials shared in the classroom and copyright laws and fair use should be part of daily repetoire. There are many publically avaiable activities online that are engaging and interactive that can be used in the classroom to reinforce copyright laws. We must encourage the value of original thinking and respecting others work in our students!

All About Me

Greetings everyone! Adriana here! For those who do not know me my formal name is Miss. Lagrotteria, a long perhaps difficult name to pronounce with all its rolling constants. My Grade 1 students in my first practicum often called me Miss. L and so Miss. L it is! I am in my fifth year of the Concurrent Education/Child and Youth Studies in the Primary/Junior division. I was formally introduced to the study of technology in the classroom through two undergraduate courses that I took in third and fourth year, CHYS 3P74 Digital Technology in the Classroom and EDUC 3P62 Videogames in the Classroom. These courses allowed me to recognize the importance technology and technological resources for teacher in the 21st century.

The main questions we often ask is, "Is there an app for that"? Technological resources used in the classroom provide innovative captivating, shareable ways to learn and reinforce important concepts. There are vast difference in the sea of learning. Technology helps the teacher to reach out to all these learners. Students are now driving the learning and talking it deeper, asking questions, finding answers, thinking critically and being creative. Technology allow them to do this. Furthermore, using technology is essential to provide voice to students with special education needs - technology allows ease to differentiated instruction. My interest has been sparked to learn more about technological literacy in education and I am looking forward to this course to learn more of how I can effectively use it in my future classroom. Furthermore, I look forward to sharing ideas and discussing technology and enhanced activities with my colleagues. After all engagement is the key to learning!

 Let's tech away!