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The most important idea for in Module 1 is the fact that what one posts, how one responds and one’s digital habits are there to stay. On a personal level I am not a digital native, and I am very aware/uncomfortable with the amount of information I need to share, for many seemingly disparate activities, both off and online. The “Youth and Media -Digital Dossier” is clearly aimed at digital natives, but the implications and facts are clearly relevant for non-digital natives too: once online, your information and actions are being tracked and recorded. I am also concerned how my wife and family send images of my daughter around Facebook.

From the Tech Terms website’s definition of digital footprint, while the notion that no one need to be worried because everyone has one (digital footprint), but wise to consider your trail, rings true. Very true for students and teacher alike. I have seen many a Facebook page filled with pictures of teenagers and young adults that I would never hire for a job or let anywhere near my daughter. I think from a professional standpoint, we as educators need to be conscious of what we write in emails to students and parents. Moreover, we need to be aware of images we share of students on websites, in the classroom, and around the school.

After reading the Weebly website article about one’s digital footprint article, I recalled the fact that more than just privacy issues can be involved when one clicks like on a Facebook page. Many places around the world do not share the same freedoms that one does in the USA. In Thailand for example, one’s online actions can land you in jail. You can read about what I am referring to here: http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/thai-man-faces-32-years-prison-liking-facebook-post-mocking-countrys-king-15334.

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Waxing nostalgic for a moment, I remember the joy of receiving pictures in letters from family back in the USA, Sunday evening phone calls to grandparents, and Saturday morning cartoons. None of which was being recorded or tracked. Or was it?

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My previous experiences with adolescents has lead me to believe that alerting students to the idea of a digital footprint and its current and future ramifications is most needed. However, after watching and reading the resources listed in Module #2, I am reminded of the fact that facilitating adolescents in creating/finding a positive identity and sense of worth is also important. I like the phrase, “self-reflect before you self-reveal” from the K-12 Digital Citizenship Curriculum. That same sentiment was echoed again in the TedTalk with the Sparkle app that would display the message, “Are you sure you want to send that?”. I am currently looking to build a unit about empathy/compassion, gratitude and purpose. The students will need to search the internet at certain points; as well as, respond to posts, blogs, and emails. Teaching them the THINK method about digital citizenship would be wise. So too will drawing attention to the idea of pausing to reflect or ask a question before posting/texting. This could be modelled and practiced both in responding to posts in Google classroom and they way one responds to others in classroom discussions.

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I read the Biddeford school’s AUP and many of the terms that I came across during this week’s viewing and readings are used along with some that were not as prevalent. For instance, cyber bullying, sexting, and hacking are all mentioned. While this information on etiquette and teaching responsibility, the focus seems to be more on discipline. My question would be to know how much time is being spent on educating and building a responsible online user; versus, how much time is spent on reacting to problems associated with the misuse of students’ computers.

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Based on the experiences that I have had with students and technology, I would likely focus on ethical online research.  As search tools and online databases continue to add more and more shortcuts, students are losing the research skills they they once learned.  Many of my students have no trouble finding information on the internet.  After all, they can simply type the question into the search bar and get an answer in a few seconds.  What they struggle with is using this information.  Often times, students will give answers that they do not understand, because Google did all the work for them.  I would like to teach students how to properly conduct online research, including proper use of online databases and collections, as well as how to use citations (another skill most students seem to lack).  I would also focus on teaching students to scrutinize online information to determine it's credibility. This is an ever increasingly important skill to have, especially in a world where deliberate misinformation seem to show up in almost every part of our society

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Personal Reflection: Are We Modeling What we Expect?

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Personal Reflection: Are We Modeling What we Expect?

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The title of Module 1 was personal reflection. There was a connection between the guiding question, "How do we teach them [students] to be wise consumers of media? Are we modeling what we expect?" I try to stay up to date on the big ideas in society, including the big ideas around digital citizenship. So, after I watched the videos, read the articles, and took the quizzes, I felt like my own digital dossier models what I expect my students to do. There were a few curveballs that interested me. The idea that a sonogram is a person's first entry into their digital footprint was fascinating. After watching the digital dossier video, I defined a digital dossier as all of the digital pictures, data, and metadata that exists anywhere in relation to a person. I was not really surprised by the logs that are created by simple web browsing. Even records of phone calls create metadata that the NSA was surveilling for the decade after the terrorist attack in 2001 and the Patriot Act. There is a passive footprint that people leave unintentionally. That bothers some people a lot, but you have to ask yourself what the costs and benefits are and be responsible for your own choices online. The active footprint is defined as data that is submitted intentionally. The problem with that definition is that sometimes we all submit data actively without fully realizing how it might be used.

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It is not possible to be a successful middle school teacher without paying attention to the emotional health of students. A significant portion of the student's lives are taking place online. That's why I will talk about respectful and responsible use of digital communication when I teach with technological tools. The acronym think is a great way to remember what should go online. Is it true? Is it helpful? Is it inspiring? Is it necessary? Is it kind? If that answer is "No" to one of those questions, then it probably should go online. Middle school is a little young to be thinking about employment, but one thing I wish I knew in college was that I should have been using social media to connect with adults who were likely to recommend me for a job. High School students should definitely be made aware of how having a positive digital foot print can help them network and obtain jobs.

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Well, when I read the AUP for student computer and internet use, my reaction was to not its high degree of opacity and vague meaning. I asked the school's digital integration specialist about the policy, and she said that it is extremely out of date. I have observed students watching netflix, hulu, and gamer feeds at school. During advisory and studyhall, teachers lament that students should not be playing such violent video games at school. However, these issues are not specifically addressed in the Acceptable Use Policy. The policy says, "The School Department provides computers, networks and Internet access to support the educational mission of the schools and to enhance the curriculum and learning opportunities for students and school staff." I think that the policy should say more about the purpose of 1-1 laptops. If it did, teachers might be feel empowered to insist that students use their computers within those guidelines.

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How do teachers and other professionals strike a balance between being fun and professional with their digital footprint? I hope no one minds my stick figure drawing of digital footprints or my thumbs up for positive footprints picture. I admire people who seem to be able to be both interesting and professional. So many "professional" videos are so straight-laced that they are impossible to watch. On one hand, it is the viewers responsibility to develop their powers of concentration. On the other hand, a little liveliness wouldn't hurt either. I think this is an important question for teachers. It is difficult to be mindful of the things that might cause you to lose your job, but also, at the same time be your authentic self. It is definitely possible, and I wonder what other people think about that.

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Having gone through school in a digital age, I am very familiar with the concept of a digital footprint. I can remember countless teachers warning us to be careful what we put on the internet. I think that I have been pretty good about presenting a good digital footprint, although I have had to un-tag myself from posts by less cautious friends on more than one occasion. I had forgotten about this issue until that scenario was mentioned in the survey. There are two things from module 1 that I would pass on to students. First, you cannot "delete" anything off the internet. In the age of Snapchat, students don't seem to understand that any information on the internet, including the Snap that "goes away after a few seconds," is stored forever, and can be accessed by anyone who really wants to. I would stress to them that the only way to keep information private is to not put it on the internet in the first place.

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This whole discussion has made me think of an incident that occurred during my placement last semester. One of the sophomores, who often caused trouble and made it very clear that she disliked my mentor teacher, was able to find him on Facebook. We aren't sure how she did this, as he had set his account to "Private." She then proceeded to loudly read off information from his account during class, including information from a post about his young daughters. There was nothing bad about the information, but it clearly made my mentor teacher very uncomfortable. He deactivated his Facebook account immediately after the class ended, and I thought about doing the same. This incident made it very clear to me that students can (if they want to) find their teachers' information and use it for malicious purposes. How are teachers supposed to balance their social media presence with the need for privacy when many students are more skilled at using technology than their teachers.

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The biggest concern that I have after viewing Westbrook's AUP (referred to there as the Student Laptop Responsible Use Protocol) is how vague it is. The entire thing fits on a single page and consists of various infractions and the appropriate punishments. Furthermore, I have seen many of these infractions occur throughout the day, but have yet to see or hear of any consequences. To me it appears that the AUP is largely unenforced. Many of the students have demonstrated their ability to easily bypass almost all of the safeguards that the school has put in place. Having not seen many AUPs, it is hard for me to say if this is just the nature of trying to police student technology use, or if Westbrook's AUP needs to be improved.

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Well, I've thought of these things before. In my past life I moderated professional forums and managed online/website resources. As a teacher, I have used Common Sense Media’s Digital Citizenship curriculum tools to teach students about Digital Citizenship topics, including; Internet Safety, Digital Literacy, Digital Footprints, and Privacy and Security in the age of the internet. Younger students enjoyed the interactive Digital Compass games, and the scenarios generated healthy discussions in the classroom. The resources are accessible for students at a variety of age levels and learning abilities. The most important aspects of Digital Citizenship really depend on the group, and what has been covered and to what depth. Also, it can depend on how closely or loosely access to technology is monitored at home. Access to online resources and safety are something that I have discussed pretty regularly with the parents of adolescents in parent-teacher meetings. If Internet Safety, Security, and Privacy have not been covered, this is typically where I would start, and then move on to Citizenship, Literacy, and accessing Digital Commons and other online resources. In a classroom setting, with older students, I might have students do a bit of research about different social media tools; does this application offer private profiles, private networks, what account settings are available for identity protection?With older students, I would also discuss ethics and self-advocacy in a setting with older teenagers.  I think a lot about a young person’s rights when it comes to their own digital identity. Parents may be eager to share the accomplishments and changes of their children without considering the impact it has on kids as they gain increasing autonomy. I never post pictures of the children I know (or adults) online. However, their parents and grandparents frequently do. Sometimes these are 'teasing' photos that kids may later find embarrassing or simply not representative of how they wish to portray themselves personally, academically, professionally, or within a network of individuals that share a common interest. So many professional and personal relationships are initiated with a Digital Footprint, I hate to think that young people/future adults are not in control of this part of their identity, or that it is not 'reserved' for them for later or current use.  

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Well, I've thought of these things before. In my past life I moderated professional forums and managed online/website resources. As a teacher, I have used Common Sense Media’s Digital Citizenship curriculum tools to teach students about Digital Citizenship topics, including; Internet Safety, Digital Literacy, Digital Footprints, and Privacy and Security in the age of the internet. Younger students enjoyed the interactive Digital Compass games, and the scenarios generated healthy discussions in the classroom. The resources are accessible for students at a variety of age levels and learning abilities. The most important aspects of Digital Citizenship really depend on the group, and what has been covered and to what depth. Also, it can depend on how closely or loosely access to technology is monitored at home. Access to online resources and safety are something that I have discussed pretty regularly with the parents of adolescents in parent-teacher meetings. If Internet Safety, Security, and Privacy have not been covered, this is typically where I would start, and then move on to Citizenship, Literacy, and accessing Digital Commons and other online resources. In a classroom setting, with older students, I might have students do a bit of research about different social media tools; does this application offer private profiles, private networks, what account settings are available for identity protection?With older students, I would also discuss ethics and self-advocacy in a setting with older teenagers.  I think a lot about a young person’s rights when it comes to their own digital identity. Parents may be eager to share the accomplishments and changes of their children without considering the impact it has on kids as they gain increasing autonomy. I never post pictures of the children I know (or adults) online. However, their parents and grandparents frequently do. Sometimes these are 'teasing' photos that kids may later find embarrassing or simply not representative of how they wish to portray themselves personally, academically, professionally, or within a network of individuals that share a common interest. So many professional and personal relationships are initiated with a Digital Footprint, I hate to think that young people/future adults are not in control of this part of their identity, or that it is not 'reserved' for them for later or current use.  

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One thing that I found interesting was that 63% of hiring managers decided not to hire an applicant because they found something questionable about that person on a social networking site. We regularly performed online vetting of applicants at previous employers, but I was unaware that this had become so commonplace. We also filtered out applications submitted via certain email domains (like yahoo or aol).The most important idea for me was the association of portraits with professional development in the digital age. Namely, that you should post a photograph of yourself on networking and social media sites. I am not sure how I feel about this, or if it matters how I feel since it is an expected component of a professional digital dossier now. I have been aware of the importance of this since the rise of LinkedIn. We live in a society where ‘looksism’ and the voyeuristic desire to see what people look like without any relevant social or professional person-to-person setting will be indulged, normalized, and promoted, at every level of accomplishment and achievement in the non-nerd world. In nerdy circles, it is considered perfectly appropriate to use an avatar, or a suitable icon for digital communications and profiles - or, hey, your actual picture! It is my opinion, that if seeing what another person looks like is relevant, then their personality and manner of communicating in person are equally relevant, so...meet them in person.  

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One thing that I found interesting was that 63% of hiring managers decided not to hire an applicant because they found something questionable about that person on a social networking site. We regularly performed online vetting of applicants at previous employers, but I was unaware that this had become so commonplace. We also filtered out applications submitted via certain email domains (like yahoo or aol).The most important idea for me was the association of portraits with professional development in the digital age. Namely, that you should post a photograph of yourself on networking and social media sites. I am not sure how I feel about this, or if it matters how I feel since it is an expected component of a professional digital dossier now. I have been aware of the importance of this since the rise of LinkedIn. We live in a society where ‘looksism’ and the voyeuristic desire to see what people look like without any relevant social or professional person-to-person setting will be indulged, normalized, and promoted, at every level of accomplishment and achievement in the non-nerd world. In nerdy circles, it is considered perfectly appropriate to use an avatar, or a suitable icon for digital communications and profiles - or, hey, your actual picture! It is my opinion, that if seeing what another person looks like is relevant, then their personality and manner of communicating in person are equally relevant, so...meet them in person.  

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Having been at Westbrook High School last term, I did also notice large scale inappropriate use of computers at school. And I do know of several "policing" type actions that were administered to students and their computers. Some students had certain websites blocked on their computers and some students were not allowed to take their computers home. What I did not witness in my short time at Westbrook was digital citizenship. However, "citizenship" was addressed to varying levels of intensity during ACE time. Perhaps that time needs to also include digital citizenship. Were I am at now in York Middle School, the 5th and 6th graders get a bit one quarter per year.
Gary

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I find your discussion of avatars and pictures very interesting. I love your terminology: "non-nerd world" and" looksism." I echo those sentiments and have witnessed first hand the hiring practices of teachers in SE Asia. Bluntly put: if your aren't white, good luck getting a job. Moving the conversation back to the USA and the generation that we are teaching, I fear, and this sentiment is highlighted by the statistic you open with, many adolescents are unaware of the consequences of their digital footprint and its longevity.
Gary

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My incident with technology last semester was not as bad as the Facebook incident described by Jason, but does speak to point about not being as skilled or aware of the potential pitfalls. For one of my classes I created a Kahoot.  After three questions into the Kahoot, I went from having 21 players in the classroom to 70 or 80 from somewhere in the school. Not sure if a student tweeeted/snapchatted the code or if the airplay signal was picked/broadcast elsewhere. Never did find out...

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My incident with technology last semester was not as bad as the Facebook incident described by Jason, but does speak to point about not being as skilled or aware of the potential pitfalls. For one of my classes I created a Kahoot.  After three questions into the Kahoot, I went from having 21 players in the classroom to 70 or 80 from somewhere in the school. Not sure if a student tweeeted/snapchatted the code or if the airplay signal was picked/broadcast elsewhere. Never did find out...

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Gary

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I only found South Portland's AUP for student internet and device use within its 529 page Policy Book. The student handbook did not mention anything other than what to do if you lose your iPad. My primary complaints about the AUP are the phrasing, negative but without clear consequences, and then how difficult it is to find and read. My mentor teacher last semester had a tech use agreement that was simple to read and a list of iPad Dos and Don'ts posted in the classroom. Mahoney Middle school does Digital Citizenship instruction in a computer lab, but I was not able to find anything similar during my time at the high school. I asked last year out of interest. 

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I only found South Portland's AUP for student internet and device use within its 529 page Policy Book. The student handbook did not mention anything other than what to do if you lose your iPad. My primary complaints about the AUP are the phrasing, negative but without clear consequences, and then how difficult it is to find and read. My mentor teacher last semester had a tech use agreement that was simple to read and a list of iPad Dos and Don'ts posted in the classroom. Mahoney Middle school does Digital Citizenship instruction in a computer lab, but I was not able to find anything similar during my time at the high school. I asked last year out of interest. 

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The most important idea from module 1, for me, was broadly being aware of our digital footprints. As teachers we want to practice what we preach, which should be to use the internet in a positive way and to be sensitive to what we post and view. This post actually frightened me a bit as a 26 year old young professional. I created my Facebook account in 2008, as a sophomore in high school.  I remember going through and deleting a lot of "nonsense" when applying to colleges, because I feared what they would see.  I do this frequently as an adult as well, as I am sensitive to what I want my students to see and not to see.  But am I leaving a positive digital footprint outside of my social media accounts?  I am now investigating this further.
-Becca

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The most important aspects of digital citizenship I would like to teach in my classroom is how to research correctly using internet sources. Students today seem to not have the research skills they will need moving forward from high school. Since I am teaching10th grade advanced biology, most of my students are aspiring to attend college. An important skill they will need in their post-secondary careers will be to research appropriately, using valid sources, and citing things correctly. Especially with how strict university plagiarism policies are, a simple mistake in citations can lead to loss of credit and in more severe cases, expulsion.
-Becca

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My first semester placement was in at Gorham Middle School, and while I was there I witnessed one of my students cyber-bullying another student, and also witnessed that action that the school had taken.  I felt that the "punishment fit the crime" and that it was handled appropriately and in line with the district's AUP.  My concern however, is how much preventative action is being taken to avoid these situations in the first place.  I wonder if this could have been avoided?  I know that as 6th graders, students and parents sit through a laptop orientation regarding policies, as it is the first year the students receive them via the school.  However, is this the first and last time students are hearing about the policies?  My suggestion is that each year the students receive an updated and interactive intro to digital citizenship, their digital footprint, and the district's AUP.
-Becca

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I previous ETEP intern told me a story about his experience while interning.  He had a group of female students go through his facebook and save photos of him.  This made me incredibly nervous and I quickly moved all of my settings to private.  I later found out that none of my 8th graders even use facebook.  I am wondering what social media they are now?
-Becca

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My takeaways from the readings/videos in this module can be divided into three subtopics on creation of digital footprints.  The first is the inference that there are real dangers and downsides involved in our digital footprints.  By now many of us have had our identity compromised or private information unwittingly shared by organizations we have interacted with in a commercial and/or medical capacity.  And of course as a parent and now teacher there are very real concerns about information our children inadvertently share through their digital footprints (or we as parents on their behalf).  We can teach our children about these concerns but are they developmentally primed to appreciate these lessons?  The second takeaway is that doing what we can to impact our digital footprint involves significant vigilance.  I already am pressed for time and feel like online activity subsumes too much of it.  I am not keen on taking up even more by monitoring myself (which I don't really do very much).  Third, the information in this module presented concrete ways we can proactively create positive digital footprints.  This in helpful to think about because the efforts are easy, practical and positive.  I especially like the grandmother test rule.  Indeed, I thought I was the one to come up with the grandmother test when I see some of my kids' friends who post some questionable pictures.

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I would like to adapt lessons focused on ethical issues posed by digital citizenship as part of my teaching practice.  I think the challenge are many but include: (1) can I be an effective messenger? (2) what is an effective curriculum; and (3) how to I weave such lessons into an already packed syllabus and make it seamless with content?  I had a chance to take a look at Common Sense Media's curriculum outline in Module 2.  It looks interesting on paper -- I'd like to test out some of the lessons with a class to see the extent to which students engage with it.  It can't be another "Just say no" as in the 1980s anti-drug campaign or akin to ineffective abstinence sex ed. curriculum.  A high school (middle school?) social studies classroom (my content area) is potentially a really good place to entertain some of these lessons -- in connection with rights and responsibilities, speech,  etc.

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Portland Public School's AUP and related policies covering appropriate Internet use appear to be fairly comprehensive. They cover student, staff and volunteer usage; include information about school-issued devices and privately owned devices being used on/with school property; and include specific prohibited activities. One aspect about the AUP that I found interesting is that it includes the provision of digital citizenship curriculum by the IT department. I wonder if this section of the AUP has been effectuated or if it is just aspirational at this point?

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I still have questions about how I will serve my students in a teaching capacity given that they are so much far ahead of me (and probably the majority of teacher) with their native understanding of digital tools and strategies.  I can come up to speed to a limited extent but I will never reach them.  So my role in relationship to them will be somewhat different from the role teachers have played in the past.  Of course I certainly have wisdom and knowledge and lessons to impart, frame etc. But I think the teacher's role may well be redefined in this new world.  What is it and what will it be?

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I have always been aware that the internet is a never ending file cabinet for my life. It is permanent and irreversible. What I had forgotten about and realize is so important to be aware of is that we all have our own unique IP address. It is like our internet social security number that holds information from all of our internet activities. Even those long forgotten myspace and aol accounts we all once had during the birth of the digital age. It is important to realize that those accounts don't just have information about us but most likely have information about our families as well. When you have a digital presence you have also dragged your family members into the digital world as well; with every picture you post, email you send, or address you include as a reference, you are further developing your family member's digital footprint.

On a personal and professional level, I believe that one must be very conscious about what they post on social media. One of the videos we watched mentioned that "if you wouldn't want your grandmother to see it, then you probably shouldn't post it." I think this is something that everyone should keep in mind when using social media.

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As a future science teacher, I want to develop the critical thinking skills of my students outside of the classroom. Throughout the years students learn how to think like scientists, how to create and test their own experiments, how to write lab reports and ultimately learn how to do their own research. To facilitate this process, I would put a lot of focus into creative credit & copyright literacy, information literacy, and internet safety. Students need to know how to conduct research using reliable resources on the internet. They need to know how to give credit to those resources correctly in order to avoid plagiarism. Students also need to know how to obtain information from the internet in a safe and responsible manner.

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After eventually finding and reading through South Portland's AUP, which was well hidden on the district website, I felt like it was a little too general. It did not really go into the details about the types of devices used at each school or about the proper handling of devices. There also was no mention about what happens if the student damages their device.

As I read through the AUP I came across the statement that all AUP's seem to contain: that students computer use will be monitored and that their internet use inside and outside of school is never private. I found myself asking a question that maybe someone here could answer for me. Who or what program is responsible for the monitoring of student's computer use and how effective is it?

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The most important idea for me from Module 1 is the power we each have to shape the digital footprints of those known to us. As was stated in the article, “Follow Your Footprint,” “digital citizenship is everyone's responsibility.” On a professional level, I believe it is important to teach students the responsibility they have not only to themselves but to each other. If my future students want to spend time finding out about me on the internet, I want them to come away an honest image of who I am outside of school. I am careful about the image of myself I share online but also try to make sure it is an honest one. On a personal level, I want to monitor how others may be shaping the image of me that exists online. I feel confident that my friends and family would not do anything- or have the materials- to intentionally portray me in a way that would make me uncomfortable, but it is something I will keep in mind. On a professional level, I hope to be able to help students understand that the online community is not built up of disparate entities but is, indeed a “web.” (On that note, I wonder if young people ever use the term ‘world wide web’).

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One aspect of digital citizenship I would like to help students with in my classroom is balancing a positive digital image of themselves while still allowing them to explore who they are and not feel they must ever definitively define themselves. What stood out to me the most from the resources was a quote from Devorah Heitner. She explained a “digital footprint can constrain young people at a time when they should be able to experiment with their identities.” I remember feeling the pressure in high school as the time to apply to colleges rolled around to define who I was as a person and what I planned to do with my future. I’ve also definitely thought about how through social media, we have the chance to craft who we are- in terms of how others will perceive us. I had not before considered, with the rise of social media, how much pressure students must be under to start defining themselves from a very early age and how that constrain their personal explorations. I think of a middle schooler I both had in class and knew outside of school who rides horses, but due to bullying earlier in his life, is unwilling to share with his schoolmates or teachers anything about that aspect of his life. I’m extrapolating here, but I imagine he would not want to be included in, say, online photo albums from events at the barn. Then, I think to how many pictures are really only stored in shared, online spaces these days and how someday he may wish he had those memories to look back on. I would like to focus on helping students find ways to safely explore different facets of themselves, including those they do not want to share with others, in a healthy, productive way. Obviously, the horseback riding example is fairly “innocent” but I think there are many examples where students might encounter real trouble trying to separate aspects of themselves online that could lead to unhealthy behavior (especially in cases where there may be a perceived sense of anonymity related to separate accounts or usernames).

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Like many others, my concerns relate to the vagueness of the district’s AUP. In South Portland High School’s honor code, under the category of technology integration, is the line “Use of electronic devices shall be permitted within South Portland High School in a manner which does not distract from the pursuit of the academic, personal, and social ideals set forth within the Code of Honor school’s honor code.” There is a policy statement that gives more detailed guidelines, but they still include lots of vague language, like the use of cameras or recording devices not being allowed in “any locker room, restroom, or any other place where other people have a

reasonable expectation of privacy” or “electronic devices may not be used in any unethical or illegal manner.” I would be hard pressed to define places where people have “a reasonable expectation of privacy” or what exactly could constitute use in an “unethical manner” so I would be concerned about my ability to educate students about acceptable use and enforce the guidelines in a clear way. I know with the constantly changing nature of technology, that giving precise definitions that encompass all cases would be impossible. I wonder if there could be more examples and non-examples of acceptable use provided at least to staff to help them better understand the rules.

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Hi All, I just noticed that if you click on the three dots in the upper right hand corner of any post, you can choose "expand post" and it opens up a bigger version of the post, making it much easier to read. Just thought I'd share.

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The main take away for me while reading and viewing the artifacts in the module is the reminder about how permanent our digital participation is. I've had a Facebook since 2008 and before that I had a "secret" myspace as well as multiple AIM accounts that I spent countless hours chatting with my friends on. I'm also reminded of a citizenship class I took in college where we discussed our digital footprints and how the world has changed due to technology. It's concerning that most young people (including myself) are more likely to send a text or message instead of picking up the phone and calling someone or meeting up with them in person. I'm reminded that every time I do something online it is there forever, my IP address follows me and keeps track of my digital consumption. This is all important to remember as we saw in the module that 63% of employers check social networking, I do not want to be the person who misses out on an employment opportunity due to something on my social media sites.

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As a science teacher it will be my job to help students develop the skill to use the internet as a tool for research and inquiry as opposed to a tool for communication, gaming, and simple google searches. One major lesson I taught last trimester at Baxter was about determing if a source is reliable using an AAOCC protocol. I had my students list different websites they frequently visit as well as news sites or sites they use when researching. I then had them dig deeper into the Authority, Accuracy, Objectivty, Currency, and Coverage of the websites. I then had them decide if according to AAOCC their sources are reliable or not. Having my students think critically about what they are consuming all day long on digital media is so important in making successful students. I hope this critical thinking will transfer into other aspects of their lives and education.

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I have to say I am quite impressed with Baxter's AUP. I think it is very straight forward and sets attainable expectations for proper use of the technology available to Baxter students. While it sets these expectations it also lays out possible consequences for students when improper tech use has taken place. I think another important point to make is Baxter's ability to enforce these policies as well as enforcement of the consequences.

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One major question I struggle with every day is how to decide where the balance is between using technology for my class and when it becomes a distraction for my students. It's also hard when some of my students are technologically superior to me and I have to try and manage that, oh Baxter!

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The most important idea for me was to remember how others can impact your digital footprint. I do consider how I am portrayed when people tag or post about me in social media. I was a very different person when I first attended college. I had to go back and un-tag many photos that I was a part of because they showed me partying and consuming alcohol. I no longer take part in that activity and do not want to be portrayed in that light. Not only for myself and the life I live now, but because employers do look at social media. They do it for a reason and they know where to look and what to look for.

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I already know I would like to emphasize the importance of young people being aware of the specific information they post online that can give someone clear directions on where you are and what you are doing. The newer idea is to specifically mark certain examples of trendy social media activities that put someone in serious danger such as tagging yourself as "checked in" at a certain location, updating your Twitter with what you're doing and where exactly you are located, and just outright posting a status telling people that you're leaving your home and will not be back for an extended period of time. Not many people think these things are harmful, but people who mean you harm and want to take your stuff are specifically looking out for those exact things.

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Gorham's AUP is broad and all-emcompassing. They hit on all the main concerns and offer resources to help guide young people and their families on the proper use of their devices, the ideas of digital citizenship, cyberbullying, and other forms of harassment. The school also acknowledges that they can only do so much to prevent students from participating in malicious behavior on the digital world. I especially like that the school did this because they put some of the responsibility on the caretaker of the student to assist them with their digital habits.

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One thing I noticed the other day during a summative assessment was that students relied heavily on the spell-check technology when providing written responses. I was concerned about the very high amount of spelling errors last semester in the eighth grade but now I know it was not just that grade in that particular school, it is all over. Not only do students not know how to spell very well but they also do not know the resources available for finding the correct spelling. Students at both schools did not know what a dictionary was used for. Further adding to injury, the spelling errors were so rampant that the teachers simply looked over them and verbalized that if the answers could be decoded enough to make sense and the content was correct, they marked it correct. I understand the need to save time and not intrude on other teacher's responsibilities to teach spelling and grammar, but if they are not held accountable anywhere, their errors will not be corrected and they will be pushed through until the same technology carries them into college and the workforce. The word processing technology we have now can correct not only spelling but grammar and offer stylistic suggestions. So, if this continues writing will all look the same and maybe, at some point, become obsolete. I can very much imagine a future where we communicate through videos and emojis.