Meeting people online & offline by https://padlet.com/joeniebo2/homeschool2020 My experiences during social distancing and homeschool en-us 2020-04-20 13:03:17 UTC 2023-09-21 03:49:18 UTC hello@padlet.com https://padlet.net/icons/png/263a.png joeniebo2 https://padlet.com/joeniebo2/homeschool2020/wish/526816286 2020-04-23 20:03:54 UTC https://padlet.com/joeniebo2/homeschool2020/wish/526816286 Communication in the digital age joeniebo2 https://padlet.com/joeniebo2/homeschool2020/wish/526885637 Communicating with other humans is a very important part of life. But which role does this part plays in the digital age and how much has it already gotten digitised?

The picture
The picture above this post shows an image of communication in the digital age.
We can see people of different age, gender and race, all being busy on their phones or laptops. Above them are many colourful pictograms like a newspaper, the WIFI-sign or a globe. All these symbolise communication.

What does it show?
Just looking at the image is kind of easy, but can you see its message?

For me, the picture I connected with this post shows how digitised our communication has become nowadays.
Whether it is writing an email to a colleague, texting with friends, sending grandma the vacation photos, even this blog post is a type of digital communication.

The globe
What caught my eye in this picture is the big pictogram of a globe. Lines span across the globe and connect points all over the world with each other. These lines almost seem to bounce back and forth quickly and restless, just like the messages we sent to communicate with each other.

The people
Even though the people in the image are all very different, all of them are online.
I think, this symbolises that communication is still an essential part of our life. No matter who we are, none of us could ever live without communicating with others in any way.

What role does communicating plays in the digital age?
It still plays the same role as in every other age, if not a more important one. We communicate the whole time, but more and more in another way, the digital way. Even if the ways change again, we as humans will always be communicating!

This is my view. Which role plays communication in the digital age in your opinion? What do you think the picture tells us? Let me now in the comments!]]> 2020-04-23 20:42:59 UTC https://padlet.com/joeniebo2/homeschool2020/wish/526885637 Ways of communication joeniebo2 https://padlet.com/joeniebo2/homeschool2020/wish/528553977 Look at this huge amount of ways of communication!]]> 2020-04-24 14:49:31 UTC https://padlet.com/joeniebo2/homeschool2020/wish/528553977 Communicating by posting pictures joeniebo2 https://padlet.com/joeniebo2/homeschool2020/wish/528724809 This way of communication has become more and more common in the last few years. There are many platforms on which you can post pictures, in this post I will refer to the platform Instagram.

Because Instagram is only ten years old, so a relative new way of communication, maybe not everyone is used to it. Therefor I have compiled a list of advantages and disadvantages of posting pictures.

Advantages +
-you can express yourself creatively through every kind of picture (e.g. portraits, landscapes, cartoons, videos, etc. )

-you can share your memories and opinions easily with everyone

-you can poste privately (you decide who can see your posts) or publicly

-you can share pictures for 24 hours in your “story”

-you can add a caption to your post in with you explain the post and tell the story behind it

-people can respond to your post via the comments or chat with you via direct message

- you can let yourself be inspired  by looking at the posts of others

Disadvantages -
-you could feel forced to be online and post pictures all the time

-everyone could take screenshots of your post and then still look at them even if you deleted them

-it costs a lot of time to create an account and to create, plan and edit content 

-some people create fake accounts and use them to trick others 

-likes, comments and other “better” accounts could cause social pressure and less self confidence 

-your time on Instagram is disturbed by advertisements 

In spite of the disadvantages, I think Instagram or posting pictures in general is a great way to express yourself. In this special times, I really like the possibility it offers to stay in contact with my friends on a little daily basis.

 

]]> 2020-04-24 15:51:20 UTC https://padlet.com/joeniebo2/homeschool2020/wish/528724809 Communicating by blogging joeniebo2 https://padlet.com/joeniebo2/homeschool2020/wish/528742856 You read this right now? I caught you in the act! Don’t worry, you have done nothing illegal, but blogs are another way of communicating.

Advantages +
-you can share and collect information more personally than on websites or books

-you can deal with a topic you like and share your experiences and opinions with others, add pictures, videos, links etc.

-you can get or give feedback and get to know other points of view through comments and likes

-you can choose between public and private blogging

-blogs are free; mostly, you just have to sign up

Disadvantages -
-blogs could be confusing (sorted by  date not topic or views, many topics/posts on one site)

-a blog needs to be taken care of, readers expect something new all the time

In this case, I definitely think that the advantages are predominant! Blogs are a great way to share what you like and to exchange with others that have the same interest as you. 
What do you think about blogging?
Would you start your own blog?
What would be the topic of your blog?
Let me know in the comments:)

 ]]> 2020-04-24 15:58:19 UTC https://padlet.com/joeniebo2/homeschool2020/wish/528742856 Voting results joeniebo2 https://padlet.com/joeniebo2/homeschool2020/wish/536453070 Last week we did a little survey in my english class (all participants are between 15 and 17 years old). You can check out the results in the file I linked down below, but I will also analyse them in this post.

Question 1
The bar chart shows the voting results of the question “What do you share on social media?”. The chart has ten bars which each represent a piece of personal information. 21 of us voted on this question, the results are given in percent.

The chart
It is obvious from the chart that the most frequently  shared information is photos (21%) and our real name (19%). A few less pupils post their interests (16%) and videos (15%). Nine percent share their birthday or their hometown. Only a few of us publish where we go to school, our phone number (3%) or email (1%). None of the participants in our survey share their relationships status, maybe because we’re all single and there is nothing to share;)

This shows
...that we, as part of Gen Z, do share personal information, but we are careful about it. We post information that is already kind of public or not really a secret (e.g. name, how we look, actives). Information that sharing could more affect ourselves and our everyday lives, mostly stays private.


Question 2
The second question was an open ended question: “Homeschooling means meeting people online, not offline. What do you miss most during homeschooling?”

The answers
This time, there were 25 answers which I summarised for you.

Nearly everyone of us misses their friends or social contacts in general, exchanging our ideas and thoughts. Even though we can communicate in digital ways, meeting people in real life feels more personal. Most of us now have the desire to follow our normal habits and to have a structured day, doing outdoor activities, hobbies and sports.

Surprise, surprise!
What really surprises me is that this means: students miss school! Even though we always say that school is annoying, it offers us a opportunity to see our friends daily, to exchange and to be busy. Going to school has become part of our everyday life and a habit, which is what we hardly miss in this times of social distancing and homeschooling. 

]]> 2020-04-28 14:06:09 UTC https://padlet.com/joeniebo2/homeschool2020/wish/536453070 How I use the internet joeniebo2 https://padlet.com/joeniebo2/homeschool2020/wish/539373217 Thanks to the huge amount of opportunities the internet offers us nowadays, we spend a lot of time online. And so do I.

Normally
Normally, I am using the internet about 2-4 hours per day, which already is much time. Wether I listen to music, research something on google, chat with my friend, check my social media, play online games on the schoolbus or end my day with Netflix and YouTube, the internet takes in a huge part of my life.

During social distancing
In this times, I spend even more time on my phone. Now that nearly our whole life has been moved home, we have to do many extra things online.

It is not just entertainment
These extra things are not just ”unnecessary” time consuming entertainment. Which normally could be done offline, things like working, going to school, sports and hobbies, meeting friends, now have become an online activity.

Disadvantages
My phone is the last thing I see when I got to bed and the first to check when I wake up. I spend almost all of my working hours and my leisure online. Because of this, my screen time has doubled! Sometimes, at the end of the day, my eyes and my head hurt and I am looking forward to a few ours offline.

How do you feel about it?
Have you noticed any difference in your internet usage?
I hope I am not the only one;) ]]> 2020-04-29 14:47:14 UTC https://padlet.com/joeniebo2/homeschool2020/wish/539373217 Do you speak Internet? joeniebo2 https://padlet.com/joeniebo2/homeschool2020/wish/549458778 The mind-map shows ways, how the internet is changing the English language, presented in the Bridge magazine by Liam Peak from the UK in September 2019. 

I as well, as a german native speaker, recognise these changes. Not only English, but also other languages like German are experiencing development in the following aspects due to the internet:
- gramma
- new words
- abbreviations
- influence through other languages 

This might seem like a decline of language at first, but there is no need to worry. The languages will survive these changes and developments and probably get even stronger. ]]> 2020-05-04 14:27:29 UTC https://padlet.com/joeniebo2/homeschool2020/wish/549458778 A cartoon joeniebo2 https://padlet.com/joeniebo2/homeschool2020/wish/554443012 Talking about the cartoon
In the first panel, the man asks the woman where she has been. He couldn’t find her and was very worried because she didn’t post anything on her social media.
In the second panel, the woman clears the situation and says that she posted on Twitter that she is going to the bathroom and will be back in fife minutes.

So, the cartoon makes fun of the connection and communication in the modern world. People habe to be online 24/7 and post everything online.

Interpretation
In the first panel, the man is holding the woman by the arms and confronts he with her “disappearance”. He seems to be very upset and worried about it. His mouth is wide open and it looks like he is  yelling.
The woman looks very shocked and confused. She is leaning back as if she is surprised by the mans reaction.

In the second frame, the woman is leaning forward to tell the man to check Twitter. During this, she seems to be a little bit annoyed.
The man checks Twitter and reads that the woman left a message in which she says: “Upstairs. Going ti the bathroom. Be back in 5.” Now the man looks surprised and sorry, because he forgot to check all social networks and yelled at the woman for no reason.

Evaluation 
I think the cartoon shows the situation a little to exaggerated, but that is the point of an cartoon. All in all, I like the cartoon. It is funny and shows the problematic of modern communication quite well. 


]]> 2020-05-06 11:20:30 UTC https://padlet.com/joeniebo2/homeschool2020/wish/554443012 Conversation - a vanishing skill? - part 1 joeniebo2 https://padlet.com/joeniebo2/homeschool2020/wish/564758328 The article by Martha Irvine, published on the 3rd of June 2004 in the Huffington Post deals with the consequences of our increasing use of text messengers. 

The style of conversations changes
Most cell phone owners nowadays prefer texting ofer making a phone call, most likely younger people. This is especially visible at colleges and universities where office hours are rarely visited. At first, this might seem harmless, but this behaviour strongly affects our social skills.

The consequences
We lose the skill to have face-to-face conversations, look each other in the eyes and read cues like body language and tone of voice. This affects situation negatively, in which it is essential to communicate in a personal way.

Also our grammatical skills suffer.
Due to text messages, we care less about a correct use of grammar and prefer abbreviations.

The result
In result we have to relearn speaking in front of other people and really listen to others in a conversation. 
People with skills in both, personal and digital communication, are more flexible and will help to bridge the conversation gap.  

The following mind-map again summarises the main aspects of the article. ]]> 2020-05-11 12:59:31 UTC https://padlet.com/joeniebo2/homeschool2020/wish/564758328 Conversation - a vanishing skill? - part 2 joeniebo2 https://padlet.com/joeniebo2/homeschool2020/wish/569928164 In the article I summarised in part 1, three practical measures that can help students to improve their media awareness and social skills are suggested by experts.
In this part, I want to present and discuss on of them. 

The measure
The professor of communication and media studies at Fordham University in New York, Janet Sternberg used little tasks to increase her student’s social skills.
For example, standing up in a crowded room and introducing themselves to these foreigners.

Reactions
At first, you are probably very shy, frightened and maybe even feel embarrassed afterwards.
The other people might be confused and will look weird.

But on the other hand, the people will find you cool, impressive and will appreciate the confidence and courage.
Maybe they will even applaud and the student who introduced him/herself will feel amazing.
This is also a great opportunity to meet new people, because some might have become interested in getting to know you.

The effects
In the end, this task only has good effects. 
Even though it’s a drill at first, most students find it useful  afterward. They will recognise how easy and simple it is to stand up and introduce themselves. There is nothing to be afraid of. 
This especially helps in meeting new people and in the workplace, because you become more confident, open and learn how to present yourself in front of other people. 

]]> 2020-05-13 12:42:23 UTC https://padlet.com/joeniebo2/homeschool2020/wish/569928164 Are your parents your ‘friends’? joeniebo2 https://padlet.com/joeniebo2/homeschool2020/wish/579417886 I found this two articles about being friends with your parents on social media. This is a common topic, the invasion of parents on social networking sites. But should you let your parents friend you or is this and invasion of privacy?

Cons
On the one side, many teenagers are afraid that their parents might follow their social media account and see their posts. Then you have to please them with your content. Or you have to read embarrassing comments under every post. 

Furthermore, our parents will get to know our “social media character”. This is bow we present ourselves on Instagram and Co, our thoughts and conversations with friends. Nothing our parents have to know about. The access to this could be called an invasion of privacy. 

Pros
On the other hand, friending your parents on social media could really make your relationship stronger and more personal. They can be a part of your everyday life and you can share the happiest moments with them. Refusing their friend request might seem rude and unloving.

In addition to that, you overthink more what you want to share on social media and if your content is appropriate. Is it something your parents shouldn’t see, maybe nobody else should.

Conclusion
I think everyone has to decide for them self if it is okay with them to be online friends with their parents. This really depends on how your relationship already is. Are you more close or maybe don’t even are in contact? On many platforms, there also is the opportunity to limit your followers access to your account, so they can’t comment or only see certain posts.



In my case
In my family, only my father has Instagram and followes me there. This was the condition some years ago, so that I was allowed to download the app.
At fist, my parents didn’t want me to post pictures of myself. Fortunately, my father doesn’t really know how to use Instagram and is rarely online.
To be extra sure, I blocked him in my story because this is where I post more personal thing, that my parents don’t always have to know about. 
That’s why I can mostly share what I want, but I am still careful and aware of the Internet never forgets anything.


https://metro.co.uk/2017/09/20/should-we-add-our-parents-on-our-social-media-accounts-6941576/

https://eu.usatoday.com/story/college/2015/05/21/viewpoint-should-you-let-your-parents-follow-you-on-instagram/37403063/

]]> 2020-05-18 09:31:54 UTC https://padlet.com/joeniebo2/homeschool2020/wish/579417886 Cyber bullying - survey joeniebo2 https://padlet.com/joeniebo2/homeschool2020/wish/592643145
The chart
The bar chart presents the results of another survey from my English class about issues of the web and cyber bullying.

The chart shows which percentage of my class had experienced different types of online misuse.
You can see that 80% (!) of us have been stalked or contacted by a stranger through social media.
10% have given out personal information to strangers.
The same amount has had embarrassing contend published without their permission.
None of us said that he/she was a victim of cyber pranking or has done any kind of cyber bullying him/herself.

Conclusion 
This underlines that there are still some big issues with the appropriate usage of the cyberspace. Especially privacy and the security of personal data are a huge problem which has to be solved. Even though 0% specified to be in any way  part of cyber pranks and bullying, it is not because it doesn’t exist anymore. 

I haven’t experienced this myself but I know people in my environment that have. It is very important that this topic gets more attention and ideas to solve the problem. 

Have you ever experienced cyber bullying? ]]> 2020-05-25 09:59:01 UTC https://padlet.com/joeniebo2/homeschool2020/wish/592643145 Forms of bullying joeniebo2 https://padlet.com/joeniebo2/homeschool2020/wish/592687642 Bullying is a problem at nearly every school, but there are many different types of bullying that can be more obvious or subtle. To clarify this, I summarised and explained the most common types of bullying down below.

Physical bullying
-includes physical abuse (hitting, kicking, damaging property etc.)
-can cause long and short term damage

Verbal bullying
-includes verbal abuse (name-calling, insult, intimidation,discriminating remarks etc.)
-can often start off harmless

Social bullying
-is harder to recognise and can be carried out behind the targets back
-is designed to harm social reputation/cause humiliation
-includes:
• lying and spreading rumours
• negative gestures and looks
• playing jokes to embarrass and  
   humiliate
• mimicking unkindly
• damaging social reputation and 
   acceptance

It is important to pay attention and to report  or stop bullying because it causes strong long and short term damage. 

]]> 2020-05-25 10:28:18 UTC https://padlet.com/joeniebo2/homeschool2020/wish/592687642 Cyber bullying joeniebo2 https://padlet.com/joeniebo2/homeschool2020/wish/596548849 Cyber bullying is another form of bullying which is increasing hardly in the digital age. This side BullyingUK is informing of about many types of bullying and also offers opportunities for getting help.

It’s recent national bullying survey shows that 56% of young people have seen others bullied online and 42% have felt unsafe in the net.

Types of cyber bullying
Harassment means the sending of nasty, rude, humiliating etc. texts and pictures or the inappropriate commenting on a post.

Posting embarrassing photos and videos of another person or telling fake information/spreading rumours it called Denigration.

If someone is using extreme offensive language on purpose and often gets into online arguments, it’s called Flaming.

Impersonation means creating fake accounts and pretending to be someone else or hacking in someone’s account to post inappropriate content.

Cyber bullying can also be sharing personal information about another person or tricking someone else to reveal secrets, photos and videos. This is called Outing and Trickery.

The online form of stalking is Cyberstalking. It shows itself through repeated sending of threats and humiliating texts and making others afraid of his/her safety.

Exclusion is a form of bullying that cannot only happen online. It means intentionally leaving someone out of a group or ignoring someone in a conversation.

Effects of bullying
Bullying can have a dramatic harm on someone’s psyche. Because of this, it is very important to pay attention to signs which could show that someone is bullied.

This could be a very low self-esteem, spending lots of time alone and letting off of family and friends. 
Bullying can also lead to a change in the personality of the person or in the outward appearance.
New marks on the skin or hiding clothes could indicate self harm.
People that are cyber bullied often don’t let anyone near their mobile phone or laptop.

Danger signs
The following things are signs that your chatting partner is not really who he/she pretends to be and probably wants nothing good for you.

If your chatting partner is...

-insisting on getting  personal information,
-sending uncomfortable/
inappropriate/personal pictures and videos,
-insisting on a secret meeting,
-wanting you to send uncomfortable pictures or to WebCam in an uncomfortable way,

you should immediately stop your contact with this person and inform an adult.

Safety advice
To be safe in the internet, it is important that you never reveal your real name, where you go to school, your address or your telephone number. 

Also you should never agree to meet someone on your own. 
If you want to meet someone you know from a chat, only do it in a public place and accompanied by an adult. 

If someone is sending you inappropriate messages or if you feel uncomfortable, tell an adult. ]]> 2020-05-27 09:42:02 UTC https://padlet.com/joeniebo2/homeschool2020/wish/596548849 Advice joeniebo2 https://padlet.com/joeniebo2/homeschool2020/wish/596647277 If my best friend got cyber bullied, I would of course give her my best advice. So would I, if I saw anyone else being cyber bullied.


First of all, my advice would depend on the type of cyber bullying. 

If someone is sending my best friend messages or commenting under her posts in an inappropriate way, it should be possible to block this person. 
If she does so, this person shouldn’t be able to contact her anymore.

Most sites also offer to report an account by simply clicking on the help button. I would recommend this, if it was a matter of Denigration, Flaming or Impersonation. 

If there was no other way, my best friend should delete her social media account. 


If you are getting bullied, there are many sites, platforms and hotlines where you can get help. 

It is really important to note that cyber bullying is not secret and that it’s nothing you should be ashamed of.
If you feel uncomfortable and insecure, you should tell an adult. 

Many types of bullying are also illegal, so that you could inform the police and the bully will be charged.]]> 2020-05-27 10:45:46 UTC https://padlet.com/joeniebo2/homeschool2020/wish/596647277