I know when I was growing up, I did not adhere to the norms of appropriate and responsible behavior as listed in the Nine Elements article when it came to the Internet, specifically element three.
"Unfortunately, many users have not been taught how to make appropriate decisions when faces with so many difficult digital communication options."With ICQ (please, somebody tell me they know what this is -- apparently all the friends I have never heard of it!) and AOL Instant Messenger, it was so easy to talk to whoever I wanted, be whoever I wanted to be, and say whatever I wanted. I think Internet safety is something that needs to be addressed thoroughly and frequently especially with how far things have advanced with social networking. I was fearless growing up, just as most kids are and many don't realize what kind of danger they can put themselves in.
Another element that stood out to me was number four - digital literacy.
"A renewed focus must be made on what technologies must be taught as well as how it should be used. New technologies are finding their way into the work place that are not being used in schools (e.g., videoconferencing, online sharing spaces such as wikis). In addition, workers in many different occupations need immediate information (just-in-time information). This process requires sophisticated searching and processing skills (i.e., information literacy). Learners must be taught how to learn in a digital society. In other words, learners must be taught to learn anything, anytime, anywhere."Learning how to use technology is so advanced it's rather self explanatory, but the problems lies in that when you teach yourself, you develop bad habits, cut corners, and don't fully learn all the uses of the product at your fingertips. By the time students reach school-age, most will probably have learned how to turn on a computer, access the internet, and probably play various computer games; I know my sister did. One clear example I can think of is the Microsoft Office Suite. Nearly everyone can open a new file, type sentences, spell check, add pretty clip art, save it, print it, and call it a day... but how many students know the advanced uses? That doesn't even cover other important aspects of the Internet like searching for content and knowing what's valuable, or valid? Or how to properly find the information to cite in papers and not plagiarize?
All of these aspects of the Internet and technology should be taught within the schools and I believe it is everyone's responsibility. If teachers are properly and effectively coordinating technology into their lessons, they have ample time to address specif concerns to their classes, as well as skills that can transfer into other classrooms and beyond their formal education. In recently searching for jobs, the technology component is huge when it comes to expectations for candidates. If students aren't learning this properly in their classrooms before they graduate, how can they gain the experience necessary to meet the qualifications?
On copyrights, I remember attending an MENC Conference and learning about everything that you think is okay, but isn't, and what the real way to do it is. I was shocked at everything I had thought was okay and really, really wasn't. So many people don't know the rules of copyright and I see it on a daily basis; in fact I learn something new every time I read about copyright so I'm sure I break the rules (actually, I'm positive I break the rules) every now and again. If it weren't for that conference or my education courses at Fredonia, I"m not sure I'd really know much about copyright beyond "Cite your sources in that essay, or else!" that I learned growing up. It's yet another topic that needs to be covered in schools by the teachers.
I've said too much. That's what happens when I get on a tangent - bad blogger over here.
