Activity #9: We the People...

I am not a parent.

I am, however, a teacher. 

What I see, daily, as my students get sucked further and further into the ever-expanding and rapidly changing world of technology makes me want to move to some cave in the middle of nowhere so that I when I someday have children of my own, they don't have to face the consequences that technology forces on today's youth (very Mr. Kirk in scenario 2). 

Am I a Debbie Downer?.... Sometimes?!?!?! 

Would I really move to a cave?.... I couldn't possibly live that far away from a Target store! :) 

But seriously, the consequences of technology seem incredibly weighty. Watching middle-schoolers struggle through online bullying, sharing of private information, and so much more is gut-wrenching and it makes the importance of digital citizenship that much greater. 

After reading through the scenarios and resources provided, here are my thoughts: 

• Discuss the possible ethical issues involved in two of the scenarios.
• Ethically, technology provides us with many issues. Inherently, it is not wrong to move forward in your classroom with a teaching practice you feel is sound. However, when your practice is not quite so sound and the principal is fielding angry phone calls from parents, you have an issue. I do my best to inform my principal when I begin something new that I haven't tried out before, this would include technology. The temptation to have your kids create accounts on websites when they are not yet 13 is high. Even more than that, the temptation not to check those age requirements is even higher. When trying out a new form of technology it is absolutely necessary to be aware of all age restrictions and requirements for parent permission. 
• Determine if the safety or well-being of anyone is in jeopardy.
• I think absolutely the safety and well-being of several people are in jeopardy in a few of these situations. Obviously, in the scenario where students are posting pictures with full names you have a straightforward safety issue. In addition, you have a well-being issue anytime students use technology to bully or make fun of others. 
• What advice, strategy, or policy would you recommend to individuals or schools based on this scenario?
• In the scenario where the teacher neglected to teach students how to turn on the privacy setting for YouTube videos, I would suggest modeling the process several times. While it is unfortunate, there is any easy fix in order to move forward. In the instance where the students are using google docs or other forums to bully one another, I would have a very serious conversation with the students and enforce the consequences outlined in the Mounds View Technology Policy, which is very clear about school technology being used for academic purposes only. I see consistency as the absolute greatest and most imperative strategy in keeping technology under control and academically useful. 
• Share any real-life incidents or personal connections related to the scenario.
• Honestly, I haven't dealt with an academic issue related to any of these scenarios. But I did have a conversation with a very distraught student who told me about pictures of her that had been taken and then put out on Instagram. The way that technology can quickly turn something personal into something public, is mind-boggling. It heightens the need for education and vigilance when it comes to technology in our classrooms and schools. 
• How can the Mounds View Resources help to implement high quality instructional practices with with technology?
• The Mounds View district does a lot to encourage the use of technology in classrooms and certainly supports it with money and resources. To be honest, I think the ways that Mounds View can continue to support this is by offering courses like this, placing technology people in each school, and investing in new technology. One of the things the district needs to be wary about, however, is the over-saturation of technology in classrooms. Technology has a time and place to be effective. Not enough and you have technologically illiterate students, too much and you have students who do not have a multi-faceted view of and experience with learning. 
• What is 1 procedure that you can implement in your class and what is one that you would like to implement in your whole PLC or whole building?
• I am really excited to implement a procedure related to "modes" of Chromebook use. Last year a teacher in our school had a poster where the Chromebook was featured fully open (work-mode), partially open (courtesy-mode), and closed (off). This was a great and visual way to remind students what their Chromebooks should look like during full-class instruction and short quick bits of instruction. Google Classroom is something my PLC is going to be implementing throughout the school year. Tara and I are both very excited to use it on a regular basis!