How do we create responsible, creative, essential online identities? How do we use technology effectively and responsibly–and teach that to our students? What should be the role of technology in education and society at large? These posts consider those questions.
Good digital citizens know how to protect their privacy, and they understand and follow copyright laws. That’s simple to say, but not nearly as easy to live by. Your answers to the following questions can give you some insight into…
Copyright Copyright is a legal protection insuring that the creators or owners of a creative product (writing, drawing, music, film, etc) retain the rights to using and profiting from their work. Infringing on copyright can lead to court cases, fines…
Way back when social media was new, teachers were routinely warned to not use social media at all. The NEA and the OEA came out with horror stories about teachers who lost their jobs over unwise use of MySpace and…
Social media is a blessing and a curse–sometimes, simultaneously! The price we pay for staying in touch is a loss of privacy, and that is true in multiple ways, depending how philosophical a person is inclined to be. You have…
The nine traits of digital citizenship is an inclusive framework for discussing life online, but there are simpler ways to express the goals of digital citizenship as it applies to most people on a daily basis. The video (below) shows…
You are a citizen of cyberspace, leaving footprints throughout the web. Those footprints create a very public, searchable identity–and it’s there even if you don’t believe you are really online that much. If you are reading this on a computer,…
The article “15 Tips to Better Passwords” by Robert Siciliano, who is a McAfee Consultant and Identity Theft Expert, offers some very helpful tips for creating strong passwords and keeping them secure. Here are a few of the most helpful hints: Using…
Often, we assume that using published materials for classroom use is legal–and it is…to an extent. However, the guidelines for legal use are very specific. Stanford University’s Copyright and Fair Use website provides an overview of current copyright law as relating…
Are you an accidental pirate? Do you pillage photos, graphics, and designs from online searches, using them for “educational use” without getting permission from the owners? If so, you’re not alone! Thanks to easy access, most of us have done…