Internet Safety

Blogging

I choose to watch the hour long Frontline documentary of technology and internet safety called Growing Up Online ( http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/kidsonline/view ). After watching the video I was actually really concerned. I knew that there were issues with cyberbullying and sexting, but what disturbed me almost as much as these problems was the reaction of the teenagers. It shocked me that so many teens didn't want there parent to see what they were doing/posting. I understand they need there privacy, but it was almost as if they were doing something they knew they weren't supposed to be doing. Many teens also had the attitude that "they new the dangers" and "they weren't dumb when it came to online predators", yet you could tell they didn't really understand.I think it is important to have an open mind about the use of technology in the classroom. I believe that an important part of being a technology literate teacher is being able to help educate students about the dangers of cyberbullying/sexting. I believe it is also important to let students know that it is important to tell their teachers/school administrators/parents about any problems they may be having. The students shouldn't be afraid to tell you if they are being bullied.Another important issue that was brought up in the documentary, which I thought was interesting, was the fear that students were "cheating" on assignments by looking up stuff on the internet or by doing the assignment with their friends. I agreed with the teacher on the documentary that in the "real world" we wouldn't be calling it cheating, we would be calling it "collaborating".