Cyberbullying: A big no no!!!

Cyberbulling is bullying that happens using technology. People can be cyberbullied online, texting, podcasts, ect… This form of bullying is popular because it is easier to get away without someone catching you. It is also popular because you don’t have to actually face the person you are bullying.

Personally I have never been a victim of cyberbulling because I don’t use technology that often. Now that I will be using technology more, I bet this issue will come up a lot. I have been bullied a lot in the past. It is not fun at all. It hurts and brings you down. Nothing good comes of it. I believe the people that bully are cowards and disrespectable people. They are insecure and have to put people down in order to be built up.

Unfortunately they are a lot of bullies out there. I have never truly bullied anyone. I don’t believe in it and never will. I hope to stand up for people that are bullied and cast a light on a sometime dark world.

The problem of cyberbulling in the schools is a major one. What can we do as educators to help prevent cyberbulling? I truly believe the answer is educating our students. EDUCATE. If we can educate our students about the bullying/cyberbulling they will have a better handle on the negatives it can cause people.

I believe the schools have a great responsibility to address cyberbulling. Legally cyberbulling has a lot of gray area. I do know you can legally take action if it is affecting your school environment. It is hard to know how a kid is affected from case to case. What one kid can take as a joke, another kid cannot. Therefore all types of bullying should be addressed when the opportunity presents itself. Obviously you can’t catch every student. If you do happen to catch them, make the punishment something that is lasting. A slap on the wrist won’t stop the kids from doing it again. A harsh punishment means kids will be less likely to engage in bullying behavior.

So to sum up, I believe in a proactive approach first. Try to teach the kids about the issues of cyberbullying. If this is done right, I think you will have less of an issue. If bullying still continues then a harsh consequence. Bullying should not be tolerated.

Copyright Laws

Copyright laws have always been confusing for me. I was in theatre growing up so copyright laws were a big deal for putting on productions. I was always curious about the ins and outs of copyright laws. I’m glad that this class has addressed this curiosity.

Here is what I learned about copyright laws. First I learned that a copyright can only be issued on a material item. There has to be proof before it can be copyrighted. Papers, music, written dance cerography can all be copyrighted. Ideas and concepts cannot be copyrighted because they are not written down.

Second, I learned there is a lot of gray area in copyright laws. In some cases people get away with copyright infringement where in other circumstances some people would not. It depends on who you are, where you’re from, and who you are taking the ideas from.

Third, I learned that duration and quantity play a major role in copyright laws for teachers. This topic is under “fair use”. If you use something for only one semester you probably will be in the clear. If you use something for multiple years then you are more likely to be breaking copyright laws. Also the amount and number of copies you make can make a difference. If take only a excerpt from the text then you are safe. If you copy a whole book, then you are breaking copyright laws. If you only make a few copies of something, you are safe. If you make a thousand copies of something you are not.

I believe that copyright laws are so hard to determine because it is so gray. I feel that right now they have a decent handle on the laws as written. I don’t feel they properly enforce the laws because in the difficulty in monitoring everyone.

In education I believe resources should be available to teach our children. As long as we don’t make money off of someone else’s work, we should be able to use it to teach. Another stipulation is we need to give credit to the author. The author deserves all the credit for his or her resource.

I feel that as educators we need to teach about copyright laws. I was never educated in this subject. Children need to be aware of copyright and its importance. This way they can be informed and inform other people. This is how I would handle copyright laws in my classroom. Teach the kids properly about copyright and they will most likely follow it.

Wikipedia Blog Post

1. How often do you use Wikipedia for research? Where do you usually start for researching a topic?
I use Wikipedia often for research. It is great way to get quick access to information. Not only is the information quick, but Wikipedia seems to have information on almost every topic. The information is usually plentiful.
I usually start my research with a credible source. This way I can cross reference Wikipedia and be confident in its content.
2. As a teacher, would you accept Wikipedia as a resource that your students can quote in their research? How does the article support/negates your idea of what to do with students?
As a teacher I would definitely accept Wikipedia as a source as long as the students have two other sources to back their argument. I wouldn’t accept Wikipedia as the sole source. I think it is good to teach students to find multiple sources to back up an argument.
The article supported my view point. It said it is good to have students check other sources. This can only help the student grow in research techniques.
3. What would your policy be surrounding internet research?
My policy for internet sources would be laid out clearly. I would tell the students that their sources would have to have a credible author. The website should have current information within the last 10 years. I would also require them to have one book source as well.

Social Networks

I found out that everything that you were published in will be recorded. You need to be careful about the actions you take. People will be able to access the information.

Most of the things people had on me were my A’capella Group, Facebook page, articles that were written about me (I was in theatre growing up), and a movie that I was in college. The only thing I wouldn’t want people to see would be the movie I made in college because it has some themes that aren’t good for kids. Other than that everything checks out fine.

I wish I could go in and change the movie, but I can’t. It is posted on Youtube. The movie could be worse, so I won’t dwell on it. I had to go in and change some pictures on facebook. That is normal though because all my other Cohort friends had to do the same. Other then the movie and a few pictures everything is fine for view.

A teacher is in a fishbowl. They are figures that are held to higher standards. I feel like when you become a teacher you take on this responsibility. It comes with the territory. When you become a teacher, you become a role model. You have to hold yourself to higher standards.

The most interesting thing I learned from the article was the number of social networks that are available. I thought there were only Facebook and Myspace. The article said that there were ones in other countries that are more popular.

In order to protect myself and job I am going to be careful about what is seen of me online. I will check google every so often to make sure that I am being shown in a positive light. Ideally I want to live a life that I am not embarrassed about. I want people know that I strive to be a good person that follows their value set.

Using blogs in the classroom

Give someone a fish and they will eat for a day. Teach them to fish and they will have food for life.


I like the idea of teaching kids discourse of blogging. It is easy to use blogging sites to put people down. This is not acceptable because many people have access to blogs and can get the wrong idea from a heinous remark about someone that is not true. If blogs are used in the right context they become very useful for learning. It is up to us as teachers to teach the etiquette and explain. If kids have a firm grasp of why they should act a certain way they are more likely to participate. Blogging allows you to teach the kids civil discourse. This will help them become better citizens for the future. If they can learn to be empathic to other student’s ideas they will be able to handle disagreement appropriately in the future.

I really like the rule of teaching kids “discuss ideas, not people”. This ensures that remarks are not pointed at one person. People can openly discuss ideas in a safe manner.
I also like the rule of making sure the communication on both ends of a blog is clear. Sometimes online communication can be misleading. There is no face to face contact so emotions can’t be easily read. Something that is meant to be sarcastic could be viewed as serious.

Model it yourself. Kids will follow the leader naturally. As a teacher, you are constantly being watched. It is like being in a fish bowl. You are being watched, but you don’t realize that the student’s are watching you.

I love the math blog. I think it is great that kids can interact with the site. The site is a location where learning can take place. You can post lectures. You can post encouraging comments. The students can ask questions and you and respond with your answers.

I would love to set up a blog for my students. I think it is another useful tool to connect with your students. They will be able to interact with you outside of the classroom. This makes real life connections for your students. They will realize that teachers have a life outside of the classroom as well.

Digital Immigrant

1. Do you consider yourself a digital native, immigrant, or even alien? Why?
“Those of us who were not born into the digital world but have, at some later point in our lives, become fascinated by and adopted many or most aspects of the new technology are, and always will be compared to them, Digital Immigrants.” (Prensky, 2001)
I consider myself a digital immigrant. I didn’t own a computer until I was a junior in high school. I didn’t own a cell phone until I was senior in college. I am defiantly behind the times. Texting!?!?!? I just started and I am incredibly slow. I am way behind on understanding online chat abbreviations.
Even though I am way behind I still am somewhat computer literate. I can type decent and can find information online. I have used the Microsoft programs. So I am not completely oblivious.

2. What experiences have you had with technology in the classroom either as a teacher or learner? Compare high school technology to college technology. Did it improve your learning experience?
“But that assumption is no longer valid. Today‟s learners are different.” (Prensky, 2001)
When I went through high school teachers didn’t have power points. Every teacher used the whiteboard. We didn’t have quick access to video or websites. The pictures were limited and the textbook was our main curriculum.
When I went to college some classes had power point and others did not. I felt like I got a lot more out of the ones that used technology to assist their teaching. They were able to access information that was relevant and extremely useful.
I taught in a school for a couple of years and we used technology in a positive way to teach the kids. We were able to show pictures that connected with the curriculum. The kids loved the pictures and were able to ask questions that expanded their understanding of the subject.

3. Have these articles changed your mind about the use of technology in your future classroom? How might you incorporate it?
“So hi there, I’m the tuned-out kid inthe back row with the headphones. Areyou going to engage me today or enrage me? The choice is yours.” (Prensky, 2005)

I am on board to use technology in the classroom. I feel that it only expands your tools to teach and allows you to access up to date information that is relevant for the students. It also helps touch different learners in the classroom. It is another connection you can make with your students.

Intro to Post

C.J. Butenschoen

Middle school Science and Math

High School Social Studies

Rhino

C.J.'s second post

C.J. is loving life

Today is the most excellent day!