Internet for Educators

This last week we our class enjoyed a presentation from Dean Shareski.(@shareski) In the presentation we talked about how learning and teachering are different in 2014, and what it means for our schools.

There are so many things that we can do using technology in the classrooms, but there are also challenges that we foresee as a class, one of the main challenges is the fact that once we actually get a teaching job, there may not be the resources available for us to use all of the technology we have learned about. There is also some resistance by some teachers to accept that technology is something that we need to adopt. I can understand that if you are unfamiliar with this new literacy you will feel resistance, however I feel that we need to accept the importance of digital literacy in our society and becoming technologically literate is important as teachers. I also feel that we are responsible to provide a new literacy education for our students to prepare them for success. It is also a way for us to promote student engagement in our classrooms. 

Dean's Slideshare:

http://www.slideshare.net/shareski

Dean's Blog: 

http://k12onlineconference.org/?p=610

Digital Literacy Wiki

This past week in class we were assigned the tech task of collaborating as a class to create a Wiki on the topic of Digital Literacy. As a class we gathered together online each adding bits to create a complete resource for teaching Digital Literacy in the classroom. Like working on a large puzzle each of us research to fill in the gaps of our wiki. Although the idea of creating a website seems daunting, creating a wiki is extremely simple. Like most things involving technology, sometimes the best way to learn is to simply play around with it.  
For those who may not know what a wiki is, this common craft video gives a good explanation of the purpose and uses of a wiki are. 

In the classroom, creating a wiki is a great tool for group projects, whether small or whole class projects. The wiki will show who and when someone has added to the wiki. This is a great tool to teach student how to collaborate online and how to interact online in a positive educational way.

Interested in checking out our Wiki?

http://i4edwinter14.wikispaces.com

Digital Identity

Welcome to my new blog as a part of my course “Internet for Educators” at Brandon University.

This week in class talked about Digital Identity which is defined by techopidia as;

"an online or networked identity adopted or claimed in cyberspace by an individual, organization or electronic device. These users may also project more than one digital identity through multiple communities. In terms of digital identity management, key areas of concern are security and privacy." http://www.techopedia.com/definition/23915/digital-identity

Our digital self is an extension of who we are, and the digital footprint we create is another way to show who we are by what we choose to show the world, whether it is in the form of a blog, Twitter, Instagram account or Facebook. 

When considering my own digital Identity I am mindful of what I am putting out there for people to see. The main social networking sites I use are Facebook (which I keep on lock down), as well as twitter, and Istagram. I obviously also have a blog, although I find blogging difficult because I  find it difficult to believe that many people would want to read what I have to say. It is only in a situation where I am require to do so (such as for this class) that I would put so many of my thoughts out there, however it is something I wish to get better at.

What does Digital Identity mean for educators?

Even though my students will have grown up in a world where something such as a Digital Identity exists, it does not mean that they have an understanding of what it means. When posting something on the internet there can be the feeling of a shield or wall that separates us from what we say. We may be so bold as to say something that we may never say in person, good or bad. There is also desensitization in the sense that we cannot see the people we are interacting with. We do not always understand that although the words are not coming our of our mouths that they still have the same impact. If we had an understanding of what an Digital Identity is, and realized that our digital life is a part of our real life, would we better understand the damage that could be done? 

On a more positive note…

Which proper guidance there are many possibilities when teaching students about their Digital Identity to extend their learning, and connect them to a digital community.