Ms. McBride Gets TECHnical

Media Literacy Image Source: iite.unesco.org In this day in age, we are all very digitally dependent. Our phones are attached to our hips and we use them for a multitude of purposes. With that being said, this allows us to have access to so much information that is being posted and shared on the internet and through social media rapidly throughout the day.  The way information has been shared has not always been the same. As time has gone on, it has evolved from print, to radio, to television, and now the internet and social media. Just in the last 20 years, the media has come a long way! However, the purpose of the media has not changed over time. It's job has always been to inform, persuade, or instruct us. It is important that we all, including our students, understand the media and the various messages it can portray to us when we are exposed to it.  Being media literate is becoming increasingly important for all individuals especially with how much information is now shar...

CIPA & COPPA Image Source: raisingconnectedkids.com With technology and the internet playing important pieces in our students' lives, as educators, we need to do our best to protect and keep them safe. I hate to admit this, but I was not very informed about both the Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA) and the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). I have heard of these acronyms from my technology director and I know there is information regarding these acts in our acceptable use policy, but I have never been formally instructed on the purpose of these protection acts. I know that I cannot be the only teacher that feels this way as well. With how much we use technology and the internet inside of our classrooms, all educators should be well informed of the laws that help keep our students safe online.  I wanted to take a closer look into CIPA and COPPA since I was not too familiar with  them. I was able to learn more about what each of th...

Digital Tattoos Image Source: differencebetween.net Digital tattoos, like body tattoos, are something that stick with us for a long time. They represent who we are as individuals, express our opinions, and sometimes inform others of our decisions. Personally, I do not have any physical tattoos, but I do have digital tattoos because I post and engage with other individuals on a couple different social media platforms. The pictures I post, comments I leave, and the likes I give help the people that follow me get a better sense of who I am as an individual and a picture into my daily life. It is nice to be able to share pictures and information with others I do not see on a regular basis, but there are some dangers that come along with our digital tattoos. Something that you posted years ago, may not be an accurate picture of who you are now. If you want to try and erase something completely from the internet or that platform, it can be difficult to do.  This is why we have to be mind...

Image Source: umsystem.edu At the beginning of each school year, my district provides students, parents, and teachers with a copy of our district's acceptable use policy for technology. This document also includes information on guidelines, the take home agreement, and obtains parental consent.  When I first look at this document, it seems completely overwhelming and wordy. It contains seven long pages of information and two consent pages. One page for parents/students and the other for teachers. I know we provide this document to the parents every year, but I can't imagine that many of them are thoroughly reading this document and sharing the information with their child. It is not very user friendly, especially for our non native speakers of English, which is a large population within our district.  The acceptable use part of the agreement is addressed very generally. It is not specific to students, but to the users all throughout the district. It r...