Cyberbullying

Cyberbullying is when children harass children online or using cell phones and other communication devices. I’ve never been a victim or perpetrator of this, but I haven’t had much technology exposure, and I’m well past the age and size where people I know would harass me. When I was in school, there were a few computers in the whole school, and they used cassette tapes for memory. They were not capable of cyberbullying. I didn’t even have a home phone most of the time I was in school, much less a cell phone. It wouldn’t have been possible to cyberbully me. I was physically bullied quite a bit, because I was the smallest kid in my class (I was 5’2” and 85 pounds when I got my driver’s license). I know how it feels to be bullied, but I’m not sure if online is worse.

Cyberbullying frequently occurs off school grounds, which can limit the power of the school to regulate it. Legislatures have set the legal grounds for enforcement of off-campus activities, if the argument can be made that it disrupts the learning environment. Many school districts have cyberbullying rules that seem to hold up in court. Students who are cyberbullied can exhibit symptoms like ordinary bullying, such as withdrawal or excessive absence. I may actually see a change in mood immediately after using a technological communication device (checking the web, receiving a text, etc.). However, it seems most likely the victim will have to mention it to me. I can create the safe environment where they feel comfortable telling me, and I can let them know I have a policy and I can get help for them. I can post the stop, block, and tell steps on the wall. Schools should regulate bullying, no matter where and how it takes place, because it will detract from the learning environment. I also believe that if left unchecked, it can spread and get very disruptive.

My plan for cyberbullying will be partially preemptive, in that education may reduce the number of cyberbullies, and if those bullies expect to be caught they may reduce the frequency and intensity of attacks. The educational parts of my plan will be done as a group, but enforcement will be an individual activity. I think since enforcement will require reporting, that will be largely reactive. I’ll make sure the district has a policy, or I will try to find a way to get one. This aspect will involve the whole district if I’m successful. The rest of my policy will generally only help my classroom, but the bully might end up being outside my class. Early in the class schedule, I will explain the harm and punishment for cyberbullying. I will explain the remedies, and how and why to report it. I’ll explain and post stop-block-and tell. I’ll explain the motivation behind such harassment, and the value of not responding (other than to block and tell). I’ll watch for symptoms of bullying, both cyber and physical, and ask questions. If the district will not back up enforcement, I’ll work directly with both sets of parents.

copyright laws

Copyright law and Fair Use reflection:

1) I didn’t realize it was so easy to violate copyright law. I had been under the impression that if I wasn’t making money on it, or if I sited the author in my work, I was good to go. This is not the case. The rules are fairly complex, and differ for different types of media. Some of the rules require you to know things that may not be obvious when you come across something you want to use.

2) I don’t believe the current copyright laws are fair, because they don’t distinguish (much) the intent of the violator. I think a fair copyright law would be based on the intent of use, to the extent that if you aren’t going to profit from using it, you should be alright. In practical application, this sort of happens because us poor people don’t make good lawsuit targets. I do think causing the original owner to lose money could be an exception to this profit rule, if a reasonable person could have predicted the harm caused. In other words, if you knew, or should have known, that your use was going to harm the author or artist monetarily, then the more complex laws should apply.

3) I must make sure I don’t violate the copyright laws by being familiar with the rules, checking when I’m not sure, and generally make sure I’m using things for educational purposes. I won’t be copying entire works for my students, and I won’t be showing videos unless it’s from the school library or falls under one of the other exceptions to copyright laws.

4) I will not enforce copyright laws in my classroom, but I intend to follow them, and I intend to notify students when I think they’re on shaky ground. I will inform students, before projects or research are done, where to find copyright rules if they are interested in being careful. I will not publish my refusal to enforce anywhere except this blog. I don’t believe the current copyright laws are fair, and I don’t believe I’m obligated to report or respond to violations by others.

wikipedia

I use Wikipedia very often when I’m trying to find out some general information about a subject. If I’m trying to remember what mechanical energy consists of, Wikipedia or google would be my first stop (if I have internet access at the moment). I usually start with google, but Wikipedia is sometimes my first shot. I frequently choose a Wikipedia page from the google results, because I’ve found Wikipedia to be brief but informative. I don’t count on it for accuracy of a specific detail without checking at least one other source to verify a fact.

As a teacher, I wouldn’t ordinarily accept Wikipedia as a source, except for a general statement of opinions. For instance, a student might use Wikipedia to support an assertion that some people associate two particular events. I would accept it as evidence of a common misunderstanding or other phenomenon.

The article supports what I consider the appropriate use of Wikipedia. It is a concise encyclopedia type source, which should be used to quickly get a view of a topic and find out some possibly related terms. The details found there can be searched for in other sources, which you might not have thought of on your own. The article supports my view that Wikipedia is generally correct, and if corroborated elsewhere, can be a fast source of information (Johnson, 2006).

My policy on internet research is that it’s incredibly valuable and fast. The reliability of the source, as determined by methods discussed in this class, is key to how much verification is needed. If an obviously reliable source is not available, then multiple sources of unknown accuracy can be used. For instance, when I need a physical constant for an important calculation, I might use a number if I find the same value on several apparently unrelated websites. Of course, a source like the machinery’s handbook is preferred to multiple unknown sites. Sometimes a number can be bracketed by a reliable source, then when a reasonable number is found on an unverified page, it may make sense to use it. For instance, if I have textbook values for the yield strength of A36 steel and several stainless steels, I might be confident in a website value for a unique blend of steel that fits the pattern.



Bibliography
Johnson, D. (2006). Wikipedia: Ban it or Boost it? Media Matters , 26-27.

fire!

an excellent example of chemical potential energy being converted to kinetic and heat energy (and a little light). You don't want to recieve the kinetic energy this thing is handing out.

social networking

1. I found a lot of hits for my name in google advanced search. I found my father’s face book site, http://www.facebook.com/eturkeydurst. I found my LinkedIn profile at http://www.linkedin.com/pub/everett-durst/a/877/429, and I found a number of articles about the second time I was shot. The article has the official version of the story, which is easily proven false by a look at the bullet wound. Here’s one site that shows the story: http://gunwatch.blogspot.com/2006_11_01_archive.html. As the story implies, the DA chose to use the psycho’s story and declined to prosecute. I also found a post I made to a question about quads. Here’s the link: http://forums.powersportsnetwork.com/Topic127840-525-1.aspx#bm132117.

2. I don’t have anything I can change, but I wish the story was a little more accurate, and of course I wish it hadn’t happened.

3. I think teachers should be held to reasonable standards of conduct, but I think politicians should have the same requirements. If the mayor of Portland can keep his job after fondling a 17-year-old, a teacher that loses their job for personal conduct is being treated unfairly. I don’t think a teacher should have their free speech limited or held against them, unless it demonstrates an unsafe attitude toward students. For instance, if a teacher has a blog where they express the idea that non-white students shouldn’t be allowed in school, they are demonstrating an unsafe attitude toward potential students. If a teacher is publishing personal information about students, which may embarrass or endanger the child, they need to be stopped.

4. The most interesting thing I read in the article was about dealing with trolls. I hadn’t thought of ignoring them, but I think that’s exactly what to do. I also found the practical rules to be helpful.

5. I’m definitely going to keep in mind the idea that students, parents, and administrators are going to read anything I post on the internet. I don’t plan to post anything controversial.

Blog assignment

Blogs are a convenient way to put information out on the web for students to use, and give students a place to make public statements or link to documents. Richardson points out some of the pitfalls that can happen when students, or any people, get on the web and start typing. Any blog I expect students to read needs to meet standards of decency and respect for individual opinions (Richardson, 2008).

When people fear being ridiculed or chastised for their opinion, many will not share their valuable thoughts. This robs the entire group of the discourse generated when honest, but different, opinions are fed into a discussion. When some people are afraid to speak their mind, a discussion can look like a consensus when it isn’t. Very little learning takes place when no unique thoughts are presented.

The act of blogging, when done on a specific subject, can develop a better understanding of the topic for the writer and the reader. Having to justify your opinion forces you to confront why you hold it, and let’s others point out inconsistencies in your logic. Reading somebody else’s opinion on a topic can broaden your grasp of the subject, and help you reflect on your own opinion. This is true whether you agree with the poster’s view or not. In his blog, Mr. Harbeck points out that the mind of a blogger is forced to process information more thoroughly than a consumer of visual media, because the human brain processes words differently than images (Harbeck).

I think blogs can be used in class to put information in places where kids can get it later to review, or give additional help that didn’t get covered in class. Reviews of previous concepts can be posted as a lesson, and students looking for that help can find it. A blog might also be handy for giving students a place to vent some feelings about coursework, and the instructor could reply or just absorb the idea. Students probably have better ideas how to use blogs in the classroom, and I will use their expertise to develop rules and strategies.

Bibliography
Harbeck. (n.d.). Sargent Park Math Zone. Retrieved July 15, 2009, from http://sargentparkmathzone.blogspot.com/
Richardson, K. W. (2008). Don't Feed the Trolls. Learning and Leading with Technology .

Digital Native

Blog assignment
Everett Durst
7-13-09
I realize the new generation of kids has changed, but I don’t necessarily think the change is as dramatic as Prenske lays out. I’m pretty sure every generation has said the changes in the new kids are different than ever before, which is generally the pattern. While I disagree with the idea that the change is fundamentally different than any we’ve seen before, I think he’s right when he says, “Today’s students are no longer the people our educational system was designed to teach”(Prensky 2001). I’m not sure it’s fair to say our education system was designed to do something specific for a certain kind of person. We have a system that was put together piecemeal, over multiple generations, and not even applied the same across the country. Previous generations could certainly have said television made my generation radically different than anything before us, and their forefathers might have lamented about the industrial age changing kids in a way we’ve never seen. I do see value in recognizing the next generation’s tools and habits, and using them to make learning better, so I’ll drop my counterpoint.

The addition of thousands of hours of video games and television has probably not reduced the amount of reading kids are doing, but instead probably replaced more physical activities. When I was in high school, I didn’t have a television for 3 of 4 years, and I never missed it. I had the woods, a dog, guns, motorcycles, snowmobiles, hiking, chores, a barn, etc. When it was dark out, I worked on one of my machines in the shop, read, or went to sleep. I’m not sure that’s a superior way to spend time, compared with video games and television, but it’s certainly healthier for the body. I’m definitely a digital immigrant, and I have physical scars to prove it. My experience with computers in the classroom started with cassette tapes for data in high school, and a few CAD classes in college. I used technology to get assignments done, and therefore to learn, but not actually in the classroom.

I see how the digital natives would have different learning styles, and I want to accommodate them. However, it’s a little inconvenient that most of our other classes teach us to write out goals and rubrics, and present them before any learning takes place. You cannot follow Prensky’s advice and lay out your lessons according to what we’re being taught. These articles haven’t changed my mind about using technology in the classroom, but I will be looking for ways to use their digital learning styles to get them interacting with my subject matter. I like the idea of computer based games, and I will keep looking for tools to use this principle with.

Prensky, M. (2001). Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants.

first post

My name is Everett Durst.

I plan to teach high school physics and advanced math, after I get a Master's Degree in Teaching.

My favorite animal is a pig, because they're tasty.