Blog Post #2

Microsoft Word

As a student, Microsoft Word is a program that I use constantly for my classes. From an early age, I remember using Microsoft Word to type out my spelling words in elementary school, and I still use Microsoft Word to type my research papers in college. In my experience with Word, it hasn't been my favorite to use, but it is the most common. Every class that I have had has expected students to use Word, even without saying so. My teachers have only used Microsoft Word to show examples of word-typing and processing to my classes, and nothing past that. Because Microsoft has monopolized the computer world, it has become a necessity for both students and teachers to utilize in the classroom.

Copyright

I haven't experienced much copyright and fair use in my educational experience, aside from the usual citations in a research paper. I have had teachers require both APA and MLA format for these citations. Another aspect of copyright that I have run into is the use of music in video projects. I have had to search for copyright-free music to use in videos because you can't use copyrighted songs in videos that you post to YouTube. As a teacher, I wouldn't have much trouble using original material and avoiding copyright because I have already had to do so as a student. 

Technology Implementation

1. Academic Honesty - With the accessibility of the Internet, it's very easy for students to use others' work as their own. Academic honesty is something that is taken very seriously at many schools and usually results in suspension. If I needed to address academic honesty in my classroom, I would use TurnItIn. I've seen it used throughout my educational experience, and I think it really makes students aware of the severity of their actions. The program scans your paper to see if it's been used in any other place on the internet. 
2. Privacy - Privacy is a scary concept on the Internet, where everything is shared constantly. To implement it into my classroom, I would make sure that students are constantly aware of all the ways that your privacy can be breached and ways to prevent that. If students don't know that they have to keep their information private, it can harm them drastically. I want to spread awareness about the dangers of the web.
3. Cyberbullying - It's so easy for kids (and even adults) to sit behind a screen and say words that they normally wouldn't in person. This has caused the issue of cyberbullying in recent years, which is something that teachers have to deal with all the time. Depending on the age of the students that I am teachers, I would have to cater my solution to them. For prevention, I would have to teach students at a younger age about the basic concepts of bullying. There really isn't a lot you can do as a teacher to prevent bullying because it is an issue that has been going on for years and years. But, I want to offer myself as a resource for students that are affected by cyberbullying. I know it's hard for kids who are bullied to own up about it and tell an adult, but I would level with them at an early part of the school year so that I can be there for them always.