Safety Comes First
Friday, April 26, 2013
Anyone who uses any type of digital technology should be educated on the safety issues. There are too many occurances where people explore into areas they are not aware of and end up becoming a victim on the internet. Some people get their identity stolen, others get taken advantage of financially, while many become the center of a mean and unfair joke or prank at the same time being harassed or threatened (cyberbullying).
Digital safety should be taught at home as well as in school. Anyone can become a victim; children, parents, students, teachers, etc...
My group and I worked on the topic of cyberbullying. Cyberbullying has become one of the more popular topics in the last decade. Cyberbullying can be defined as, " sending mean messages or threats to a person's email account or cell phone; spreading rumors online or through texts; taking unflattering pictures of someone and spreading them through cell phones and the internet..." (bullyingstatistics.org,2009). It's basically the act of hurting someone through the use of digital technology. Sometimes these hurtful acts can go too far and the person targeted becomes depressed, isolated, emotionally disturbed, and develops a low self esteem, which can drive them into a more serious problem.
The more popular social network sites are usually where most of the cyberbullying activity occurs. Once you become a victim, you can become exposed to thousands of viewers that can add more negative feedback. Cyberbullying can start at school and follow a child once they get home. It's a rippling effect that takes only a few seconds for it to happen. And sometimes, it could be your so called best friend that is the culprit. So be aware of who your true friends are. Anyone who has a social network account should familiarize themselves with the settings and options they feature. Users should also beware of people they don't recognize when they are requesting to add them on their friend list. If you don't know the person, don't add them. You never know what problems lie ahead with this unknown individual.
There are different ways to help prevent cyberbullying at home. At a young age, parents should educate themselves and their children on cyberbullying or any form of bullying. They should be taught the golden rule, " treat others the way you want to be treated." Ross (2009), discusses other methods of prevention, " consider installing filtering and blocking software; keep your computer visible like the living room or kitchen; model the behavior you want to see in your child; talk to your child about on-line activities; keep records of any type of cyberbullying, etc.." One of the most important things to keep in mind if your child happens to be a target or a victim is to stay calm and listen to them. Help them through the moment instead of arguing and finding faults in their on-line behavior. Show your child if there's anyone they should trust, that it's you. Safety and security starts at home and it starts with the parents educating children.
References
Bullying Statistics, (2009). Cyber Bullying Statistics. Retrieved April 29, 2013, from website: http://www.bullyingstatistics.org/content/cyber-bullying-statistics.html
Ross, M. (2009). Cyber Bullying Articles and Facts: Cyber Bullying is Technology Powered. Retrieved from: http://kamaron.org/Cyber-Bullying-Articles-Facts
AZAtornneyGeneral. (2008,May 16). NetsSmartz.org on Cyberbullying. [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xGKmlTtZnSk
Tuesday, 30 April 2013
Tuesday, 2 April 2013
Changing Lives through Assistive Technology
Wednesday, April 3, 2013
Changing Lives through Assistive Technology
One of the first things a teacher should take in consideration when constructing a lesson plan is the different needs each student has. The teacher needs to feel and understand what his or her student is experiencing. Everyone learns differently. The classroom should be a friendly environment and equipped with ready to use tools and devices for the advantage of those with disabilities. Classroom lessons should be effective, clear, and interesting. Student involvement and participation would be a main focus. Lesson planning would need to be modified if needed, in ways, which can accommodate and create an equal opportunity of learning for the students. Different approaches also needs to be considered if a certain method introduced is not working.
In the beginning of the video, Assistive Technology: Enabling Dreams, a young college student from the University of Washington named Susanna Sweeney-Martini was interviewed. She states, " Assistive Technology is the major foundation of my life, without it I could not exist as I am today..." (The George Lucas Educational Foundation, 2005). With all the AT around her, being a disabled person with cerebral palsy no longer plays a role in hindering with her learning ability or her mobility. She is able to continue her daily routine in school and social life.
Significant improvements in technology have been made in the past few decades for individuals with disabilities. Computers have created a path and access for them to probe into a whole, new, unexplored world of new information and technology.With the use of Assistive Technology in classrooms, educators can provide a welcoming atmosphere for diverse learners which can also help create a sense of normalcy and preserve self-esteem. It can provide opportunities for those who could not get involved at one point and a chance at being free.
Everyday students with physical, cognitive, or sensory disabilities face obstacles that seem impossible to hurdle. It can range from simple tasks such as holding a pencil, reading, writing, listening, moving from one place to another, or just being able to express one's self. Computers have created such an impact in our world that what was once impossible is now achievable with AT.
Assistive Technology: Enabling Dreams, featured a variety of tools and instruments that helped in aiding individuals not just with school but with their everyday life. The video presented tools such as speech recognition, wheelchairs, devices that aid in playing musical instruments, and communication with computers through body movements, for example the movement of an eyebrow. It's just remarkable how AT helps students with disabilities do things quicker and easier. It helps them to communicate, socialize, and participate in classroom lessons and activities. It helps them to become more independent.
In a 2010 MySciNet article, Carpenter mentions, "that a brain-computer interface has helped an individual with Lou Gehrig's disease. This person cannot move, speak, or breathe without a respirator, but he can think just fine. The device uses brain signals generated in the motor cortex to control a computer mouse directly, allowing him to communicate."
I feel that every school should invest in AT. If our goal for our students is to succeed, then investing on these special instruments can only lead to better things.There should always be a solution to help students improve. Every child deserves a chance to shine...
References
The George Lucas Educational Foundation. (2005). Assistive-Technology: Enabling Dreams [video file].
Retrieved from http://www.edutopia.org/assistive-technology-enabling-dreams-video
Carpenter, Siri. (2010). MySciNet An Inclusive Community: Assistive Technologies Enable Discovery.
Retrieved March 30, 2013, from http://sciencecareers.sciencemag.org/career_magazine/previous_issues/articles/2010_04_02/caredit.a1000033
The Eye-Com EC7T Assistive Technology Device. (2011, August 14). [Video File]. Retrieved from
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6TF6MRHjZDo
Changing Lives through Assistive Technology
One of the first things a teacher should take in consideration when constructing a lesson plan is the different needs each student has. The teacher needs to feel and understand what his or her student is experiencing. Everyone learns differently. The classroom should be a friendly environment and equipped with ready to use tools and devices for the advantage of those with disabilities. Classroom lessons should be effective, clear, and interesting. Student involvement and participation would be a main focus. Lesson planning would need to be modified if needed, in ways, which can accommodate and create an equal opportunity of learning for the students. Different approaches also needs to be considered if a certain method introduced is not working.
In the beginning of the video, Assistive Technology: Enabling Dreams, a young college student from the University of Washington named Susanna Sweeney-Martini was interviewed. She states, " Assistive Technology is the major foundation of my life, without it I could not exist as I am today..." (The George Lucas Educational Foundation, 2005). With all the AT around her, being a disabled person with cerebral palsy no longer plays a role in hindering with her learning ability or her mobility. She is able to continue her daily routine in school and social life.
Significant improvements in technology have been made in the past few decades for individuals with disabilities. Computers have created a path and access for them to probe into a whole, new, unexplored world of new information and technology.With the use of Assistive Technology in classrooms, educators can provide a welcoming atmosphere for diverse learners which can also help create a sense of normalcy and preserve self-esteem. It can provide opportunities for those who could not get involved at one point and a chance at being free.
Everyday students with physical, cognitive, or sensory disabilities face obstacles that seem impossible to hurdle. It can range from simple tasks such as holding a pencil, reading, writing, listening, moving from one place to another, or just being able to express one's self. Computers have created such an impact in our world that what was once impossible is now achievable with AT.
Assistive Technology: Enabling Dreams, featured a variety of tools and instruments that helped in aiding individuals not just with school but with their everyday life. The video presented tools such as speech recognition, wheelchairs, devices that aid in playing musical instruments, and communication with computers through body movements, for example the movement of an eyebrow. It's just remarkable how AT helps students with disabilities do things quicker and easier. It helps them to communicate, socialize, and participate in classroom lessons and activities. It helps them to become more independent.
In a 2010 MySciNet article, Carpenter mentions, "that a brain-computer interface has helped an individual with Lou Gehrig's disease. This person cannot move, speak, or breathe without a respirator, but he can think just fine. The device uses brain signals generated in the motor cortex to control a computer mouse directly, allowing him to communicate."
I feel that every school should invest in AT. If our goal for our students is to succeed, then investing on these special instruments can only lead to better things.There should always be a solution to help students improve. Every child deserves a chance to shine...
References
The George Lucas Educational Foundation. (2005). Assistive-Technology: Enabling Dreams [video file].
Retrieved from http://www.edutopia.org/assistive-technology-enabling-dreams-video
Carpenter, Siri. (2010). MySciNet An Inclusive Community: Assistive Technologies Enable Discovery.
Retrieved March 30, 2013, from http://sciencecareers.sciencemag.org/career_magazine/previous_issues/articles/2010_04_02/caredit.a1000033
The Eye-Com EC7T Assistive Technology Device. (2011, August 14). [Video File]. Retrieved from
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6TF6MRHjZDo
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