Blog Journal 2

As a student, I have utilized Microsoft Word from the earliest days of my education. I can recall working with Microsoft Word in the first and second grade. With my parent's help, I would write book reports using the technology. For the remainder of my time in school, and up into the present, Microsoft Word has been a huge component in the execution of projects and assignments. In addition, my teachers have used Microsoft Word for nearly all paper assignments handed out to us. Although Mac has the pages program, it has failed to reach the user base of the Microsoft Word program. When a program like Word is so widely used, it becomes the standard. I do not see another program overtaking Word as the standard for word processing in the near future.
I have not actually seen a significant level of concern for copyright and fair use in a classroom setting. Most teachers show movies, video clips, and images without paying attention to copyright and fair use laws. Despite this, all of my assignments throughout my time in school required citations, references, and links. All of my teachers mandated that there must be citations for all of the images and videos on my presentations, projects, and assignments; although they did not necessarily adhere to the same standards for their in-class lectures and presentations. As a teacher, I will seek to be more aware of source material and the need to adhere to such laws, if only to set the example for my students. I don't think teachers are necessarily at a great risk of being caught for showing items that are copyright protected, but it is important to set the standard for those with whom you have an educational influence.
There are many issues that appear in the modern day classroom. One very potent issue in the modern technological scene is what is referred to as the "digital divide". Although many do not have access to specific technologies, most students have access to something in someway. Implementing a BYOD, or bring your own device program could help students all participate. For example, although most students don't have tablets; at the high school level, most students have a device with texting capability. I recall being in a class with a teacher who utilized a website that would allow the class to text in their answer choices. This can be engaging and fun, and apply to more students than more specific technologies. In addition, for take home assignments, I can seek out ways to ensure all students have access to computers and technology before and after school.
Another major issue is cyberbullying. The insidious quality of cyberbullying is that it may not even appear to be bullying to the aggressors. As a teacher I believe my best way to counter cyberbullying is to give personal insight in to the many ways in which cyberbullying manifests itself. By relating personal stories and experiences, I can make the issue personal. I believe personal relation and understanding is vastly more tangible than speaking in vague abstracts and having students make empty pledges in the classroom.
Lastly, Academic honesty can be a huge issue in the digital age. Students have more resources than ever before, and may be tempted to copy and cheat when the opportunity presents itself. To counter this, I can seriously assess the work and double check student's assignments with online resources dedicated to catching plagiarism, such as turnitin.com. I can also use in class assignments to gain a better understand of students on-the-spot thinking and writing, and use it as comparison for work done outside of class. For example, if a student consistently gets C grades on assignments and demonstrates below average writing ability, I may be compelled to double check the academic honesty in a take home assignment that seems to demonstrate extremely high level writing ability.