Internet Safety

      Most students these days have access to an infinite amount of information. They carry this information with them everywhere and with a touch of their finger they can pull up any information they want. The use of internet on students mobile devices gives students a great advantage if used appropriately but it can also be very dangerous. All students should be aware of safe internet practices. When I was in high school I remember having a whole segment on internet safety in my health class. Before that time I didn't know how dangerous the internet could be and how much personal information there is about me on the internet. As I browsed through some websites about internet safety and awareness this past week I was again reminded about how much of my personal life is on the internet. It was a sort of wake up call. After being reminded of the dangers in the internet I immediately changed some of the information about myself on my Facebook profile because a lot of it was way too personal. I also didn't think about how the things I post on social networking sites could effect my future. Many employers look at those sites to find out the type of person you are and how you present yourself. I haven't had time to do it yet but I am going to search through my posts and make sure that all content I have posted in the past is appropriate. This website Net Safe Utah was the website that I found most beneficial for information about staying safe on the web. The site has an easy to follow layout with topics for children, teens, parents, educators, and trainers. Anyone, at any age, who visits this site will find it easy to access the topics they want. It provides videos and links to other pages that are also dedicated to safe internet practices. It was especially helpful to me because Utah is one of the states that I might possibly teach in. Knowledge of internet safety is of vital importance to students and parents because of how often it is used in our daily lives. The internet is an an amazing tool that we are lucky to have access to and when we use it appropriately our resources are endless.

--Life-Long Learner

Don't be a Teenage Criminal

      It is 11 in the morning and I have been awake for a few hours and I have already sent about 20 text messages, updated my Facebook status, called my mom, made a comment on Instagram, and sent a picture message to a friend. Most students these days have access to these modes of communication and social networking and they are a great way to stay connected when used appropriately. Sadly not all students use these tools properly. The issue that worries me most is that of students sending inappropriate pictures to each other. When I was in the the 10th grade there was a big upheaval in my school. The head cheerleader, a beautiful, smart, senior girl had sent a picture of herself naked to her boyfriend from her phone. They had a big fight and he sent to picture to some of his friends. His friends then sent it almost every other guy in our school district. There is no telling how many people it was eventually sent to and it may still be somewhere on the internet or on someones phone. This devastated the girl. She didn't come back to school for two weeks and even when she did come back she was different. Her parents pressed charges on her ex-boyfriend. I don't know what he was convicted for the crime but if he was, he could've possibly faced jail time and would've been forced to register as a sex-offender because she was underage. If he had been convicted it could've affected the rest of his life. I can't even imagine how everyone involved in the situation felt. I would never want to have to deal with that as an educator or parent and definitely not as a victim. I think it is very important for students to know that sending explicit pictures of themselves or others is against the law while they are underage. Even though in my opinion it is wrong at any age. I think there a many students that aren't aware that this act is against the law. I hope to be able to aid in raising awareness about this danger in schools, especially in the school that I end up teaching in.

Here is an interesting article I read about this topic. Young teenagers 'turned into criminals by sex texts'

-- Life-Long Learner

I get by with a little help from my.... PLN

     I was just recently introduced to the idea of a Personal Learning Network (PLN). I know that technology is vital to education in the world we live in and I know how important it is to have as many resources as possible, but I had no clue how to organize and find all these resources. That has changed since I now know about PLN's and how to establish one. I'm working now to build my own PLN through tools available to me on Google, Pinterest, and Diigo.
     So far I have found some very interesting resources that are relevant to my teaching career but the one I found the most interesting and useful I found while browsing the Education category on Pinterest. It is an article about over 30 educational technology guides. The article has guides for almost any technology you can think of that can be used in the classroom. It explains the best ways you can use technology in your classroom and guides you through how to use these resources. I referred to the guide on blogs recently when I had a question about my blog. I have a feeling this article will be a HUGE reference for me while I am establishing my PLN.
Here is the article. Enjoy.
http://www.educatorstechnology.com/2012/08/teacher-educational-technology-guides.html

--Life Long Learner

My Inspiration and Mentor

     There were a lot of factors that effected my decision to become a teacher, but one of my main influences was my father. My father has taught History and Spanish on the high school level for twenty years now. He knew that teaching was his calling and he decided to pursue it even though he knew it wouldn't make him rich. When asked about it he says, "As a teacher I have made enough money to provide for my family. We may not live lavishly but we have always been okay, and as a teacher I have had a plenty of opportunity to spend quality time with my family." My father is an inspiring man. When I decided that teaching was the career path I wanted to take my father was the first person I turned to for advice. He has helped me with everything from recommending universities, to online sites to help me study for my Praxis exam. Some people have asked me why I would ever want to be a teacher because they don't make any money but my dad never said anything like that. He has only ever encouraged me to pursue my dream.
     I think it is so important for people in any profession to have a role model/mentor. It is a comfort knowing that when I have questions or concerns I have someone trustworthy to turn to for advice. I was just lucky enough to have my father as my mentor.

 My Mom and Dad aka My Inspiration

Here are some websites that my father recommended for me to register and practice for the Praxis.
Registering
Practice Test
Practice Test

--Life Long Learner

Technology: The Present and Future of Education

    As my education has progressed through the years technology has been integrated into my course work more and more frequently. Now, as a college student, technology is used in every class that I am enrolled in. Technology plays an important role in education today and it's importance can only continue to grow with all of the advances that are made in technology every day. Many people in today's cyber age are very technologically advance. I am not ashamed to admit that I am NOT one of those people. When it comes to technology I am far behind the times. As a future educator I consider technology a key to successful teaching. It is my goal to become proficient in the use of technology because I know it will not only help in my teaching career but also in every other area of my life. Right now I am taking a technology for education course at Brigham Young University Hawaii and this course is a way for me to learn as much as I can about technology in the classroom and how I can implement it in my lessons or my own personal studies. I know by the end of the course I won't be a master of technology but hopefully I can at least achieve squire status and I can build upon my acquired skills to maybe one day reach master status.

-- Life-long Learner