Digital+Citizenship+Websites

=Digital Citizenship Websites=

**Digital Access and Assistive Technology**

__** [|Website Link] **__
The goal of this webpage is to make teachers aware of technology usage in their class room. The fir part will look at the inequities of digital access in their class, and across the country. The second part will help teachers work with special technology which could end up in their classroom. This is the technology used by students in need of special assistance. Part 1: Digital access When it comes to technology, not all students or households are created equally. Every student will have a different experience. Teachers need to consider this with the writing of every lesson plan. Teachers can only rely on the technology they give the students access to. If a student needs to use Word then the teacher must set aside class time in the computer lab. Part 2: Assistive Technologies Technology has really leveled the playing field for students with special needs. Teachers need to know how to work the technology in their room, or at least what to do if something goes. A survey was written to determine the comfort level teachers have with the assistive technology available to them.
 * Goals**
 * Purpose**

Assitive Technologies Survey

This webpage is designed to benefit teachers and to help them with technology in their class. There is pressure to incorporate technology into lesson plans. Schools are investing large sums of money into technology and they want to see this investment put to use. Teachers must implement new technology without putting the student who cannot keep up with technology at a disadvantage It is easy to get tunnel vision when you get focused on a project. You get so involved that you can't believe everyone else is equally invested. When I worked in documentary film production, it was common practice to occasionally bring in outsiders to view the video to ensure that we were not removing vital information during the edit which we deemed to be overly simple. As a teacher, I frequently fall into the same trap. I forget that it took years of study to get to where I am. As a substitute teacher, I have taught in 10 different school buildings. I have learned that all buildings are not equal in terms of technology. Some schools are just more aggressive when it comes to purchasing technologies. Buying a technology district wide is expensive, and most districts have gotten burned in the last 15 years by making technology purchases (televisions, computers, video and DVD machines, video/computer projector and Smartboards) too early or too late. Teachers can be reluctant to learn new technology, because they have seen new technology fizzle out and lose favor after they committed time to learn and integrate it. This site is meant to have teacher pause and reflect about the technology they are writing into their lesson. Does everyone have equal access to the technology? Have they talked with their students about what is really available to them The assistive technology survey, linked above, looks at the confidence level teachers have about their own knowledge of IDEA requirements, and the technology used to help those with special needs. Assistive technologies can be incredibly expensive. Parents want the best for their kids at any cost to the school. Schools want almost the best at 10% the cost. Specialists make decisions about assistive technologies. Teachers need to know how the system works and how to use the technologies which do end up in their room. The survey was never administered to anyone. The survey is not written in a way to ensure any kind of scientific certainty, and having 5 people take it would not yield any significant results. I assumed a low confidence level on all of the questions. Any teacher confidently agreeing with the statements would not need the help of the webpage. = Batog, Jennifer. (2008, April 21). //Technology puts more pupils in the mainstream//. The Boston Globe. Retrieved from http://www.boston.com/news/education/k_12/articles/2008/04/21/ technology_puts_more_pupils_in_the_mainstream/ = = Janes, J. (2008, April). Keeping Up. //American Libraries//, p. 33. Retrieved from Academic Search Premier database. = = Manzo, Kathleen Kenedy. (2009). Report, fcc hearings address digital access and equity. Education Weekly, Retrieved from http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/DigitalEducation/ 2009/10/fcc_hearings_highlight_broadba.html?qs=digital+literacy. = = Raskind, Marshall, Stanberry, Kristin. (2010) //Assistive technology for kids with LD: an overview//. Great Schools. Retrieved from http://www.greatschools.org/LD/assistive-technology/assistive-technology-for-kids-with-learning-disabilities-an-overview.gs?content=702. = = =
 * Profile**
 * Reflection**
 * Bibliography**

**Digital Literacy** = [|Website Link] =

Literacy is generally thought of when dealing with reading. Literacy is not a yes or no ability but measured in degrees. In formal testing, the degree of literacy is measured in grade levels. Most written word published for general public consumption is written on a fifth grade level. Digital literacy is similar in that very few people are at zero or 100%, but somewhere in the middle. Teachers work hard in school to make sure their students have the necessary digital skills needed to complete their assignments. Teachers frequently become the student when introducing to use new technology. Literacy and digital literacy have another point in common. When literacy short comings exist in adulthood, most will lie and deceive rather than admit to having with a problem. Our society has created expectations about what people should know, and people don't realize that most people don't measure up. The only way to improve skills is with practice. This webpage is focused on the digital literacy gap which exists in the household. Children are frequently more comfortable with technology than their parents. There is no difference between a parent who has no access to digital technology and one that a afraid to use the state of the art computer system. Education is at its best when there is collaboration between parent and teacher exists. If a majority of the work is being done on-line and parents don't know how, this collaboration will have problems. A pamphlet was produced to help parent negotiate the school website.
 * Purpose**
 * Profile**



There are techniques for teachers to use if there is a language barrier. There are techniques and programs if the parents at home can't read or write. What training do we offer to parent for things like powers school, or the school website, or the teacher wiki. A pamphlet was produced to try to instruct parents how to access the school sites. This pamphlet is hypothetical in that it does not represent any school specifically, but what I would like my fure school to have available. We have an opportunity to bring parents along with the classroom by giving them their own password access. I sometimes get the feeling that most teachers do not want parents to learn these skills. Very few teachers use power school for the planning capabilities it possesses. If you give it to them today, they will expect it tomorrow. We have a great opportunity to show parents that school is not the same cookie cutter, textbook experience that they had. This generation of parents doubts everything because they were raised to do so. I think the baby boomers refer to us as the "why bother" generation. We have state of the art technology at our disposal. Offer parents the opportunity to come into school and get a free lesson on how to use the technology we are requiring their students to use. If we show them that we are putting their tax dollars to good use, maybe they will relax on the purse strings when it comes time to vote on the budget. Maybe we can convince some computerless house holds on the value of owning a computer, and help the families that need it get some financial assistance so that they can afford the investment. Janes, J. (2008, April). Keeping Up. //American Libraries//, p. 33. Retrieved from Academic Search Premier database. Jones-Kavalier, Barbara R, Flannigan, Suzanne L. (2006) Connecting the dots: literacy of the 21st century. Educause Quarterly. Retrieved from http://www.educause.edu/EDUCAUSE+Quarterly/EDUCAUSE QuarterlyMagazineVolum/ConnectingtheDigitalDotsLitera/157395 Manzo, Kathleen Kenedy. (2009). Report, fcc hearings address digital access and equity. Education Weekly, Retrieved from http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/DigitalEducation/ 2009/10/fcc_hearings_highlight_broadba.html?qs=digital+literacy.
 * Reflection**
 * Bibliography**

**Digital Rights and Responsibilities**

[|Website Link]
There is an Old Russian proverb which states: "Let loose firewood lie and even a priest will take some." What this means is that if risk of getting caught is low and the reward is great, very few people have the moral strength to say no. The problem with piracy over the internet is that we do not fully understand the long term risk and only think about the short term reward. Someday soon, someone is going to decide that piracy laws have real teeth and easy to prosecute. Few people are aware of the digital fingerprints they leave every time they go on line. Their habits are so well known that they can even be identified when using alternate computers. Teachers spend time at the beginning of each school year and with each class on the rules and expectations of the students in their classroom. In some schools it goes as far as signing contracts involving students, parents, and teachers. Frequently this is followed up with a directive to read page 19 in the student handbook concerning computer rules. The same amount of intensity should be spent discussing the right and wrong way to use the internet and other computer-based technologies. This webpage is for the benefit of the students. We live in a country that processes information. Sure we have farms and factories, but more and more we import the tangible goods in our homes. Most Americans create and process information for a living. If people steal rather than purchase that information, then people can't earn a living. Piracy is a serious crime which will only get more serious. Educating students why piracy is wrong is a crucial lesson we need to pass on. The concept of intellectual property is not taken seriously. I believe it might be the only thing that matters. People are generally the same all over, but each individual is the product of their entire life experience which makes them unique. People must be able to protect their own thoughts and ideas from being exploited. The creation of software, music, and video which is most frequently pirated is expensive to produce. If people don't or can't make money doing this, they will simply stop. Less music and video will be ava9lable because nobody can afford to hire the people who make it. In addition, I believe piracy could be a gateway crime to worse offenses. Stealing software, music, and videos in order to save money could lead to using the internet to steal money. Barack, L. (2010). High School Email Prank: A Lesson for All. //School Library Journal//, //56//(2), 15. Retrieved from Academic Search Premier database. Deahl, R. (2009). Digital Rights Battle Brewing. //Publishers Weekly//, //256//(51), 3-4. Retrieved from Academic Search Premier database. Snyder, M. (2005). Pirates of the Classroom. //Instructor//, //114//(6), 18-19. Retrieved from Academic Search Premier database. Villano, M. (2008). text unto others…As You Would Have Them Text Unto You. //T H E Journal//, //35//(9), 47-51. Retrieved from Academic Search Premier database.
 * Purpose**
 * Profile**
 * Reflection**
 * Bibliography**