Blog Post #2 EME2040

As a digital native, I have frequently used Microsoft Word and have seen my teachers use it frequently as well. I write all of my papers using Microsoft Word. I find that this program has the most user friendly interface of any other word processing system. I have also used this program to write many natural science lab reports. Microsoft Word has tools that are great for multiple student functions. My teachers have all used Microsoft Word as well. Every teacher that I had in high school required me to submit any essays and writing using this system. 

Many of my teachers have used copyrighted materials in their lessons. Learning about fair use was very interesting this week because I have always wondered how my teachers used copyrighted materials without being punished. One of my high school teachers presented a historical video series from a large network once a week. He used his fair use rights as a teacher to be able to show this legally. As a teacher, I feel like I could use the fair use policy to enhance classroom learning in a variety of ways. One way I could enhance learning is by adding pop culture and music references in to my lesson plans to engage students. Another way that I could utilize fair use is by showing videos from news networks like FOX and CNN in order to link lesson materials to current events. I believe that fair use policies are vital in order to enhance a students learning experience in the classroom. 

In chapter 11 we discussed implementation issues that schools face with technology. There are many legal, ethical, and social issues that make the use of technology difficult in a classroom. One legal issue is copyright. Students have the ability to access websites that contain copyrighted material and this presents a difficult situation legally. I would require my students to only use a small amount of copyrighted material and inform the provider about the information that we are using to avoid a legal issue. I would also exercise my fair use rights if necessary. A social issue that is the result of technological implementation in classrooms is cyberbullying. Cyberbullying is bullying on the internet through social media and other platforms. One way that I would combat this as an educator would be to set up filters to block social media on classroom computers. I would also implement a system where students who turn in cyberbullies would get rewarded. This peer monitoring would be useful in order to end cyberbullying in school. An ethical issue that arises from technological implementation is plagiarism. Plagiarism is the thievery of digital materials that one does not own. As a teacher I would be sure to emphasize the importance of citations in every single assignment that requires research. I would also require students to sign a form at the start of each semester pledging that they would not steal information. I feel like these two measures would be useful in preventing plagiarism in the classroom.