Be A Good Digital Citizen

Hi, and welcome to another edition of ‘Teacher Tech Talk’.  Technology influences our lives in many ways.  This has led to great opportunities, but is also a cause of great concern.  I have recently participated in a MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) on Digital Citizenship*, lead by Dr. Alec Couros from the University of Regina, and put forward by the Saskatchewan Ministry of Education.

Technology has provided us with access to information and communication opportunities never before afforded in the history of humankind.  We have more computing power in our hands now, than that of the computers that sent a human being to the moon.  So how do we harness this power for the benefit of education and all its stakeholders?

The use of technology is a double edged sword; it can lead to cutting edge opportunities that are exciting and innovative, or it can lead to cutting ties from traditional and important values.  Exploring concepts like copyright, privacy, digital footprints, e-portfolios, netiquette, and more, lead teachers down a path with more questions than answers.  This is a new reality for society.  Education needs to adapt to a world where content is no longer in the hands of the few and communication and collaboration is at the click of a mouse or the touch of a finger.

I feel the keys to help teachers with helping themselves are to: 1) become informed of what’s out there, 2) get involved with some type of technology or social media, 3) see how one could incorporate a new tool in the classroom, 4) model what a positive technological experience should look like, 5) inform parents and administration, and 6) have fun with it while being open to new paths that will be created.  Don’t worry about doing this on your own!  There are many excellent mentors here in our province, and around the world, that are ready to connect and share (check out these hashtags on twitter, go to these blogs). 

Hope you have enjoyed ‘Teacher Tech Talk’ this year.  If you have suggestions for topics or ideas for future articles, I’d be glad to hear from you.  Please check outhttp://teachertechtalkwithdean.blogspot.ca for this article and past posts, e-mail me at d.vendramin@rcsd.ca, or follow me on Twitter at @vendi55. Thank you for your time, and remember to innovate, inspire, and collaborate!

*Visit the MOOC at http://dcmooc.ca