Blog Assignment #5

Seanne Danielak

2/2/11

EDU 590- Blog Post #5

Professor: Mr. Bruce Umpstead

            “This is definitely a tough subject to summarize in 200 words” was my first thought when researching the comparisons between my employer’s acceptable use policy, “Joe’s Non-Textbook” YouTube video, the 2009 Michigan Educational Technology Standards for students and the news article “Poll finds sexting common among youth”. It was very intriguing to read and watch these pieces which resulted in what is commonly referred to as “information overload”. I will BRIEFLY describe some highlights that I found easier to compare than others through this research.

            The standards outlined goals for school districts to achieve through educational technology, while Farwell Area Schools Acceptable Use Policy (found at http://www.farwellschools.net/reportspolicies/techplan2011.pdf) did not summarize them, but rather, basically drafted rules, consequences and user responsibilities. However, as I continued to research, I did find some similar goals listed in the evaluation section of the school’s technology plan. It is definitely not as detailed as the METS, however, some of the same ideas apply such as technology usage being appropriate, utilizing technology as a means of creation as well as communication, also the importance of “Digital Citizenship” or “responsible citizenship”.

            The YouTube video really made me laugh and it reminded me of something that I heard at a leadership conference that I attended this past summer on behalf of my district. The presenter said that students “power off to come to school”. This is all could think of while watching this video. It specifically states in the standards that the ability to navigate in virtual environments (e.g. ebooks) is crucial and apparently this student has had that experience enough to foster this “confusion”. We need to continue using technology more in our classrooms so that we can keep up with our students, not the other way around.

            The article interviewed a student who, after declaring that he has sexted in the past, claimed that “I don’t see it as that big of a problem, personally”. This is proof that the ethical issues surrounding technology use must be taught as frequently as utilizing the technology itself. The fact that I, myself, have never read the Acceptable Use Policy until now leads me to assume that there are probably many students that I teach that have not read it as well. It makes one wonder if they even know what acceptable use really is. This article is a prime example of how important these standards truly are and how educators should familiarize themselves with them in order to provide our students with the information they need to make better choices.