Good Points

Alan November makes a few good points about how schools teach technology. I agree with his suggestions to teach about global empathy, social and ethnic responsibility, evaluating the validity of online information, and the level of permanence online.  

I think these skills are important at all levels. Whether kids are using technology or not, they can begin to understand the concept that we must treat each other with respect. Younger students can learn this lesson in the classroom before they ever touch a computer. As they polish their skills, students can begin to use technology based activities to practice their respectful skills. Older students can be taught about some of the negative consequences of using e-mail, texting, or social networks to be mean or disrespectful. The written word is powerful, and can be used against students in a powerful way.

Aside from using technology in an irresponsible way, kids to want to learn how to use it in a responsible way. I think that one thing I will focus on by the end of this school year is evaluating internet sources. Kids do believe that if they find it online, it is probably true, which obviously isn’t the case. I think I might set out to find contradicting research and discuss how something like that can happen. Kids need to see some proof. Also, I would like to remind them of some of the ways they can verify information that they think is true by triangulating, looking for author names, looking for works cited information, finding information on sites that are considered trustworthy and things like that. I already discuss this in my classroom, but I still wind up with students finding and using sites that have inaccurate information.