New Media Literacy Anyone?

One of the most interesting sessions I attended during EARCOS was the Job-Alike lunch discussion session. Since middle school humanities was divided into either middle school English or middle school social studies and I couldn’t decide which part of humanities to attend, instead I opted for the Film/Media session.

It really wasn’t such a random choice, as part of the Grade 7 Connected World project, the students are making short 2 to 3 minute films about their issues and I wanted to know more about this process from the experts.

It was during the lively discussion of editing software, “ripping films”, and bashing core curriculum teachers who want their students to make 3 minute films but have no concept of how much time is involved that media literacy surfaced.

Many of the film/media teachers felt that media literacy should be a stand-alone required class. Many felt that in such a class students could acquire the skills and the content teachers could spend less time teaching skills and more time focused on applying technology to the curriculum. Interestingly, this same discussion occurred during one of our ISB technology classes.

Some quick internet research revealed that in the majority of countries, media literacy is embedded in English/language arts, social studies, health and other core or required classes, so as we frequently say in this technology class, “we are all media literacy specialists”. However, should media literacy skills or “new” media literacy be taught in a stand-alone class?


Here are some additional questions:

• If media literacy skills are taught in a stand-alone class, then when (grade levels) and what (by grade level) should be taught?
• Will a high school media literacy skills class teach skills that will become obsolete by the time a student enters university? (For example, think about typing classes and keyboarding classes).
• Should media literacy be a required course at university?
• When media literacy is embedded in core classes, has adequate teacher training been provided? Are adequate technological resources available?

Some interesting web sites/articles:

Media Literacy: An Alternative to Censorship

The Association for Media Literacy

media literacy - state literacy report

Variety news article

So what do you think? New media literacy anyone?

Copy...right? ...and Pirates at Bay?

Well…what can I say about copyright laws that hasn’t already been said by other course participants? I thought about cutting and pasting all of their great ideas into my blog…but then I worried that I’d be violating some sort of copyright law and my blog entry would be taken down…

Here’s an unhappy person, some of his videos were removed from U-Tube for copyright violations:



As educators we should abide by the copyright laws as they apply to us through fair use. It seems we have more flexibility when using copyrighted materials thanks to the interpretation of fair use. As we learned in class, even what we can and can’t do with copyrighted material as educators is often misconstrued and misunderstood. Furthermore, as educators we need to teach our students about copyright and copying (plagiarism). ISB’s AUP mentions the importance of complying with copyright laws and citing sources: “Graphics and text retrieved from the Internet must comply with copyright laws and sources must be properly documented.” (ISB, MS AUP).

Most course participants, on their blogs and in class, seem to agree that copyright laws need to be rethought and updated. They need to change as society changes. Some artists have already started to do this by selling or “donating” their music directly to consumers and using the “free” publicity generated to fill concert venues. Furthermore, everyone basically agrees that sharing seems to contribute to creativity. Historically, most inventions, including language, are actually “borrowed” as opposed to being a completely original innovations; lending support to the idea that creativity builds on creativity.

However, some believe in the importance of protecting the livelihood of artists and creators. If they can’t financially benefit from their talents, hard work and gifts, then they will have to do other things to make a living and contribute less to the rich tapestry of creativity. Therefore, balance is important with regard to copyright changes.

So basically change needs to happen: change, adapt or risk extinction. Whatever your thoughts and opinions on this topic; change is coming and it won’t be easy for everyone. Just ask the people at Pirate Bay, now convicted and facing one year in jail and hefty fines:



Pirate Bay speaks out

"Illegal file sharing won't stop"


And remember...

The Power of Web

The power of the web lies in the users, the collaborators, the organizers, all of us. This is summed up nicely in the UTube classic, The Machine is Us/ing Us:




The web connects us; it connects the world and rapidly changes us, our present, and our future...



It enables us to become involved in our world for better… activism…

And worse… get rich quick schemes (with poor English)…




It has forever altered education, connecting us to information and students…(and lengthy government reports about education and information)…


The web entertains us and lets us entertain ourselves… that's the power of web...

Harassment and Bullying Online

Cyber bullying has been getting lots of publicity in recent years and unfortunately, most studies indicate that the problem is continuing to grow. Schools, communities and families are trying to find ways to successfully deal with this problem. As a teacher as well as the parent of two teens, I find this phenomenon very distressing: What if my child is ever a victim of cyber bullying? Would they tell me? Could I help them? What if my child was a cyber bully? What if their actions as a cyber bully have a disastrous conclusion?

Two well publicized cases of cyber bullying resulted in such tragic consequences. One, that I’ve discussed with my grade 8 students when I first started teaching about cyber bullying in the spring of 2007, concerns Ryan Halligan from Vermont, United States. This thirteen year old was harassed, bullied and cyber bullied until he committed suicide in 2003. Another cyber bullying case from Missouri, United States involved thirteen year old Megan Meier who committed suicide in 2006 after being harassed via a social net working site. In this case, the bully was an adult, the mother of her former friend, pretending to be a sixteen year old boy.

Here are some additional examples of cyber bullying and their impact:

• Earlier this year in Vermont, sophomore Kylie Kinney came forward with her story of harassment. While Kylie was in eighth grade, threats and homophobic remarks were made about her on a Web site titled "Kill Kylie Incorporated". Then, another classmate allegedly created an instant message screen name similar to Kylie's, and began writing sexual innuendos and offers of dates to her field hockey team. Consequently, Kylie quit going to school, was home-schooled for a period, and then transferred to a new high school. In response, Kylie said "I had no escape, everything followed me to school" (Broache, 2006).
• In Canada, teenage Ghyslain was bullied when a group of his peers got a hold of a video he created. The video showed Ghyslain reinacting a scene from "Star Wars", flinging and twirling himself around his room. His peers then edited his video, adding special effects and sounds while splicing Ghyslain into movies such as "Chicago", "The Matrix" and "The Terminator". Then in turn, they uploaded it to the internet for everyone to see. Within two weeks, over 15 million had seen the two minute video. Now known as "the Star Wars Kid", Ghyslain dropped out of school and has had to seek psychiatric help (Paulson, 2003).
• Sixteen year old Denise, from Los Angeles, experienced cyberstalking and denigration as a form of retaliation from her ex-boyfriend. Shortly after she broke up with her boyfriend, he posted personal information, including her cell phone number, e-mail address and street address on sex-oriented websites. For months, Denise was constantly being harassed by prank calls, instant messages and drive by's. While her ex-boyfriend was quickly apprehended, it did not eliminate the continued hurt and helplessness Denise experienced (Strom and Strom, 2005).

Cyber bullying, like many things happening in the virtual world, is now being dealt with in the legal world. Courts are busy creating legal precedents while more and more bills are being introduced in local and national legislatures. Generally, in the United States, one source reports:

• “"School districts are well within their legal rights to intervene in cyberbullying incidents - even if these incidents were initiated off-campus – if it can be demonstrated that the incident resulted in a substantial disruption of the educational environment" (Hinduja and Patchin, 2007) (emphasis added). While free speech is protected by the First Amendment, a student's right to free speech is more limited than the "public at large". In Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District, 393 U.S. 503 (1969). The court ruled that a student's right to free speech can be limited when the speech "materially disrupts class work or involves substantial disorder or invasion of the rights of others." The standard of "material disruption" set by Tinker is often referred to by the courts”
  

Interestingly the Megan Meier case has taken on remarkable legal questions that are being followed throughout the world. Megan and her adult cyber bully, Lori Drew, lived in the state of Missouri, where prosecutors could find no legal means to bring charges against Drew. However, federal authorities were able to charge her under federal law in Los Angeles, California, the location of the MySpace servers. Some in the international community view this as a test case for internet usage. While Drew was found guilty and is still awaiting sentencing for three minor charges, the jury was unable to reach a verdict on the main charge.

What to do about cyber bullying? The internet is filled with links to helpful sites and Jono and Dan have provided some useful links on their blog entries. Here are some ideas that evolved during our last class discussion on this topic as well as some of my points of view:

• Make sure students understand what cyber bullying is. In fact, there was a strong movement during class to give it a different name, one to which the students could better relate.
• Teachers need to work consistently and regularly with the students regarding this topic.
• Since students are very reluctant to report any kind of bullying or harassment, some type of system needs to be developed. Students need a way to ask for help, one that is comfortable for them.
• Get parents involved. Schools need to educate parents about cyber bullying. They should understand the danger signs if their child being bullied as well as things to look for if their child is the bully.
• Students should not have a computer in their room. Keep the computer in a family room.
• Schools should address cyber bullying and harassment in their AUP.
• The AUP needs to be clearly conveyed to the parents as well as students.

ISB’S AUP and Cyber Bullying

While ISB’s AUP does contain a “cyber bullying clause” I believe it needs to be more detailed and specific. The term cyber bullying needs to be clearly defined and it should include the term harassment as well as the usual means of harassment. It also needs to include information about what a student should do in the event of a cyber bullying incident. Here is an example I like from the William Penn Charter School in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania:

• “Neither the school's network nor the broader Internet (whether accessed on campus or off campus, either during or after school hours) may be used for the purpose of harassment. All forms of harassment in cyberspace, often called cyberbullying, are unacceptable. Cyberbullying includes but is not limited to, the following misuses of technology: harassing, teasing, intimidating, threatening, or terrorizing another person by sending or posting inappropriate and hurtful e-mail messages, instant messages, text messages, digital pictures or images, or Web site postings (including blogs). Often the author (sender or poster) of the inappropriate material is disguised (logged on) as someone else.
  Community members who feel that they have been the victims of such misuses of technology should not erase the offending material from the system. They should print a copy of the material and immediately report the incident to a school official (the director of technology, the dean of students, or the director of the upper school). All reports of harassment in cyberspace will be investigated fully. Sanctions may include, but are not limited to, the loss of computer privileges, detention, suspension, separation, or expulsion from school” (Franek, 2006, p. 42). (Original Source)

Death In The Digital Age

It’s been a tough week.
Sunday night, still groggy from the ERCOS Conference, I received an e-mail from a close friend back in the United States informing me that one of my former students, a tenth grader, committed suicide.
He was 16 years old.

Feeling far away, alone and helpless I noticed the RIP site on Facebook, created by his friends and joined by hundreds of his friends and acquaintances. As I scrolled through the memories and messages, I cried and laughed and cried.

Thanks to technology, here I am in Thailand, yet, I can share my grief with many of my former colleagues as well as students.

Footprinting Your Students

The other day I asked my students to write a journal entry responding to the following:
“What is a digital footprint? How can your digital footprint affect your future?”

Like typical seventh graders, when confronted with an unfamiliar phrase, many immediately whined and demanded to know “What is a digital footprint?”

Think about it I said.
Think about what we’ve been talking about and think about the meaning of the words.

As I peered over their shoulders while they were busy writing, I was impressed that most students were able to figure it out. Almost all students responded that a digital footprint included anything you post or place on the internet. Fewer students realized that it also included all the places you’ve visited. Many students were amazed to discover that some sites like Facebook and Google actually track and store information about their adventures on-line. Almost all of the students understood the impact of what they place on-line and how it can affect their future. (Many cited the U-Tube clip and PowerPoint discussion which Chad Bates prepared last semester for all synergy teachers as well as his presentation.)

After this very interesting discussion, I showed them the Digital Dossier u-tube clip which Robin Ulster forwarded to me.



So when should students begin to learn about their digital footprints? I believe this should begin before they are given the freedom to independently use the Internet and it should be a continual part of the curriculum. As a teacher, if I’m encouraging and requiring students to use the Internet, then I have a responsibility to teach them about many of these cyber related issues.

Where? I believe that both schools and parents should play roles in providing information to children. In fact, schools may need to provide information sessions to parents to give them the necessary tools to discuss this issue with their children. I was surprised to learn, in Jeff Utecht’s blog that so many ISB parents lack basic Social Networking knowledge. I think parents should learn more about the benefits of allowing their children to become cyberliterate, by becoming cybereducated themselves. Sometimes parents, quite a few that I know, fearing the internet’s “harmful” effects, don’t allow their children to use e-mail, Facebook or other social functions of the Internet; which only limits the cybergrowth of their children.

Does ISB’s AUP take this issue into account? While ISB’s AUP doesn’t mention anything about digital footprints directly, it does mention social networking and the importance of students recognizing the possible implications and long term consequences of their online activities. Furthermore, it clearly states that online safety is a personal responsibility.