Module 9

Module 9

I was amazed to see how much more in tune with Web 2.0 features I have become over the duration of these modules. Suddenly the RSS feed, collaborative spaces, tags, Twitter, blog and Facebook links and icons jumped out at me on Scootle.
Although, at the insistence of my Principal, I have joined up to Twitter this year, I am not a lover of the social networking for students. I see far too many of our Primary students being on Facebook when they are not of age; parents and/or older siblings have signed them up or they have signed up and flouted the terms of agreement. Our school runs a Cybersafety program F- 6 but still there has been evidence of online bullying through "kid friendly" social networks like kik.
The genie has truly escaped the lantern when it comes to social networking and the best we can do as educators, parents and adults is to educate our students about securing their digital footprints and how to be proactive if something does go amiss. As a school community, our students use Edmodo as a social networking site; see and moderated by the staff. In Edmodo, they can securely interact with their own class, year level peers and special interest groups like Maths Club. This has become a portal for the students to upload examples of work for others to see, collect set homework tasks and in some instances submit homework while at the same time practicing good cyber social etiquette.  At a ACMA Cybersafety lecture, I remember being told that the 45-55 year old bracket was the poorest for having adequate online security settings, but I fear that some students are equally at risk; not by giving out their details online, but by their "face to face" friends giving out personal details. I have known of this happening and a Troll making contact.
If the security settings of Social networking are kept tight and the users keep their wits about them then maybe all will bode well...


Perhaps after completing this Web 2.0 course I personally will have a digital footprint as big as a Yeti's.