Similarly, the best thing we can do for our students is incorporate technology seamlessly into our lesson plans. If we are just using it because we have to, those kids know the difference! They can feel that the teacher is bored, and it makes class so much more dry than they initially perceived. I had a Physics prof in college that tried using so many different forms of technology, probably because she had to, but it was absolutely terrible. She projected notes onto the ceiling of the planetarium (with the lights on!), used an overhead projector that had certainly seen better days, she used display screens that were smaller than my TV in my apartment, and the list goes on. Hands down, the worst class I've ever taken. I didn't even realize that perhaps what made the class so terrible was the poor use of technology.
The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) is a nonprofit organization that regulates the technology standards in education. ISTE has 5 technology goals for teachers in every subject:
1. Facilitate and inspire student learning and creativity
2. Design and develop digital-age learning experiences and assessments
3. Model digital-age work and learning
4. Promote and model digital citizenship and responsibility
5. Engage in professional growth and leadership
Notice Number 5. The Ning community is just that. It is a social networking site that allows fellow educators to communicate with each other and promote professional growth in this digital-age. The students have similar standards in which they are responsible for their own success in these areas as well.
Internet + etiquette. Netiquette. What a clever word. The basic rules of netiquette are pretty obvious. Be polite, disregard spelling errors, don't use ALL CAPS (because in text form, it looks like shouting- i have to agree), respect yourself and others, etc. As obvious as these are, it's amazing how often the rules of netiquette are violated. Acceptable Use Policies (AUPs) are created as guidelines that help us know what is a fair way to use the Internet in certain places and situations. As made public by the National Education Association, a good AUP has these six key elements: a preamble, definition section, policy statement, acceptable uses section, unacceptable uses section, and a violations/sanctions section.
Copyright laws are usually fairly strict for normal people, but as educators, we can use many copyrighted material for educational purposes. The Koce Classroom put it so eloquently, "Fair Use is the concept that if you are doing something for the greater good of society, like teaching, then your needs supersede the ownership rights of the copyright holder under the Copyright Act." Without fair use, education would become so much more expensive, and this would eventually harm the students in the educational system. It wouldn't affect the teachers so much as it would the students. This concept makes sense economically as well as educationally.
Enjoy this little video about copyright laws in the United States, as told by Disney characters.