Blog Post 2

Microsoft Word is an excellent tool for classrooms. I have used it to write papers for my classes. My teachers have used it to make quizzes and tests for my classes. I enjoyed learning how to make a fun newsletter that I can use in my classes in the future. This will allow me to use Word in new and exciting ways rather than just for boring quizzes.

I've had to deal with copyright through writing papers. I had to be very careful in school not to use the words of others in my papers. I learned how to make a bibliography which would give credit to the authors of any quotes or ideas that I used in my papers. I also would have to do this in slideshows for Images and any sources used when gathering my information. I will handle this in a classroom by having my students include the webpage address from where they found their information in their projects and papers. I will also create my own assignments or quizzes by using Microsoft word, and if I want to use someone else's, I will pay whatever fee is required and include their logo on the assignment when I distribute it. The key to avoiding copyright in any form is by giving credit where credit is due.

Three technology implementation issues are copyright, academic honesty, and cyberbully. I feel that I can deal with each one in my classroom. I will address the issue of copyright by creating my own assignments and quizzes. I will also ensure that anything not of my own creation will be paid for and cited. I will do the same for my students by teaching them how to cite their sources in papers and projects, and I will use Turnitin.com in order to check for levels of plagarism. Academic honesty is more of a challenge since documents can be shared on Google Drives, but it is hard to compare students' works to each other since there is no way to tell who competed the original assignment or whose ideas were taken. Photographs of assignments can also be taken and answers shared. I will deal with this issue by instilling how important it is for my students to do their own work. I also will have students present their project and paper ideas to me individually in order for me to know what that student's original ideas are, and I will address the issue of sharing assignment answers by having in class assessments and pop quizzes to test comprehension. This will allow me to tell if students have understanding of the assignment and are getting the right answers because they know what they are doing, or if they are just copying the answers and actually have no idea how to do the lesson. Cyberbullying has become a very big issue recently. I think this can be dealt with by encouraging students to support each other and by monitoring their online activity when using computers or iPads in class. I also believe it should be dealt with on a case by case basis since all bullies have different motives and all victims have different reactions to being bullied. Cyberbullying can be worse than normal bullying since the bully can be anonymous online. If this is the case, I would report it as anonymous in order for people to work to uncover who it is while I continue to encourage my students to be kind to each other.