Journal #2

     Microsoft Word is a program I feel like I have been using my whole life. Even before I entered the classroom I watched my older sisters play with the program's "word art" feature, creating fun invitations and posters. When ever I got into school and was required to type up essays or homework, MS word was always what was used at school and in my household. After elementary school I was already pretty savvy with the program, and as a result passed technology lessons on the program in both middle and high school. Throughout school nearly every teacher I had used word in order to create their tests or print outs. Whenever I reached high school I even had teachers require papers to be submitted as a MS word document. The program has always been the staple way of turning in/sharing large amounts of text or information.

      Up until middle school I don't think I really learned the true purpose of copyright. Whenever I started writing essays that required sources I was introduced to the ideas of plagiarism and infringement. It was stressed by all of my teachers that you could not copy another person piece of work. I only really recognized this importance in written text up until high school when I was taught to also cite images I use in my work. I think as a teacher I'd deal with copyright by finding different fair use content to use within the classroom. I want to be able to incorporate videos from television and movies that relate back to my subject so that my students are entertained. I think using visuals that students are familiar with will help spark an interest in the subject. Here it is important that I follow the rule of fair use and make sure its necessary for the educational goal. I will offer my students additional resources which they can use to avoid copyright infringement, such as creative commons. I will stress the importance of proper citation to make sure that any work used is fair.

     The implementation of technology is an important subject area which teachers must have within their classrooms. Technological literacy is a skill that is required for anyone to succeed in the current era. There are some issues that teachers face though that create barriers when trying to implement the subject. As a teacher I would maintain student privacy on technology by always gaining permission from students parents before posting any examples of student work, and by never sharing students personal grades on assignments submitted to me. I would work against software piracy by making sure that all students legally buy their copies of software. I'll teach the importance of avoiding piracy, and make sure students understand that copies they receive from friends might not be legitimate. I would also teach students to wary of cyber-bullying. To prevent the issue I would teach preventative measures about the importance of digital citizenship and good behavior online. I would also take an anti-bullying approach to make sure that students know that the words they say online can have a harsh effect. Through these measures I would be able to implement technology while also keeping students safe.