Online Privacy

An online dictionary defines privacy as “the state of being free from intrusion or disturbance in one's private life or affairs”
When you find spam email in your inbox, google your name to find information about yourself which you had no idea was out there, or realize that a social network owns your profile and pictures of your life; then the right to privacy online is a mockery. In reality, using and posting on the web is not about having privacy; it is about making the right choices and learning how to use this system. Evidently we all deserve the right to privacy online; realistically speaking it does not happen.
So what are our options? First, we have to continuously demand this right. For example, as consumers we cannot allow social networks such as facebook to use our lives to their best interest. Then, on the day to day, we need to continuously learn how to use the web efficiently and make proper decisions about what we want to be published for the world to see. Most importantly, parents and schools need to talk about the consequences of poor judgment of online use. So, we have a choice now: limit and control the use of the web or learn to use a tool which when used properly it could open many doors.

They know who you are...

About Digital Footprints...

I googled my name…
I know in South America my name is somewhat common: Gabriela. I was amazed with all the different profiles that showed up: a journalist, endless facebook pages, an activist in Africa…and yes; I was there too.
As adults, it is opportune to think that our use of digital tools sets an example to our children. Think about it; what image does the world have of you? How can you responsibly use these tools and at the same time protect yourself?

As teachers; I believe digital tools should be present in our classrooms to enhance our curriculum. As a consequence, we have the duty to teach and show our students to be responsible users. Children have to understand the implications of having a digital footprint; they need to learn that their actions bring consequences. We need to help them know how to use these tools to boost their learning rather than deprive them from entering a college or getting a job.
Nevertheless, this is not the job of one teacher or one administrator or one parent. Learning about digital footprints; requires collaboration within a community. Students need to hear about it in school and home; they have to learn about it as they access the web.

Try it and find your digital footprint; google your name and see what’s out there.

Reflection: Language Exchange-Intercambio Lingüístico

As I have started my digital learning journey these last couples of weeks I find myself motivated and intrigued to learn about the best ways to make digital tools fit language learning in a meaningful way

I have to admit I look forward to some of the projects and connections I have made these last weeks. My students will be connecting with students from other schools who are learning Spanish through voicethread, and listening/speaking to other Spanish speakers using Skype…and yes, those connections are valuable!

An important piece is collaboration. Working as a team with James and Carole brought up significant conversations about language learning and teaching. Sharing experiences, knowledge and teaching philosophies enhances the application of digital tools. By combining ideas and suggestions we prioritized real language use, but at the same time integrated tools which will help our students be learners of the 21st century. It is productive for us as teachers and will be valuable for our students.

LOL

(A "digital native" dialogue – the names have been created for this example )

Mary: Sup pl?
James: Nm doing my hwk
Mary: U watched the movie?
James: 4 got- u?
Mary: y? It was gr8! – funny! Rofl…htbt
James: OMG 2bad I missed it!
Mary: Do we have Spanish hwk?
James: Idk…idc
Mary: K, wtv
James: Gtg
Mary: Np
James: L8r
Mary: ttyl

I guess if I am a "digital immigrant" (term used by Prensky) I have to start learning some of this! I have to thank my 8th graders for taking the time to teach me some of these.

Is "bff" or "nvm" a new language? I would not call this a language; but a social register, a digital jargon, an adaptation of language to fit technological needs. The beauty of a real language is that it is innate; human beings have the ability to acquire it and once we have it, modify it depending on needs – like in this case, to fit a tool in a rapid changing world.

If you teach language arts or writing...what do you think? Syntax, spelling, semantics...is this new register hitting on quality writing?

Reality is this digital jargon is out there which forces all of us to learn it; it is necessary. Call it a “language?” I don’t think so …that’s 4now…brb.

Project Sketch

Objectives and Outcomes:

1. Students will be able to speak about themselves, describe their likes and dislikes, talk about their home countries, families, hobbies, and reflect on their process of learning
2. Students will be able to comment and exchange thoughts with other language students.

Nets

1. Creativity and Innovation: create original works as a means of personal or group expression.
2. Communication and Collaboration:
Communicate information and ideas effectively to multiple audiences using a variety of sources and media.
Interact, collaborate and publish with peers, experts, or others employing a variety of digital environments and media.
3. Technology Operations and Concepts
Understand and Use technology systems.

Spanish Project

This project is designed for students of Spanish in Middle school who have been studying the language for 2-3 years. This project does not look for one particular grammar point, or vocabulary; it attempts to have students use Spanish as a whole. The goal is to interact with other learners via a digital tool. This project is one of the assessments that will be used for the exiting criteria for MS Spanish.
Each student will create a project using voicethread. They have to choose 5 pictures which describe them best; their interests; their nationality; family…any information about themselves (but no pictures of themselves) They will also make a recording, in Spanish, to explain why they chose that particular photo and what it tells about them. The final product will show a slide show of photos with the students’ voice explaining who they are.
The audience is not only the other students in class; but this project will be done with another Spanish teacher in a different school in Asia. He will have his students do the same project; our students will listen and leave comments about each other’s presentation.

Evaluation

A rubric is being created which assesses the use of technology and the use of Spanish as a foreign language. It will also look for the comments the students will leave on each other’s work.

A salesman at my classroom door...

All of us have experienced the annoyance of a salesman at our door. That was the feeling I had after reading Adopt and Adapt by Marc Prensky. It felt like a marketing campaign set up by a businessman – not an educator. His article is not only diminishing to the great teachers out there, but it also only portrays a biased opinion. I just wonder; how often is Prensky in a classroom? How involved is he in curriculum design? From what I read at the end of the article he is a founder, CEO of a game company, speaker, writer, and consultant… is he a teacher?
I believe we have a responsibility as teachers to learn about new tools; but the way the Prensky’s blog makes it sound good quality education cannot be accomplished without technology. It’s not true.
And then… I happened to come across a blog (thanks to Chrissy) by Simon Siemen; where he questions Prensky’s article Digital Natives? Digital Immigrants? It was definitely a refreshing blog. All the questions and comments that Siemen makes are valid and needed. But there is one particular observation that I would like to point out from his comments; he says:

On page 2 of Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants Marc talks about digital language and how us ‘immigrants’ have to learn ‘digital’ like a second language…. And a language learned later in life, scientists tell us, goes into a different part of the brain. Does it? What scientists? Is learning to work an ipod really the same as learning a second language? Perhaps Marc is taking his analogue a little too far?

Yes, he has.
The comment lacks knowledge about second language acquisition, about the components of learning a new language, about the importance of interaction and creating a comfortable environment for students to use the language…
Again…just wondering…how many languages does Marc Prensky speak?

Reflection on an activity- a mere coincidence?

After reading a section from “Reinventing Project-Based Learning” I thought of an activity my language classes are working on this week. The article talks about “Essential Learning Functions; Ubiquity: learning inside and outside the classroom, and all the time.” The idea is to give students the chance of using a tool to learn whenever they want and wherever they want.

I have to say I created this activity to help my students listen to Spanish outside the class; as in this side of the world they are only exposed to Spanish during my 55 minute period.The students have been listening to audio files I created in audacity regarding the Chinese New Year. They had to listen to the horoscope and answer questions; which we will later discuss in class. After the struggle of not being able to hear the file, nor open the instructions; it all worked smoothly in class and their homes (they are able to acces the files from their home computers).

Now why did this call my attention?

Today one of my students came in and ran the show; he showed the class how he had downloaded the files to his phone. He shared he had been listening to the files and repeating them over and over again. The best part, he attempted to explain this in Spanish!

My lesson went a step further; thanks to one of my students, I learned something new and my students have audio files they can carry with them at all times…
Interesting tool…