Staying Safe Online

For this project, each group was assigned different topics to work on. My group and I were assigned to present on the topic of Digital Safety and Privacy. Working together on this project was much easier compared to our previous project because we were already familiar with each other’s work ethics. To begin our project, we divided the workload by assigning specific parts for each member in our group to work on. Although we all had different tasks, nevertheless our ideas transitioned smoothly and our content was well-thought-out. Reflecting on my group’s project, I learned many important facts about digital safety and privacy along with some tips on how to be safe online. During our long hours of research, my group and I believed that our topic on Digital Safety and Privacy encompasses the topics of the other three groups, those of which include the following: Pharming and Phishing, Cyberbullying, and Fair User Practices and Copyright Issues. All of these four topics combined fit into a cohesive educational unit.

The cohesive educational topics on Digital Safety and Privacy, Pharming and Phishing, Cyberbullying, and Fair User Practices and Copyright Issues all show the inevitable drawbacks of incorporating technology in the classroom. Although the advantages of utilizing technology in the classroom outweigh those of the negatives, there are still violation risks that come with it. According to Winston and LLP, “The complex issue of computer privacy covers the way your personal information is used, collected, shared, and stored on your personal devices and while on the Internet” (para. 2). In today’s digital world, there is a possibility that we may become exposed to a series of issues, such as computer viruses, identity theft, and scams; however, these issues are avoidable. We are able to avoid pharming and phishing scams if we learn how to recognize unreliable websites with minimal security. In addition, learning about digital safety and privacy allows us to distinguish the difference between safe sharing versus oversharing, which decreases our chance of being cyberbullied as well as having our identity stolen. On top of that, the more we learn how to use the Internet in positive ways, the more we become knowledgeable about how to properly cite sources or the work of others. These four topics are similar to those of puzzle pieces. If one piece of the puzzle is missing, then the meaning of the picture is incomplete. For example, if we do not understand the concept of being safe online and the ways to do so, then we would not understand how to recognize scams; therefore exposing us to identify theft. Thus, the more we practice being safe online, the chances of these issues occurring will decrease.

In my teaching pedagogy, I will design lesson plans that will effectively teach my students how to be safe while browsing the Internet. According to Nina W., “Teaching digital citizenship equips students with the knowledge, skills and resources to succeed as lifetime learners, and also helps them learn to engage within a digital environment with responsibility and confidence to develop as leaders who will leave meaningful impacts in the lives of others” (para. 9). These lesson plans will help my students become more responsible and knowledgeable citizens of the digital world. In addition, these lesson plans will consist of activities that I will create on my own. Firstly, I will present on the importance of digital safety and privacy as well as some tips on how to be safe online. Next, I will introduce the activity on pharming and phishing by giving my students a handout consisting of pictures and emails in which they would have to determine is either legitimate or a scam. More importantly, I will discuss with them some examples of information that is safe to share on the Internet and information that are not safe to share. These activities will help my students to easily spot scams and online predators and at the same time help them understand the difference between safe sharing versus oversharing of information. 

Throughout my past experiences with working in groups, I learned that each individual’s communication preference differs. However, I would suggest compromising with each other and asking questions like what tool is best, what is everyone able to use, and how often is everyone able to use it. These questions eliminate any disputes among group members and instead help the group come to an agreement on the best communication tool. Fortunately for my group and I, we did not have to use any web conferencing tools for this assignment. Instead, we used WhatsApp as our main tool of communication. The reason why we mainly used WhatsApp was because it was convenient for us. Since our phones are always with us wherever we go, WhatsApp made it easier for us to communicate with each other whenever we had a question regarding our project. We could just text our question in the group chat and receive a response in a matter of minutes. This tool of communication worked out perfectly for my group and I because of our conflicting schedules. Although we did not use any web conferencing tools for this project, we were able to communicate our ideas and concerns with just a click of a button. 

           The changes that I would suggest for this assignment is having at least five groups to present on five different topics. The five topics should include the following: Digital Safety and Privacy, Cyberbullying, Textual Harassment and Sexting, Fair User Practices and Copyright Issues, and Pharming and Phishing. The reason why I feel it is important to add the topic of Textual Harassment and Sexting is because it is occurring in today’s society, especially among middle school and high school students. Although it may be an uncomfortable subject to listen to for some students, nevertheless it is still imperative to discuss it so that they are aware of the consequences. Students might also feel more open to trusting their teachers with their personal issues. Other than adding this particular topic, there is nothing about this assignment that I would suggest to delete or remove. 

          Overall, this assignment has taught me many things that I have never heard of nor have learned about before. For instance, I have never heard of the terms pharming and phishing. However, now I am able to recognize when something is a phishing scam versus when something is legitimate. After grasping all of the crucial information from each group's presentation, I believe that I am capable of ensuring the safety, security, and well-being of my students as they explore the wonders of the digital world. 

References

Winston & LLP. (2019). What is the Definition of Online Privacy?. Winston & Strawn LLP. Retrieved November 3, 2019, from https://www.winston.com/en/legal-glossary/online-privacy.html

W., Nina. (2019, January 28). 5 Reasons to Teach Digital Citizenship This School Year [Blog Post]. Retrieved from https://www.goguardian.com/blog/learning/5-reasons-to-teach-digital-citizenship-this-school-year/