Blog Post #2

Microsoft Word has been a key tool throughout my school years. As a student, I was expected to write essays and typed assignments using Microsoft Word. In special occasions, I used Microsoft Word to create posters and handouts for my clubs. My educators also use Microsoft Word. They use it to create lesson plans, homework assignments, classroom assignments, tests, among other documents.

Copyrights have always been important in school. At a young age, I was taught how to properly cite work that was not originally mine, whether it be from books, websites, movies, etc. My school’s computers always had a filtering software that prevented us from accessing any prohibited Internet sites. Thus, as a teacher, I would never allow one of my students to plagiarize nor print/view any inappropriate material in my classroom. I would strongly implement the code of ethics, which is a set of guidelines explicitly explaining the expectations of what is allowed and what is not.

Last week, I was reminded that social media can benefit a learning environment. For example, Twitter is mainly used to publicize one’s current “status”, but it can also help students engage in current events. With Twitter’s “trending” feature, students can find articles pertaining to an issue discussed in class. Twitter can also be used as a mean of communication between the teacher and the students, after all, it is more probable that a student sees a post on Twitter than on Blackboard. However, social media is a platform for which you must have much caution. When used as an educational resource, teachers must make it clear to the students what is considered acceptable and what is not. Students should always be cautious of what is posted on social media because anybody can see it, and some of those who run into your posts may be your future employers. Nothing on social media is ever completely erased. That being said, teachers as well as students should always be extremely attentive of how they utilize personal learning networks.