Blog #3 - Safe Practices with Web 2.0
Each time we learn / use a web 2.0 tool part of the discussion and some of my thoughts are how safe would these be to use in the classroom? How safe are they for myself and my students?
With each new web 2.0 tool there is always a risk of putting too much information out there. There is the risk that someone or something will get hacked and my own personal information will get stolen. So what can be done to protect yourself?
By reading chapter 7 in Solomon and Schrum new ways and common sense practices became obvious. A user can switch / using multiple usernames and passwords, so that there never the same and if one online site becomes unsecure all of your personal information will not be. Don’t open emails from people that you do not know as they are often spam/spyware/or worse.
The other day as a class we used 2nd Life and I wondered how secure this website was to use especially in the classroom.
It seems as though if you alternate your password and username from the norm that it could be a secure “place” to be. Also it is important that in your travels though 2nd life that you don’t give out information to strangers. It is ironic that as kids our parents told us not to talk to strangers but some people will tell you personal information and there whole life story in a web-based world. The same thing your parents told you about life applies in 2nd life, don’t talk to strangers. If your going to don’t give out personal information.
With common sense practices and doing some research on your own all of these web 2.0 tools can be effective in and out of the classroom and safe.
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2 comments:
It seems as though, while not completely fail safe and what is< Second Life strives to have a complete screening process for Teen Life. That process is as complete as a school itself would use and I don't think one could ask for a higher standard for an online program than the school itself uses.
For me I think a paradigm shift is needed, not worry so much about the worst case scenarios which then leads to blocking everything and inhibiting the possibilites to a shift to working dilligently against those worse case scenarios while opening up the access to collaboration and the use of the tools out there. The group itself, be it staff or students haqve to be involved and stake a claim to the access as they have significant roles as stewards of access.
You are absolutely right that many of these best practices for internet safety really are just common sense. Unfortunately, we can’t always rely on the fact that our students are coming in with this knowledge. It is our job as educators to inform the students of these best practices so they can make informed decisions. So many school districts block these tools for fear of students using them inappropriately-but the fact remains that the students are using these tools outside of school without knowing how to use them properly. If students are allowed to use these tools in a productive way, I think we have a much greater chance of them carrying on those habits. If teachers became more aware of these risks and took steps to teach students the right way to conduct themselves, and the school districts actually gave the opportunity to use them, our students would be better prepared for a world beyond the classroom.
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