Blog Journal 2

As a student, I have always been familiar with Microsoft Word. For example, I used it to type up different sections for my science fair projects back in middle school or to print out little pictures from the internet. It was mainly basic stuff because back then because I wasn't aware of all the possibilities Microsoft Word was capable of. Back in high school, I started to use Google Docs and Drive more because you don't have to worry about saving it and it is accessible anywhere, but now that I'm learning more about the attributes of Microsoft Word, I can see me getting more use of it. My past teachers really never used Microsoft Word except for simple things like reviewing sample essays, creating tests or showing us how our essays should be set up to turn in, but other than that, we never used it much. They mainly used books, printed out articles, PowerPoints or handouts that they've used for ages. I now see my college professors using Microsoft Word a lot more than high school so I'm glad I have access to Microsoft Office and am learning more about the possibilities.

In school, I never really thought about the issue of fair use and copyright of materials. Of course I knew that it is wrong to plagiarize and not give credit when quoting, but I never though about the idea of crediting pictures off the internet when using them in a PowerPoint or paper. I never knew that if my work would be published for some reason, that not giving credit for pictures could get me into some trouble. As a teacher, if I ever came across the opportunity to have an article published or had my own blog for public consumption, I would make sure to credit any pictures I added and hope I would be credited if anyone used the content of my work. As a teacher I would make sure my students knew not only how to cite or credit someone, but also the importance of giving someone credit for their work.

Cyber bullying is a real issue that someone is a victim of everyday. With more technology being implemented into schools, students have more access to websites and social medias, which comes with a bad side. To help prevent cyber bullying, many schools have certain websites blocked that could lead to harmful situations but personally I would try to hold a orientation and create a policy for acting appropriately, using nice language and being courteous online and having consequences if the policy it not followed. There are ways for someone to bully anonymously, but their online activity can be tracked if done on school property and can be traced back to a source.  Also with more technology, comes more opportunity for distraction. To try and prevent decreased productivity and keep students focused, their access to the internet could be limited and timed. I would also teach the importance of using the internet for studying and academic purposes versus fun and entertainment.