Blog 2

         Microsoft Word has been a staple of my education since I can remember. Microsoft Word is a very commonly used program for almost every job, level of education, and pretty much any other aspect of technology. Not only have I been using Microsoft Word every year as a student, but my teachers have been using it in class just as often. I have used Word for every paper or project that I have written since I was in Elementary school. When a teacher were to present a document that they prepared of for us on the over head, it was typically typed using Microsoft Word. Since I am constantly being exposed to this program and always being expected to use it, I like to think I am pretty familiar with it. I am not the most technology savvy teenager but I do know how to work my way around Word pretty easily.
       A huge problem to consider as a teacher, when asking your students to compose any sort of writing for you you, is plagiarism. Plagiarism is a very serious and major issue that a lot of classrooms face far too often. I personally have never been in any situation where the integrity of my writing has ever been questioned but I know many students who have been. I believe that it is such an issue in todays education system because there is a very fine line between paraphrasing and copying someone else's work. In order to prevent this misunderstanding from causing an issue, the students must be properly educated on the difference. If I'm being honest I still have trouble sometimes and question myself almost every paper I write. As a student it is scary to not be one hundred percent confident in what you wrote and unsure if you will get in trouble for it. The only way to prevent that is to make sure every student understands. This concept should be taught from day one of your educational career. Teaching this concept young, will only help the students in the long run. I personally want to be an Elementary school teacher when I am older, so I plan on teaching my students at least the basics of what is considered plagiarism because I truly think this will help solve major problems in the future.
      One major problem that continues to evolve as technology advances is Cyberbullying. As a teacher it is your job to not only educate your students, but to also ensure their safety in the classroom, as well as through technology. Social media is a very popular topic in todays society and an even more popular commodity to children and teenagers. I believe that the only way to prevent cyberbullying at any age is to again, make the students realize that it is very wrong at a young age. Since I will hopefully be teaching young students I will make it a point to educate my students on how horrible cyberbullying is and the horrific things it could result in. I strongly feel that if children are exposed to the horrors of Cyberbullying from the beginning of their education, than the are more inclined to believe what their elders are saying about how terrible it is.
      Another issue that I will address in the beginning of every school year is acceptable use. This concept refers to the students use of technology in the classroom, and making sure that what they are accessing is not only appropriate, but safe. A lot of people think the only way to ensure the students safety on the internet is to put restrictions and locks on certain websites. This method does definitely work, but I feel that this technique is not the only one that works. I think it is important, especially with younger children,  to make rules and regulations in regards to technology. If you sit your students down and inform them that there are rules while using technology in the classroom and that there will be consequences for straying from them, I think they are more likely to listen.
       As you know, the use of technology goes hand and hand with social media. This being said, in todays society many teachers use social media as a way to communicate, collaborate, and share their teaching techniques with educators all over the world. Although this is a very important and helpful use of technology, it also comes with some legal liabilities as well. Student privacy is a huge legal issue that needs to be taken extremely carefully as an educator. You can get yourself in some serious legal situations if you are not careful with what you post on social media. I am very excited to one day have my own teacher blog or social media account of any sort, but I know in advance that I am going to take extreme percussions when doing so. I will never ever post a picture where you can see my students faces or names on any social media and always make sure to get permission from my students' legal guardians before posting anything. I know how serious and valuable a students privacy is and I will make sure to value that privacy just as much as I hope they value mine.