The Last Assignment

I've completed the course feedback survey, the university course evaluation, and I've checked my grades on blackboard - everything is in.

Thanks for helping me understand technology. I had a great experience.

Internet Safety Reflection

I chose to read the article by Elder M. Russell Ballard entitled Let Our Voices Be Heard. As I read this, I felt like the biggest challenge we have with regards to media is that the media has the capability to devastate our families and pull our children as well as parents away from the gospel path. Most often, the attacks on the family are not direct or openly immoral; rather the attacks are subtle and amoral - the right and wrong issues don't even come up. Because immorality and sexual innuendos are everywhere, it is believed that since everyone is doing it, it must be okay. This is what is in our homes.
I also watched several video clips that were suggested. Julie's Journey talked about meeting someone you've met online. She describes the internet as a tool; it has to be used properly. It's like a knife; it can cut you. Amy's Choice warns us about going into private chat rooms. Sexual predators are very cunning and can lure an unsuspecting individual into a dangerous situation. Tracking Teresa had the most impact on me. Even though you may think you are safe and using good practice on the internet, this clip showed me otherwise. In a matter of 20 min. enough information was accumulated unbeknown to Teresa including exact directions to her house. Scary!! Keisha's Crime was disturbing. Anger can lead to destructive behavior that the internet can facilitate if not careful. Peer to peer harassment is becoming more and more common among the youth. The clip Faux Paw - the Techno cat is a great tool to use to teach kids about internet safety. It is easy to understand and because it's cartoon, it captivates the children. Katie's Story helped me to know, as a parent, how important parent involvement is when a child is using the internet. After watching this clip, I'm going to be buying the "missing game" that was suggested by police personnel. When children feel they can't talk to their parents, the situation gets worse and worse. This game allows a child to see red flag instances that might be happening with them. This game also teaches children how unsafe the internet can be and what cautions to use. The last clip I watched was Growing up Online - a Frontline story. This took a long time to view, but it was worth it. It talked about all the important aspects of using the internet at what not to do.
I spoke with two of my teenage children about how they communicate online. We talked about the importance of not putting any personal information online. They told me all about facebook and how safe it was to use. They assured me that there was no way anything bad could happen to them using this feature. I shared with them the clip on Tracking Teresa. I expressed to them that Teresa didn't share any personal information either, or so she thought. My daughter gave me the "I know, I know" response with the added eye roll affect. I really do need to give her credit though; she showed me her profile on facebook. She doesn't go anywhere else to chat. My son, though, was listening intently. He sat with me for a little while as I continued to watch more clips. We talked about how cunning predators are and how we need to be extra careful when chatting online. After our conversation, he went downstairs to the kids computer and revised his profile on facebook. Taking the time to talk to him about this and sharing with him my thoughts of how important this is, really had an impact on him. He has a lot of friends who spend many hours online. I'm sure he will be sharing what he learned with them.

ElEd TPACK Report -- Language Arts lesson