Miller (left) is a teenager living in the USA. It's always interesting to hear what young people think about educational technology, so I was delighted when Miller agreed to have a go at answering questions about it.
The questions below are all genuine, ie they have been submitted by real people, not just made up by me (although I can assure that I am a real person!).
Equally, Miller's answers are genuine too, which is to say she didn't receive any prompting or assistance from either her teacher, Vicki Davis, or me.
Today, Miller answers these questions:
- How have you been made aware of e-safety (internet safety) issues - did your school have e-safety lessons or e-safety awareness programs. Did the school have an "Acceptable Use Policy" (a set of rules for the use of computers / the internet). is e-safety an issue for American teenagers (thinking of computers, hand held devices, cell phones etc)
- As a young person what do you think would be most helpful to protect young people online?
- Do you think it's necessary for schools to block social networking sites like Twitter & Facebook? Do you see any benefits that students can receive from this channels of technology?
- How do you feel that your use of Web 2.0 apps will change over the next couple of years?
This feature on the ICT in Education website has run as an experiment run only for just a few weeks. If you have any feedback, whether about the idea itself or Miller's answers, please let me know by leaving a comment here.
Also, I am in the process of writing a testimonial for Miller which may be helpful in her college applications. If you have enjoyed reading Miller’s answers, and would like to be quoted in that, please get in touch right away!
How have you been made aware of e-safety (internet safety) issues - did your school have e-safety lessons or e-safety awareness programs. Did the school have an "Acceptable Use Policy" (a set of rules for the use of computers / the internet). is e-safety an issue for American teenagers (thinking of computers, hand held devices, cell phones etc)
Miller replies:
Hello Reader,
Up until last year, I had no idea about safety issues on the internet. I knew that there had been instances where somebody had post something very bad (showy and inappropriate) on YouTube , Myspace or Facebook , but I never really knew about the horrible consequences until I took my computer fundamentals class starting in August of 2008.
Our first lesson about safety came indirectly with the start of our digital citizenship course. Our class was to participate in a project with other kids from across the world. We were to study digital citizenship. I was so excited to be able to work with other kids from across the globe, but I didn't realize how significant the our study would be.
Through our studies of digital citizenship, I learned that the internet is more than just videos, pictures, or emails. The internet is another world. It is like a sea filled with thousands of predators waiting to take advantage of the next unexpected victim.
I learned that there are ways to be safe. Just as you take precautions to be safe offline, you take precautions to be safe online as well. Another way we learned about safety on the internet is through our study with virtual worlds. We taught younger students (11-14 year old) about how to be safe online, and we learned too. Our teacher, Mrs. Vicki (coolcatteacher) , stresses the importance of being safe. Before we can venture into any new program, she must test it out first to make sure that it is safe for her students. She also teaches us scenarios of what we need to do if something were to happen.
Example: What would happen if somebody asked you where you live? (Mrs. Vicki would ask us that question.)
We will immediately get away, shut down the computer, or do anything to get away from that predator. (The students would reply.)
Our school definitely has an acceptable use policy. Myspace and Facebook are blocked at our school. Our teachers encourage the use of the Ning programs. Ning is a social network like Myspace and Facebook. The only difference is that a Ning can be monitored. Our teachers monitor everything that we do. We each have our own user names and passwords. If something comes up that is inappropriate and our teachers find out, the student or students who were involved will be penalized.
The great thing that our teachers do to help us to learn how to use the internet safely is not smother us. A lot of the time, when teachers smother their students and not allow their students to try, then they will most likely resist and do what their teachers don't want them to do.
Most schools block the use of YouTube and blogs because they think that some of the things that are on there are bad. There are bad things on the internet but there is also good things. YouTube contains many educational videos. Blogs contain many wise people's thoughts and ideas that need to be heard. My ninth grade class (14 and 15 year olds) started a blog called the Digiteen Dream Team to protest the Google Lively shutdown. We expressed our beliefs and opinions and obtained a lot of attention to our cause. By allowing students to hear the good things, they will look for more good things. They will want to learn more about the internet and blogs and the educational videos on YouTube.
I believe that every teenager should be taught safety. There are too many teenagers that believe that they are untouchable. The truth is, there is danger lurking online. There are also ways of keeping teenagers safe online as well. If we prepare teenagers by teaching them e-safety, then they will be ready to face whatever dangers they might encounter on the internet. Teenagers are the future, we need to prepare them it.
As a young person what do you think would be most helpful to protect young people online?
Miller replies:
Dear Reader,
There are many things that you can do to protect teenagers online. You can set up firewalls to prevent inappropriate things from appearing. You can block sites that you do not want your teenager to see. You can also put restrictions on the computer and monitor every single thing that the teenager does online. All of these steps are very important to the safety of your teenager online.
I believe that there is one little detail that is a must-have in the safety of teenagers. That detail is a little thing that I like to call education. Education is key in preventing hazardous things from happening online. In educating the teenagers, they learn how to be safe online. They learn things like how to spot a suspicious person. In learning how to spot a suspicious person, they learn what to do when asked for personal information like full names, ages, or street addresses. They learn how to spot scams so that they will not jeopardize their parents' or their own credit card information. They learn what kind of risks there are on the internet and the consequences of taking those risks. They learn how to act in appropriate ways online so that they will be safe.
Some teenagers will not always be at home where their parents can monitor them. They will grow up and travel to college and get their own jobs. Parents will not always be their to monitor what they do on the computer. By educating teenagers, they will know what to do. They will not have to have their parents to monitor their actions on the computer. Teenagers will be responsible and be able to handle themselves. They will learn more than what to do online.
They will learn responsibility.
Do you think it's necessary for schools to block social networking sites like Twitter & Facebook? Do you see any benefits that students can receive from this channels of technology?
Miller replies:
Dear Reader,
I am a strong believer that students should be able to access sites like Twitter and YouTube. I do believe, however, that kids should not be able to access sites like Myspace or Facebook unless they incorporate a lesson that the teacher is trying to teach. I believe that teachers should encourage a Ning. A Ning is a social network that allows students to interact with each other, much like Myspace and Facebook. They can post pictures, videos, blogs and upload music. They can post comments and leave each other messages. The only difference is that the students are monitored by their teachers. This allows the students to learn how to interact with students in their class and around the world. This teaches them digital citizenship and respect for other people's cultures and beliefs.
I believe that Twitter is a great way to communicate. Our class used Twitter to communicate with the makers of Reaction Grid. When we were having trouble with Reaction Grid, the location of our virtual world, we would tweet the makers of Reaction Grid so that they would be able to help us.
I believe that some videos on YouTube are bad. I also believe that some videos on YouTube are good. Students need to be introduced to these videos. These videos on YouTube could range from information on movie-making to seminars on digital citizenship.
Students need to be introduced to things like social networks and Twitter. Schools cannot continue to hide things from their students. Students can be exposed to social networks like Myspace and Facebook during the weekends. Teachers will not be there to keep them away from the social networks. By educating students on how to act on social networks, they will be able to navigate their way safely around Myspace and Facebook. By using Twitter, they will be able to communicate other ways than by using the phone.
Education is key in school. We need to make the education of technology important in school as well.
How do you feel that your use of Web 2.0 apps will change over the next couple of years
Miller replies:
Dear Reader,
I love to use my Web 2.0 apps. They not only make assignments and projects go smoothly, but also keep your items organized. As advanced as Web 2.0 applications seem today, I am certain that they will become even more advanced. I believe that you will be able to access almost anything over your cell phone or your Ipod or Iphone.
I also believe that your Igoogle page will become revolutionized. The Igoogle page will be a must-have. There will be many varieties of apps to choose. I believe that the best thing about the upcoming Web 2.0 is that more and more people will have to use the internet. Because of the need of programs on the computer, people will need to become more used to using the internet. Hopefully, that idea will persuade people to obtain an education of the computer.
I also believe that the auto industry will thrive with the new Web 2.0 devices. I believe that large cars with the size to host a computer will be installed with a computer. Some vehicles have a navigational system already installed in the cars. By installing computers in cars, there will be more useful things that you will be able to do while driving. I also think that they will incorporate apps like Jott, a program that you can sign up to over the internet, that allows you to send messages to people over the phone. This will enable people to concentrate on their driving rather than on their phone conversation.
Miller’s acknowledgements
I would like to say thank you to the readers that support Mr. Terry's newsletter. Thank you to Mr. Terry for giving me this opportunity to write for his wonderful newsletter. Thank you to my Computer teacher Mrs. Vicki for giving me the knowledge to be able to answer the questions that everyone has asked. Thank you to my family for supporting me and allowing me to write for this website. Thanks to everyone for their support.
Sincerely,
Miller
My acknowledgements
My thanks to Vicki Davis for introducing me to Miller in the first place, and for managing the communications between all concerned, and allowing Miller time in school to answer the questions. Thanks also to Miller’s parents for allowing and encouraging her to take part in this little experiment. And, of course, to Miller herself for taking time out of her busy schedule! Finally, thanks to the people who have sent in questions for Miller to answer!
Disclaimer
Miller's views do not represent the views of her school, her teacher, nor any other organization which she belongs to, but are solely her own views and opinions.
Next steps
If you missed the previous sets of Miller’s answers, sign up to the free newsletter Computers in Classrooms, because I will be collating all of Miller’s answers into an issue in the near future.
If you enjoyed reading Miller's views...
Then you will probably enjoy the following: - What are your kids learning while you're not looking? That was the title of a presentation that Miles Berry and I did at the BETT Show 2009. Based on original research, it made it very clear that teachers make life more difficult for themselves, and less than interesting for their students, by ignoring what their students can already do. For more information, including a link to Miles' blog on the subject and a slide show, see my article on What are your kids learning while you're not looking?
- What does Miller think about digital citizenship, social networking and online safety? Listen to a discussion we had via Skype. It lasts just over 26 minutes.
- Miller lives in the USA. What does Edith, an English schoolgirl of around the same age, think about the same sort of issues? Elaine and I enjoyed an interview/discussion with Edith, who without a doubt was the star of the show at a recent Teachmeet. Click this link for our interview with Edith.
- Miller wrote a cracking article on the subject of social networking and digiteens for the special social networking issue of Computers in Classrooms. You can read it online. If you don't want to miss future issues of the newsletter when it comes out, sign-up for it now -- it's free!
- Finally, as I mentioned earlier, I am in the process of writing a testimonial for Miller which may be helpful in her college applications. If you have enjoyed reading Miller’s answers, and would like to be quoted in that, please get in touch right away!
Subscribe to article summaries