Participate 3- Digital Resources and Netiquette

Netiquette is another term for network etiquette.  This is a poster on netiquette.

Participate 3- Accessing Digital leaning Communities

Students who use digital learning may have different barriers to leaning due to internet access. My level of access to the digital resources great because of the area in which I live.

What type of barriers might impede students' opportunities to access digital learning?
The different type of barriers that impede the students opportunities to access digital leaning are low bandwidth, disabilities, income disparity. Students usually don't have jobs which pay enough to run a household.  The student must have access to an electronic device in order to participate.  Along with this, they will need some form of high speed internet service which can provide them with the speed and capability to download from and search the internet.   Some students live in areas where internet access is not available.  Other students may have parents or caregivers who cannot afford high speed internet connection. If a student has a disability, this causes even more of a barrier because they may need specialized equipment as well. All these are things that are generally out of the child's control.

What might we do to eliminate such barriers?
To help eliminate some of the barriers people with knowledge and resources must get involved.  This includes getting the word out about different services that which offer free high speed internet to low income families.  A lot of times, people have no idea what is awaiting them if they apply for help.  Also, showing low income families the important of internet services.  Schools also should have programs for students to receive a laptop or other electronic device if they do not have one.  This is the only way one can participate in digital leaning.  They must have a device.   Students with disabilities should be assessed to see what specialized equipment they would need and then that equipment should not only be provided, but the student and parent should be shown how to use it. Public libraries and many restaurants have free wifi which students may be able to use if they have their own computers. This can be helpful as a back up plan if power is lost.

Participate 2- Collecting Reputable Digital Resources

When collecting digital resources for students the resources must be reliable. Students should be taught to look for reputable domains such as. mil (US military), .gov( government), .edu ( education), and .org ( may be a non-profit organization).  As I did my walk about I was able to come up with some helpful digital resources for students. I explored Zonniverse, Classroom 2.0, Khan Academy, Edutopia, and Discovery Education.  Each of these resources can contribute to making online teaching more engaging, efficient, and effective.  Here is a link to the list of bookmarked resources complied during my exploration.

  https://del.icio.us/nurseq/Dig.%20Resource

The three most useful tools or resources resulting fro the web walkabout are Zonniverse, Khan Academy, and Classroom 2.0.  Zonniverse gives online students an opportunity to research many fields of science and have interactive and engaging activities.  Khan Academy contains videos tutorials for math, science, test prep, computing, arts & humanities, as well as economics & finance.
Classroom 2.0 is a free community supported network.  One must sign up and become member and then they can join in the discussions.  This will be helpful for students new to digital learning.
Students can be taught to safely collect tools and resources which can maximize their leaning by about reputable domains. Students should also be taught about the database used by Google and Mozilla to block harmful pages known as StopBadware.  They should be taught about the Web of Trust ( WOT) which is a crowd-sourced online database that offers reputation ratings for domain names.
When giving assignments, teachers should place guidelines on which sources students should use. For example have students use resources with reputable domains such as .mil( military), .gov ( government), .edu ( education) , and .org ( non-profit organization). Teachers should also have students to use the WOT to check to reputation ratings for the domains they will be using.  Having these policies and procedures in place may help students to maximize their learning.

Participate 1- Ideal Digital Learning Communities

I feel that the ideal Digital Learning Community (DLC) will be appealing and interesting to the group it desires to attract.  It should look professional and tasteful.  It should not be difficult to join, nor sign in.  It should offer to save the password and also offer a way to link with social media.  The features that will set the ideal DLC apart from and above others will be it the good courtesy this community will process.  The ideal DLC should also be free of charge.  The provider will check and address problems in a rapid manner.  It will also do periodic surveys to ensure that all the members are getting the most from the DLC.  I feel that potential members need to have qualities such as respect, safety, and honesty.  
In order to bring this type of DLC vision into fruition, much planning will be needed.  This would need to be done by taking surveys from parents, students, and teachers to see what would appeal to all three groups.  Finding out what is helpful and then implementing can may a difference and help to create the ideal DLC.  This will in turn make learning and teaching better and produce better outcomes for students. 
There are things that can be done to make an existing DLC more attractive and welcoming for students and teachers.  For students, interaction is the key.  When students can get involved in the classroom, they learn and enjoy being there. I can recall many times when students have said " I can't believe the bell is about to ring". That comes from them being engaged in the work they are doing.  When DLC have engaging and changeling ways of letting students interact they will be more appealing to the students.  Also using current events and music is helpful for DLCs to attract students.  An opening video with music which would give a idea of what can be done in the DLC would make students want to get involved.  As a teacher, I am attracted to DLCs which keep data and can provide feedback for me to help me keep track of student progress.  And in the 21st century we all use social media frequently.  I feel that students and teachers will feel welcomed when DLCs include social media. I found this image that shows my vision of the DLC incorporating social media.

Participate 1- Joining a DLC

The five Digital Learning Communities (DLCs), which I considered, are listed below:

Open Study

Edmodo

Wikiversity

Cosmo Learning
Schoology

This is the link to the  bookmark site which shows the

https://del.icio.us/nurseq

Each of these learning communities was easy to find.  They are all easy to use and have a wealth of information.   It is also important to note that they are all free to join and this is very helpful for students who do not have income.  The one that most impressed me was Edmodo digital learning community.  This community can be useful for teachers as well as students.  It is a place where teachers can connect with other teachers in there field and share ideas.  Teachers can also set up classes in the community and have students join and parents can see the progress of their students as well.  Students can also take quizzes and get feedback once they have completed them.   I feel this DLC was fairly easy to join and appeals to students effectively.  Most students are able to join DLC with ease, however teachers could help students by breaking down the process for them.  Teachers can model how to join and then have the students to demonstrate for others.  Also, by frequently using DLCs, students will become more comfortable and this will make it ultimately easier for them to use.  

Participate 1 Character Traits

I feel that the three most impressive character traits of a exemplary digital citizen are respect, safety, and honesty.  These traits will foster good and will enhance learning of online students.  A digital citizen must have respect for others.  This can be shown by using proper written language. The citizen would not want to write anything that he would not say in person.  Respect can also be shown by using proper internet etiquette when communicating with others.  Safety is another trait that is exemplary. The online student should not post personal information about themselves and should be cautious of the sites they visit.  One of the articles mentioned that private things should be kept private and that is absolutely true.   Honesty is also key in being a digital citizen.  One should not lie, cheat, or steal.  Digital citizens cannot be seen, but they should still resist the urge to lie about themselves or others.  The same goes with stealing information that is copyrighted or even looking up answers to a test.  If a digital citizen practices the three traits discussed, they will do well in the digital world.  The three impressive character traits of a digital citizen we will consider and example are:
1. Respect:  The student and teacher must both show respect for each other and other students.  We must respect the viewpoint of others in a considerate way.  Showing respect and giving respect in the online community will help keep the communication open and flowing.  Teachers as well as students will feel that they can express themselves freely and this is very important when working with those we can not see.
2. Honesty: We must be honest.  It is our responsibility to show who we are.  This helps each of us to make a true connection with our audience.  We are able to show ourselves to others and others are able to show themselves to us.  This will help to build a good teacher-student relationship where learning can take place.
3. Safety: Teachers and students must follow safety precautions when working in an digital community.  Personal information about others should not be shared without permission and caution. Caution must also be taken when clicking on, downloading, posting, or uploading content.

*Image from dailygenius.com

My Experience

Hello my name is Ruth Quiller and this is my new blog for the TOOL digital learning community.  My experience in creating this blog was fairly simple. I owe it to the fact that I used the Google blogging site last semester in one of my certification classes.  I was able to go to Google blogger and then just create a new blog.  I was already signed in so this process was fairly simple.  I then named my blog and created an address for it.  I am very excited about the opportunity to become an online teacher.  I feel that being a member of the TOOL community will help me reach my goal.  I truly enjoy teaching and I am eager to learn to teach online.