Participate 4.1.3 Digital Health Quest

Finding Balance

M -Sit up straight while working. -Take a 30 minute break to read / do housework every 2 hour.	T -Workout -Breakfast and Emails -Phone on Silent -Sit on porch and read -Walk dogs	W -Check Email -Workout: Yoga -Social Media for 10 minutes -Read	TH -Workout AM -House work AM -Social Media 10 minutes AM -PM: Check email and online work.	F -Work offline AM -PM: Pool and dinner with friends	SA -Hike with friends	SU -Church and Breakfast / No Phones
M -Unplug / No Social Media / No Computer Usage / Cruise	T -Unplug / No Social Media / No Computer Usage / Cruise	W -Unplug / No Social Media / No Computer Usage / Cruise	TH -Unplug / No Social Media / No Computer Usage / Cruise	F -Unplug / No Social Media / No Computer Usage / Cruise	SA -Unplug / No Social Media / No Computer Usage / Cruise	SU -Check Email / Pay Online Bills / Sit Up Straight at Table

• What is the most proactive means of ensuring the most balanced blend of technology and well-being?

It's important to realize how often and how long you are using technology. It's important to use technology to enhance your life and make work easier. As Thoreau said, humans should ride the machines, the machines should not ride the humans. 

• What can students and teachers do to make sure they get the most from technology while simultaneously safeguarding good health?

Teachers can model good behavior. I don't use my phone during class time because I'm engaged in the learning environment and respectful of the students and their ideas. Parents can also model healthy behaviors because children are always watching and learning. Parents should let students know it's ok to unplug sometimes. Everything in moderation. 

Participate 4.1.2 Digital Safety and Security Quest

• What is the most important step we can take in terms of ensuring our digital safety?

Students need to understand the concept of audience and always remember that online, there is a constant and infinite audience. It is very difficult for any communicator to anticipate present and future audiences when communicating, socially or otherwise. When I teach writing, we always consider the audience: What type of language should we use? What types of examples and details will appeal to the audience? What do we want our audience to know and why do they need to know that? These all seem like questions that apply to communicating on the web as well. The key is for students to understand that although the audience can not be seen by them, it is there and it is vast. 

• What strategies can we take to help our students consistently keep digital safety in the forefront of their minds?

1. Students and parents must understand the safety standards for the school system. 

2. Parents should be familiar with safety techniques. As teachers watch and monitor use, parents should monitor their student's online time, setting limitations as needed for the child.

3. As a school, we could have more posters and reminders in labs to remind students of their responsibilities as a member of a digital community.  

Pintrest Board: Digital Safety 

Participate 4.1.1 Digital Rights and Responsibilities Quest

How can a DLC ensure that citizens within the community have access to an environment where an AUP protects members as well as the community itself, where individuals uphold laws, and a cooperative/collective venture provides robust, safe, and ethical resources and opportunities for learning? What is the best way to establish and maintain a flourishing DLC where citizens understand, observe, and are inclined to willingly support and ultimately benefit from Digital Rights and Responsibilities? 

The best way to ensure members have access to a protected environment, users must be educated about all aspects of participating in DLC's. Below, I have outlined a lesson plan based on Itse.org's 9 Elements of a Digital Literacy Curriculum. 

Plan for Supporting and Protecting a Digital Learning Community through Digital Rights and Responsibilities.


I used Iste.org resources to formulate my plan. Iste has 9 Elements for supporting and protecting a DLC through DRR. 

Element 1:  Digital Access
Is access equitable? What will students be able to access at school or through the DLC? 

Element 2: Digital Commerce 
Students should understand how to access and use web 2.0 tools fairly. Teachers must be educated about the education tools available for free.

Element 3: Digital Communication
Student and teachers must understand the responsibilities of leaving an appropriate digital footprint. As in a traditional classroom, students must use the communication tools at appropriate times in appropriate ways.  

Element 4: Digital Literacy 
Students and teachers must speak the same language when it comes to safety in DLC's. 

Element 5: Digital Etiquette
What is appropriate in the DLC? What is inappropriate? Everyone needs to understand they are responsible for their actions, even when they are not face to face. 

Element 6: Digital Law
A responsible DLC ensures that all members are aware and abide by the digital laws. 

Element 7: Digital Rights and Responsibilities
Students must understand how to be responsible citizens of the DLC. 

Element 8: Digital Health and Wellness
Students must understand to balance their online time with other elements of life, such as friends and family. 

Element 9: Digital Security
Do students know how to keep themselves safe in DLC's? Are there safeguards in place in the DLC itself?   

Participate 3.1.2 Digital Resources and Netiquette Quest

Prezi: Netiquette Do's and Don'ts 

Participate 3.1.1 Access to the Digital Community Quest

What types of barriers might impede students’ opportunities to access digital learning?

1. Socio-Economic Status

2. Rural vs. Urban Living

3. Education Level

4. Age

5. Culture

6. Disabilities

7. Value Systems

8. Income

9. Profession

10. Time

What might we do to eliminate such barriers?

1. Educate

2. Advocate Change

3. Highlight Benefits

4. Increase Availability / Access 

5.  Make Access Meaningful to Learning 

Levels of Access

City	Providers Above 3 Mbps	Providers Below 3 Mbps	Common Speed	Rank
Atlanta, GA	7 (6 Above National Avg)	1	10 Mbps	1/159
Floyd County	6 (5 Above National Avg)	2	10 Mbps	99/159

Resource Comparisons 

Resource	Points
Broadband.gov	Access affects all aspects of social life (health, safety, education, etc.) Important for Emergency Management Encourages transparency and empowers consumers to make informed decisions Focus on equal access for all communities and individuals Focused around businesses and commerce
ESA Report	Relates broadband accessibility to economic growth Focus on Made in America / Small Business and American communities Emphasis on the supply chain and economic impact Connection of broadband access and the government Broadband use up each year among homes
WebAIM	Web access offers opportunities for connectivity  Web offers equality and efficiency for people with disabilities  Many obstacles still exist pertaining to web accessibility  People need to be aware and speak out regarding equality pertaining to web accessibility: How can people and groups cause change?  Laws support the policies needed for more equal web accessibility

Participate 2.1.1 Collecting Reputable Digital Resources Quest

I used Symbaloo to collect sources and web 2.0 tools. The tools are geared more toward an ELA High School classroom because that is what I teach. Many of the tools are more specific to AP Literature because they tend to do more online outside of class. I used other teacher's blogs and wiki's to help compile this list. 

What were the three most useful tools or resources resulting from the web walkabout? 
1. PearDeck
This is a great tool to use during a lecture because it requires students to be actively engaged in the lecture. Teachers can upload presentations previously created and add questions and interactive elements into the presentation. 
2. Owl at Purdue
I use this site all of the time with my students. It's a great place to refer students where they can find the answer for themselves. The Owl is accurate and up to date. It can be a challenge to keep print resources up to date with the changing style guides. The Owl, however, is updated often and easy for students to read and navigate. I love the samples they provide as well. 
3. Mrs. Effie
For AP and Pre-AP Resources, Mrs. Effie is the Queen. She not only provides resources for teachers, but she also provides a plethora of study material for students. Before I create anything for a class, I visit Mrs. Effie. 

How can students be taught to safely collect tools and resources that can help them maximize their learning? 
First, I think students must understand that anything they find as a resource, should be FREE. It's also important for students to understand how to cite the information they find and how to use a resource without plagiarizing. For many students, they do not understand the line between using a resource for information and plagiarizing a resource. 

What policies or procedures might need to be in place to make this possible?
Teaching students how to cite the resources they find would be the first step in insuring that students do not plagiarize. 

Participate 1.1.3 Ideal Digital Learning Community Quest

Consider what would be needed to create an ideal digital learning community. What would be needed to bring such a vision to fruition? What can one do to make an existing DLC more attractive to and welcoming for students and teachers? Compose a post in your blog and share your vision of the ideal DLC. 

Participate 1.1.2 Joining a Digital Learning Community Quest

In a blog post, share and discuss the traits that made the five DLCs explored more noticeable or impressive than the others. Finally, share the name of the DLC joined and the reason why the DLC was the most intriguing. What is the DLC like? What can Digital Citizens do to make the process of joining a DLC more appealing to and easier for students?

1. Edmodo 

I signed up for Edmodo over a year ago, but I have failed to use it as a digital learning community. It does look like Facebook, which is considered a plus by many teachers, but I have found that students prefer to use the Google products associated with their county emails to communicate with their peers and stay updated on classroom assignments. 

2. Khan Academy

I have used Khan to facilitate my own learning regarding topics I needed to review or tests I had to take. Although Khan has fewer resources for ELA, Khan does provide opportunities for cross-curricular connections. It's also a great way to engage students in courses that we don't offer at the high school level at this time. Khan is easy to navigate, and I like the Community Questions feature as well.  

3. Open Culture

Of the communities I explored, Open Culture was the most unique. It is somewhat overwhelming due to the volume of resources on the site. However, it has a plethora of engaging and interesting videos, images, and texts. I really appreciate the large compilation of audio books as well.  

Although I have previously joined several of these, Open Culture (#3) was the most intriguing because it has materials to help students, and they are presented in formats that are engaging to students. The key word that stands out to me on almost every resource is FREE. So often, I am limited to the resources the school owns, but this allows more freedom in choosing resources and texts. I think that my students, especially AP students, would be most inclined to utilize this site. In fact, I shared this with my students immediately on Google Classroom. 

4. Open Study

This one stood out to me immediately because I teach AP Literature. Students are always looking for ways to study vocabulary and grammar concepts together but with work and other commitments, it can be difficult. This looked like a great incentive to get students to study.  I think students would enjoy the badge aspect as well. Some teachers may feel this fosters cheating, but if students are studying together, at least they are studying! 

5. Open Yale Courses 

I like the rigor of the lectures via online video on this site. Often, gifted students complain of boredom with the curriculum. This site is a great way to add rigor to the curriculum and differentiate for higher level students. 

Participate 1.1.1 Character Traits Quest

Create a blog post which describes the three most impressive character traits of an exemplary citizen within a digital learning community. In particular, the shared post should explain what makes each of those characteristics worthy of recognizing and emulating.

1. Respectful 
It is important that students understand and respect creative work as it pertains to copyright. A respectful digital citizen understands the value of creative work of others as well as their own. By being respectful, students avoid plagiarism and take ownership of their own creative ideas.  

2. Responsible 
By being responsible about what they post, students understand the legacy of a digital footprint. Students not only reflect on their responsibility to protect their own reputation but the responsibility to protect others as well by carefully considering what they post. 

3. Reflective 
As students engage in online communication and social media, they must reflect on the pros and cons of digital media for themselves, their relationships, and their values. Through reflection on what is most important to them, students can make informed decisions about when and how to participate in communication online.