Jounal #3 - "Students Dig up Dirt to Learn About Internet Safety" by Jesse Morehouse

Morehouse, J. (2011). Students dig up dirt to learn about internet safety. Learning and Leading with Technology, 39(2), 34-35. Retrieved from http://www.learningandleading-digital.com/learning_leading/20110910?pg=36 

Summary: I found this article very interesting and I believe it paints a picture of the importance of privacy in today's increasingly technological world. I agree with Morehouse that kids these days are generally oblivious to the personal impact that their lack of privacy can have on them. This article personally aided me in understand the importance of privacy in regard to personal safety as well as the impact certain information can have on one's professional life. I was very impressed with the way that Morehouse was able to address the importance of internet safety in a way that would impact students enough to make them want to improve their privacy. Morehouse taught his students in an interactive and fun way how easy it is for anyone to find out tons of information about you from the things you yourself relieved. One can easily find information such as your full name, birthdate, location, interests, school(s), family members, work location, and many more things from just searching for you. The fact that he gave his students the task of finding out anything and everything they could about a complete stranger, reinforced his point that anyone can find out all these things about you, if you allow them to.  I was very surprised and happy to read that all of his students were impacted enough to change their personal information as to become more safe in the digital world. I believe that safety is one of the most critical concerns that a teacher should have for thier students. Morehouse did an amazing job in teaching his students its importance and in turn ensured himself that he was able to do the best he could.

Question #1:

How can I, as a future educator, ensure that my students are aware of these dangers?

By helping them to understand on a personal level the impact that a lack of privacy can have on one's life. I also believe that enlightening parents on internet safety will further enforce the awareness of students. If parents take these dangers seriously and enforce strict internet safety rules, the likelihood of these dangers decreases. By including students and their parents in a similar simulation, would further enforce internet safety knowledge.

Question #2:

How does internet safety impact me as an adult?

As a candidate for a future teacher, the information I put on the internet is used in may job application processes. As someone who plans on entering a field where good ethics and morals are essential to the a successful career, internet safety and self presentation are extremely important. It is also important as an adult to realize that just because you are an adult, does not mean that dangers that exist in the internet world do not apply to you. An adults information is just as easy, if not easier to obtain then a child's. Practicing good internet safety is most definitely important.