Cyberbullying Blog 7

 Cyberbullying

When someone hears the word bully, classic images of the mean girl or the big boy stealing your lunch money come to mind, but the problem is much more nuanced than those images. Bullying and cyberbullying are becoming is becoming more prevalent in society. Once thought to be only a school problem, research shows that bullying and cyberbullying is prevalent in higher education institutions and the workplace (Faucher, Cassidy, & Jackson, 2015). Bullying has three main components: it must be repeated, it must be intended to cause harm, and the victim(s) must have less power to defend themselves. Cyberbullying can be even harder to defend against because the perpetrator can remain anonymous.

According to stopbullying.gov , of the 20% of students who reported bullying, 15% reported bullying being bullied by text or online. (ASPA, 2020). One idea from the readings that stuck out to me was that most children do not report bullying to adults for fear of repercussions. This statement makes me wonder how accurate the data truly is. Is the 20% closer to 50%? We may never get an accurate response to this question. 

Infographic courtesy of American Society for the Positive Care of Children 

The question then becomes how do we stop bullying. Faucher, Cassidy, and Jackson (2015) offer some suggestions. 

1.  Education and Awareness

Students need to "better understand the nature, extent, and impacts of the problem" (p. 118). A social- emotional learning (SEL) curriculum can help students understand the nature of the problem.  As  students become aware of the problem, they can work together to find solutions. In my role as the school librarian, I can help curate resources that teachers can incorporate into the existing SEL curriculum. As  I teach my library standards, I need to incorporate digital literacy and digital citizenship into the lessons in order to spread awareness. Bullying prevention programs cannot be a one  time assembly or lesson to comply with a certain number of prescribed hours (Orech, 2012). By focusing on digital citizenship and digital literacy, students become aware of the problem, find solutions, and model proper digital behaviors for others. 

2. Reporting system

     

Students wished for a program to anonymously report bullying incidents (Faucher et. al, 2015, p. 118). As the school librarian, I can help create a form for students to report the bullying incidents. The results from the form can be shared with administration and the school counselors to make sure that the bullying incidents are being addressed. 

3. Policy Development

The school community needs a strong anti-bullying policy that is not punishment based but is geared toward prevention. All stakeholders (students, teachers, administration, and parents) need to be    included in the policy development. Once a policy is in place, training needs to occur to make sure that all policies are implemented correctly. As the school librarian, I can provide resources to help create the policy. I can also facilitate professional development sessions to ensure that all teachers know the policy and how to implement it. 

4.  Creating a School Climate

    

The school climate needs to be a safe place where all students can learn. In order to accomplish this, the    school must create a place where all students. A school wide SEL curriculum is the first step in creating a positive school climate. Bystanders also need to be addressed. According to Faucher et. al,  "[b]ystanders experience physical and mental health impacts that are similar to (though less severe) the impacts on the primary targets of the bullying" (p. 117). As students lean the impact of bullying and how it effects others, they will be more apt to stand up for each other. As the school librarian, I can help create a positive school environment by making sure I have resources and books for students to check out. As students read about bullying in novels, the will be more empathetic to the plight of others. Cart believes that empathy is "one of the most important lessons a young person can learn. And how better to learn this than to read good books that inspire the reader to feel empathy?" (Cart, 2016, p.173). 

Picture from the author's website

Resources

1. Facts about Cyberbullying
2. Digital Literacy Curriculum
3. Bullying Videos
4. Stopbullying.gov
5. Infographics about Bullying 
6. Seven Mindsets (one example of an school wide SEL curriculum)

Works Cited

Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs (ASPA). (2020, August 12). Facts About Bullying. Retrieved October 20, 2020, from https://www.stopbullying.gov/resources/facts

Books for Young Readers. (2020, May 17). Retrieved October 21, 2020, from https://rodmanphilbrick.com/books-for-youth/

Cart, M. (2016). Young adult literature: From romance to realism. Chicago, IL: Neal-Schuman, an imprint of the American Library Association.

Faucher, C., Cassidy, W., & Jackson, M. (2015). From the sandbox to the inbox: Comparing the acts,                 impacts, and solutions of bullying in k-12, higher education, and the workplace. Journal of                        Education and Training Studies, 3(6), 111-125

Get the Facts - Cyberbullying. (2020, October 05). Retrieved October 20, 2020, from https://americanspcc.org/our-voice/bullying/cyberbullying-get-the-facts/

Orech, J. (2012). How it's done: Incorporating digital citizenship into your everyday curriculum. Tech & Learning, 33(1), 16-18. 

Piktochart Blog Post 6

 Piktochart

What is Piktochart?

Piktochart is a web based service that helps teachers and students create infographics. Infographics are visual representations of information. The pictures, charts, and graphs along with minimal text all for better visualization of information and are perfect for an overview of topics. Piktocharts allow for QR codes and hyperlinks to be embedded on the chart giving people the option to access additional information if wanted or needed. Piktochart has several publishing options: printed, embedded on webpages, shared through social media, ebook, or emailed. The newest version of Piktochart also allows the reader to create social media graphics, presentations, reports, flyers, and posters. You must sign up to use the free version, but there are packages available for education purposes that allow for more collaboration and sharing. 

Example from the Piktochart education blog

How Do I Create a Piktochart?

Piktocharts are easy to create if you are familiar with other graphic design software like Microsoft Publisher. Begin at https://piktochart.com/  and create your free account. From the dashboard, choose the type of presentation that you would like to create.

Screenshot of the products 

You then can choose a preloaded template or use a blank presentation. From there you can select the design features you would like to add to your infographic. You can upload pictures from your computer to use as well. 

Screenshot of design features

The design features are easy to use and manipulate. I found that I learned this program by using it. The more I played around with the features, the easier it became. If there was not a graphic in the program, it was easy to upload and use free clip art. The program also has several different graphic organizers like timelines and comparisons that can be manipulated to fit your content. 

Screenshot of organizers from Piktochart

How Do I Use Piktocharts in the Classroom? 

Anchor charts can be created by the teachers as a way to present information to students. Piktocharts are great for graphic organizers, guided notes, or anchor charts as a way to diseminate information to students. Students can create Piktocharts too. Students can showcase information and concepts learned digitally. The infographics can be used as culminating projects or in a flipped classroom to show what was learned. Each content class can use Piktocharts in different ways. See the blog post under teacher resources below for some more concrete ideas for all content areas. 

Resources for Teachers 

1. Piktochart education blog 
2. Piktochart Support Center
3. Piktochart Video Tutorials 
4. Learning Activities Blog Post
5. Overview from TechFifteen (YouTube Video)
6. How to Use Piktochart (YouTube Video)
7. Infographic Basics
8. Importance of Infographics in the Classroom (has examples and other useful infographic sites linked)
9. Lesson Plan ideas

Resources for Students

1. Piktochart blog for students
2. Piktochart student tutorial 
3. Tutorial for Piktochart  (YouTube Video--does not have all the updated features, but does a good job explaining how to use the basic features)

Wrapping Up

Students respond to visual information. Piktocharts helps student see the most important information first. The page isn't cluttered which allows for more emphasis on the most important concepts. When students create their own Piktocharts, they are analyzing many pieces of information to find the most important concepts that need to be shown. This synthesis and analysis of information shows that students truly have internalized the concepts being taught. 

Example of an infographic created with Piktochart

Ghotit? Blog 5

 All teachers are teachers of literacy. This statement is overwhelming for teachers who have not been trained in teaching literacy or literacy skills. An arts school in Boston admits students based on artistic merit only so they serve students with various disabilities. The school "responded to this challenge by instituting a comprehensive approach to literacy instruction in which all teachers are expected to be teachers of reading and writing" (Hehir et al, 2016, p. 11). The ELA teacher cannot do it all. In order for students to be prepared for college and career, all teachers must teach literacy, and teachers need the proper tools to teach and reach all their students.

Hugh Mackay, Australian psychologist and researcher

Ghotit is an adaptive technology resource that can be used in all classes to help students who struggle with dyslexia and dysgraphia. The name itself is a play on how hard the English language can be especially for those with a disability. The resource is web based but also has an app that works on tablets. There is a fee for the service. Individual or site licenses can be purchased as needed. The app can be downloaded, or the web version can be used as a Google Chrome extension. 

According to the website, Ghotit is comprised of" several advanced assistive technologies tailor-made for people with dyslexia, dysgraphia, and other learning disabilities" helping them to "read, write, and correct English texts in any application" (FAQs: Ghotit Dyslexia). The predictive text helps students with spelling and syntax as they type. The program also reads text as needed to ensure complete comprehension for students. The following video shows how Ghotit can help students read and write in all content areas. 

The video clip shows the different ways that students can use the program. The program gives suggestions for misspelled words along with the pronunciation and definition so that students can pick the correct spelling. Students can add text from documents and websites into the Ghotit text box to allow for easier reading by eliminating some of the background "noise." The FAQ page and the blog give educators, students, and parents tips for using the assistive technology to help students. 

Ghotit can also be used as a stand alone text editor for all students. By purchasing a school wide license, students would not know who is using the program because of a disability. Using the program this way would help with inclusion practices and not single any students out. From my time as a classroom teacher, I saw many students who would not use their assistive technology because they did not want others to perceive them as "different."

Websites that explain and review Ghotit

• How Does Ghotit Help People with Dyslexia Access the Internet?
  
• The Spectronics Blog
  
• Ghotit on Twitter
  
• Ghotit YouTube Chanel 

Works Cited 

Admin. (2020, August 17). FAQs: Ghotit Dyslexia. Retrieved October 07, 2020, from https://www.ghotit.com/faq

Ghotit Exploring Video [Video file]. (2020, January 9). Retrieved October 7, 2020, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xhoTVo7eQKc&feature=emb_logo

Hehir, T., Burke, S., Borquaye, Y., Lamoreau, R., Freeman, B., & Grindal, T. (2016, August 15). A Summary of the Evidence on Inclusive Education. Retrieved October 07, 2020, from https://www.abtassociates.com/insights/publications/report/summary-of-the-evidence-on-inclusive-education

Hugh Mackay Quote. (n.d.). Retrieved October 07, 2020, from https://www.azquotes.com/quote/548311

Technology Hardware Blog 4

 The Oculus is a VR (virtual reality) platform that according to the Oculus website brings "high-end VR experiences to more PCs across a spectrum of configurations." Students can play games and have interactive experiences through the headset and controllers. The whole room can turn into a VR experience. The newest version of the Oculus does not need to connect to a computer allowing for a broader VR experience. 

Oculus VR headset 

There are several educational applications for the gaming system. There are art games like Let's Create Pottery and Color Space. Students can also exercise for PE with Guided Tai Chi, several sports games, and several dance games. Guided Nature lets students see different landscapes and the animals that inhabit them and create the weather which would be beneficial in a science classroom. House Flipper incorporates math, science, and careers. Immersed Coworking and Spatial give students opportunities to collaborate and work on projects together. The screen shot below shows just a sample of the educational games that are available.

Examples of educational apps 

In the RAT model, this technology would serve as "Technology as Transformation"(Hughes, 2019, p.2)  because the Oculus is transforming how students interact with the information learned. Students can see the Anne Frank house, into space, or the bottom of the ocean which is making new content available to the students. The VR experience meets students where they are. Student engagement will increase because of the interactive experiences. As technology transforms the learning experience, students will engage with the content and each other in ways that were not possible before the VR headsets.  Students can also interact with each other virtually creating collaborative work spaces. Students can also complete virtual research about many topics from all content classes. All of these will enhance the "student learning process" (Hughes, 2019, p. 2) 
 

Educational resources 

1. Oculus Educational Resources

2. Benefits of VR in the Classroom

3. 10 Best Oculus Education Apps

References:

Hughes, J. E. (2019, December 09). R.A.T. Model. Retrieved October 01, 2020, from https://techedges.org/r-a-t-model/

Oculus Rift. (n.d.). Retrieved October 01, 2020, from https://www.oculus.com/rift/