Safe communication and interactions are the foundation of relationship building online. In open learning spaces students need to feel comfortable and safe while learning just as they would in a regular classroom. For some students, this need is increased if they are having difficulties in the classroom.
I have already learned about inquiry and open pedagogy in the classroom. This was the focus of many of my classes in second year. I hope to be able to draw connections to from open pedagogy in the classroom to open learning spaces online. I have learned a lot about inquiry specifically and the expansion of the new curriculum to allow room for inquiry and interpretation. In this new world we live in it is time to move towards taking these big ideas and making them possible online using technology. As each generation comes they feel comfortable and cable using technology likely more than the previous. It is up to adults and teachers to ensure the younger users are using this technology in safe ways.
Teachers should explain privacy and safety policies and present potential risks of edtech so that the students and parents of the students feel well informed on the manner and not in the dark. After reading Regan and Jesse’s article on ethical challenges of edtech and I was amazed by the complexity of privacy online. I am not surprised that tracking is still occurring or that most people are unaware that they are being tracked. It saddens me that this type of discrimination does not get the same outrage as verbal discrimination does. During this particular time there is an ongoing Black Lives Matter movement and I would like more people to be aware of categorizing groups of people online and how its also a form of discrimination. The first step is educating people on the topic. Who better to do so than teachers?
I hope to learn more about relationship building online and in particular communication and human presence in online spaces.
Sources:
Regan, P., & Jesse, J. (2019). Ethical challenges of edtech, big data and personalized learning: Twenty-first century student sorting and tracking. Ethics and Information Technology, 21(3), 167-179. DOI: 10.1007/s10676-018-9492-2
July 20, 2020 at 5:46 pm
Hailey! What you said about differences in generational learning patterns in terms of technology use really resonated with me. For me personally, having a younger brother who is just as capable if not MORE capable than me in using tech tools really allowed me to have a first hand experience in just how capable today’s elementary-school aged youth have in this regard. We’re in a unique position as educators where we are expected and wanting to teach kids how to be safe online, while simultaneously trying to learn how to navigate it ourselves. We must remain as up-to-date as possible in order to act as guides to our students.