My video for Dr. Cyrus's ED271 Technology class! Hope you enjoy :)

 For this assignment, we were directed to make a presentation reviewing 8 tools of our choice that we've come to master while taking ED271 with the amazing Dr. Jacqui Cyrus! I hope you enjoy my Prezi and look into some of these awesome tools that I discovered on the internet.

The internet was created over 50 years ago during the Cold War as a means of communicating information and sharing data between scientists (The Invention of the Internet). Today, almost one-third of the worlds 6.8 billion peoples are users of the internet. The internet is a vast gateway to all sorts of information, and people, in the world. Its uses are virtually unlimited. It's used to find and download information, shop, education purposes, and to communicate with friends and relatives all over the globe.

The internet is still fairly new and it is ever changing. There are hundreds of thousands of new web pages popping up throughout the world wide web everyday. The internet is a good place to gather information and to find new and old people to converse with, but it isn't always a safe place.

With technology being more easily accessible, it is also easier for predators and con-artists to take advantage of those who don't know how to use the internet properly. These people could be anywhere from adolescents just discovering the internet to the older population of people who didn't grow up in the digital era.

As in the offline world, there are criminals amongst the internet. Like in the real world where there are people trying to steal from you, there are people online trying to find out your confidential information such as your social security number, bank accounts, passwords to your email, credit card information, etc. There are also the problem with online bullying, or cyberbullying. People who aren't familiar with ways to stay "digitally safe" online can be victims of phishing scams and also being harassed. In 2011, an estimated 2.56 million people (11% of US adults) had paid for fraudulent services online including weight loss products, prize promotions, unauthorised billings for buyer's clubs or internet services, and work at home programs (Small, FTC).

There is also a problem with online harassment. This usually targets teens (most of them being girls). More than a million young people are subjected to cyberbullying everyday, according to the largest online survey into online abuse (Evans, Mail Online). This can lead to problems in self-esteem, academics, and withdrawing behaviours from our children. In worst case scenarios, suicide is the outcome of these bullying attempts. In my guess, cyberbullying has probably been around since almost every house was home to a computer and an internet connection. Online bullying can start at such a young age especially since kids are starting to gain access to the web at much younger ages. Certain social media websites have rules and regulations before making an account. Most sites such as Facebook, Myspace, Twitter, and Tumblr have certain age restrictions (having to be at least 13 years) to create an account with them. But of course, kids find a way around that clause to get access to these various sites. Kids as young as 10 years old have Facebook and Myspace accounts. Social media is where most online bullying starts.
Cyberbullying, unlike outside bullying, can be anonymous if the person wishes it to be. Anyone can sit behind a computer screen and type hurtful words to a person and no one would ever be able to tell who said person is. Also, the magnitude of people who have access to these hurtful comments is impossible to count. This not only hurts the victim but can also hurt the abuser as well. If caught, the bully can be arrested for harassment, and in extreme cases where suicide is the outcome, they can be charged with murder. Being convicted of these can ruin potential job opportunities and future relationships.

Most parents do not monitor their kids online time like they should. Kids have access to anything on the web by a click of a mouse. There are a lot of things parents can do to monitor what their kids are going through whilst on the internet. For example, parents can limit their child's online access by cutting off their router at a certain time. They can also block certain websites so that their children don't "accidentally" stumble across something not age-appropriate for them. Any measure of precaution a parent can take with their kids online access can help so much in keeping their child safe.

Listed below are a few sites that can encourage and give parents more information on what they can do to prevent their kids from being victims of the internet.

https://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/parents/Primary/Tools/Parental-controls/
http://everydaylife.globalpost.com/technology-safety-parents-kids-4315.html
http://www.today.com/moms/7-things-you-need-know-keep-kids-safe-online-461768

Knowledge is Power! Know what precautions to take on the internet as a user and as a parent. Ignorance is definitely not bliss when it comes to the safety of you, your children, and also keeping your personal information private and out of the hands of those who want to use it for their own benefit.

Sources:
http://goodmorningwilton.com/school-officials-to-present-on-cyberbullying-today/
http://www.atg.wa.gov/InternetSafety/FraudOnline.aspx#.U1UsX17Zhg0
http://www.consumer.ftc.gov/blog/fraud-affects-25-million-people-recognize-anyone-you-know
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2441239/1-5-young-people-suffer-extreme-cyber-bullying-day-Facebook-accounting-half.html

Each student is different. That's the first thing that a teacher should keep in mind when stepping into a classroom. Each student has different learning level, some being faster than others, and some being slower than others. As teachers, the first thing we learn is that everyone is different and each style of learning is vastly different from child to child.

In the video Enabling Dreams, it shows students (pre-school to college) using different assistive technologies to help them do school work and other activities that they would not normally be able to do without them. The young girl who was a sophomore at the University of Washington says that "Assistive technology is the major foundation of my life. Without it I could not exist as I am today." (The George Lucas Educational Foundation, 2014) Thanks to the assistive technology that she has access to, her cerebral palsy is no longer a problem when it comes to getting her homework done and any other outside activities.

Being a Special Education major and wanting to master in Speech Pathology, I will hopefully be seeing kinds different assistive technologies that I'll be able to use with my future students and one day patients to help them with their everyday lives. These assistive technologies don't just benefit these kids in school but also with other activities outside school. In the film it gave examples of wheelchairs getting students from place-to-place, a joystick helping a young man play the horn, and tools helping kids who can't speak communicate with their teachers and caregivers. "Assistive technology provides creative solutions that enable individuals with disabilities to be more independent, productive, and included in society and community life" (Center On Disabilities Technology And Persons With Disabilities Conference, 2002). 

One of the biggest problems with assistive technology is that there is a lack of information and knowledge amongst administrators, educators, and even parents on the availability and uses of these devices to promote access to general curriculum (Assistive Technology Training Online Project, 2005). If more people were educated on what these devices can do for their children and how they are available for them, there'd be more students having an easier time getting things done in the classroom and at home without having their disabilities be an obstacle for them. They will be able to transition from secondary learning to higher education easier than those who don't have these devices.

It is amazing how far technology has come in regards to making life easier for these individuals with disabilities. Before all the technological advantages that we have today, people with disabilities were mostly stuck at home where they were viewed as a nuisance or trouble because they needed constant care. They weren't even allowed to go to school. But now with all the assistive technology that we have today they don't have to be looked as as helpless because they're able to do things for themselves like non disabled individuals.

References: 
"Assistive Technology: Enabling Dreams." YouTube. Edutopia, n.d. Web. 21 Mar. 2014. <https://www.youtube.com/embed/rXxdxck8Gic?rel=0>.

"Trends and Issues." ATTO: Introduction to Assistive Technology:. School of Public Health and Health Professions, n.d. Web. 21 Mar. 2014 <http://atto.buffalo.edu/registered/ATBasics/Foundation/intro/introtrends.php>.

 Sagstetter, Mary. "2002 Conference Proceedings." 2002 Conference Proceedings. AbleNet, Inc., n.d. Web. 21 Mar. 2014. <http://www.csun.edu/cod/conf/2002/proceedings/16.htm>.

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