Digital Literacy Overview
Some of the resources listed below have more information on their site other than what the link takes you to. Make sure to explore them further!
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INTERNET SAFETY
Surfing the web can be exciting, but it has its risks. If you aren't careful, then you can expose your computer to viruses, spyware, and malware. Using powerful passwords and staying on secure websites for purchases can help prevent your personal information from being compromised and/or becoming a victim of online scams. Resources: OnGuardOnline Videos Eschoolnews Article CYBERBULLYING, COMMUNICATION, & RELATIONSHIPS
This is a huge problem among youth. Students believe they can post, text or share anything they want about others without realizing the impact of their actions. Examples can include, but aren't limited too sharing private photos, videos or information, posting mean things, creating false pages, and spreading rumors. Since this is becoming a serious problem, there are state laws being passed and school policies being written that address this issue. Finally, many people believe cyberbullying is just between the bully and the victim. Technically, anyone who is apart of the sharing is apart of the bullying in some way. Do you join is and join the side of the bully? Or do you stand up and stay something against it? Resources: Commonsense.org Videos StopCyberbullying.org: What is Cyberbullying really? State Cyberbullying Laws Perspectives on Cyberbullying PRIVACY, DIGITAL FOOTPRINTS, & IDENTITY
Every time you comment, post, complete profile information, or share you are sharing yourself to the entire world. Privacy settings help to alleviate how much of your personal information become public, but doesn't do enough. Have you ever read the privacy policies when setting up accounts or purchasing? Data is being collected about you by companies as you surf the web. They gather this data to target advertising to expose you to. Also, as you participate in the digital world, you are creating your digital footprint and identity. Employers and colleges are beginning to search social media to determine if a particular candidate is worth hiring or accepting into their college. Resources: Children's Online Privacy Protection Act Updates Understanding Online Privacy Infographic Wall Street Journal Article |
COPYRIGHT AND FAIR USE
The digital world has created a climate of plagarism, cheating and copyright issues. With the simplicity of "copy & pasting" anything, people today, especially youth don't see anything wrong with it. What they fail to understand is that when you copy and paste something in an attempt to claim it as your own, you are performing an illegal and immoral action. Also, when you use someone else's product (music, video, images, etc.), you are infringing on copyright laws. Another aspect of this category has to do with Piracy, which is illegal downloading of music, movies, software, etc. What if you make something. Wouldn't you be upset if others used your product without your permission or credit to you? Resources: Stanford University Libraries: Overview of Intellectual Property Laws Stanford University Libraries: The Public Domain Stanford University Libraries: What is Fair Use? Video Explanation of Copyright and Fair Use Laws How Piracy Effects Everyone Article Creative Commons Video Free Citation Maker Media Education Lab: Copy and Fair Use Lessons For High School EFFECTIVE SEARCHING ON THE WEB
How many times have you searched for something and you end up with results that don't help? The world wide web is full of billions of pieces of information and knowing how to search properly is helpful to find what you need. There are tips and strategies you can use to be smarter about your searching. Resources: Southern Oregon University: Effective Internet Searching Tips KQED Mind/Shift: Building Good Search Skills Century Link: Web Search Strategies Video EVALUATING CREDIBILITY AND TRUSTWORTHINESS
When you search for information, how do you know if the source(s) are credible or not? Just because its been posted online doesn't mean it is 100% factual. Determining the trustworthiness of a posting, article, video, etc. is critical when trying to understand topics regardless if it's for educational or personal reasons. Resources: UC Berkley: Evaluating Web Pages Cornell University Library: Five Criteria for Evaluating Web Pages Maryland University: Evaluating Websites Checklist |
