Digital Safety Reflection

     With the advancement of computer technology, we reap the rewards it gives, yet we sow the negatives that comes with it. Safety has taken a different meaning because our own information can be used against us. Digital safety has become an integral part of our lives due to computers being available to everyone. For this project, we did “Cyberbullying” and it was quite a learning experience. As a teacher, I believe that cyberbullying must be stopped at all costs for it has proven itself to be dangerous to our youth.

     For our presentation tool we used joomag, originally we were to use prezi, but joomag seemed to be a better choice because we wanted to try something new. Joomag can function as an ebook and emagazine, so as a team we created the layout and incorporated our own ideas, such as the photo of Tumon in the background on our cover page. The website also allows us to embed videos and paste links that are within our topic such as twitter, facebook, and myspace.

     To divide the amount of work between members in our group, we tried to use wiggio, but for some reason it did not work out for us, there were plenty of problems such as lagging and audio delay. Google hangout seemed to have worked out for us, we were able to capture ourselves in a still photo and apply emoticons while we communicated via webcam. We also revised our notes in google docs, because we wanted to organize the amount of work each of us will put in the project. Google hangout, overall, is a great tool for group meetings because files are easily shared via google docs, and getting connected was not as tedious like wiggio.

     The topic I covered was cyberbullying via social networks, emails, and blogs. One thing that stood out to me was Amanda Bynes, for she is the latest cyberbully who is open to the public about who she is currently bullying. Also, as for the unfortunate side of bullying, I learned of two specific victims that were greatly affected, leading them to suicide. Megan Meier and Joshua Unsworth are both examples of how cyberbullying can pose a dangerous effect on our youth today. School administrators have extended their helping hands through commemorating bullying awareness, but this does not expel any of its effects. As stated by Stauffer et. al (2012), they perceived school-wide anti-bully assemblies and classroom anti-bully lessons as being somewhat less helpful than other strategies, perhaps indicating a belief that students should be warned about increased consequences by parents and not by school teachers and administrators.

     As a teacher, I firmly believe it begins at home, parents should be guiding their child when it comes social interaction with friends in the digital world. Doing this presentation has provoked me to help and bring more awareness to this type of bullying, because it is a silent killer that brings emotional burden.

     Overall, this project is a great experience for me as a teacher, because I can use this as a tool to bring awareness of this digital epidemic that is making our students turn against one another.

Amistad E., Lauder D., Paulino, C. (2013) Cyberbullying. Educational Technology, 1, 1-18. Retrieved from http://www.joomag.com/magazine/cyberbullying-v1/0596272001371610503

Amanda Bynes. Retrieved from www.twitter.com/AmandaBynes

Megan Meier. Retrieved from www.meganmeierfoundation.org

Joshua Unsworth. Retrieved from http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2305332/Joshua-Unsworth-15-bullied-death-trolls-internet.html

Stauffer, S., Heath, M., Coyne, S., & Ferrin, S. (2012). High School Teachers' Perceptions of Cyberbullying Prevention and Intervention Strategies. Psychology In The Schools, 49(4), 352-367.