Oh, dial up internet…I remember hearing this sound every time my mom wanted to use the internet to browse Facebook:

Growing up on a farm it was almost impossible to find a wifi provider that actually worked. We finally found one that works most of the time in 2019, just before the pandemic hit and online learning commenced. Though I had an iPod and Kobo, I did not get a phone until I was 15, and I received my laptop in Grade 11(?)/2020 as an early grad present (also just in time for Covid). My other three siblings shared a VERY old and slow laptop for their online school.

Because of my experience with technology and wifi, I do not think it’s fair for teachers to assign homework requiring technology, as not all students have access to it. I’ve heard arguments that students could work through their lunch hour at school or go to a public library but 1)It’s not fair to ask a student to give up their lunch hour, and 2)Rural/out of town students may not have a ride to and from the library. Anyways, that’s my little rant for this blog.

While watching An anthropological introduction to YouTube (2008), I couldn’t help but laugh at how old the technology was. Camera quality was horrible. Platforms seem like they were not very user friendly. Vlogs seemed to be sit down videos talking about existentialism and identity rather than fun clips from throughout the day. It is crazy to think how much technology has changed in my lifetime (20 years) let alone my parents’ or grandparents’.

As seen in the article Teens, Social Media and Technology 2022, the amount of time teens spend on social media has increased significantly since 2014. This can have many negative implications for the students in our schools and classrooms including: sleep deprivation, cyber-bullying and rude comments, attention problems, and influence viewers to engage in dangerous behaviours. But technology also has positives; social media can be an uplifting and positive community where people rally together as in Wesch’s video, technology allows for a myriad of new assignment ideas and assignment adaptations, and it can provide people with a place of escape or self expression.

One of our jobs as educators is to teach youth how to thrive in society, and part of that is teaching digital citizenship:

What is okay vs. what is not okay to post on the internet?,

Online safety practices,

Understanding that the internet is forever, and

Using technology in new and positive ways.

I have this Digital Citizenship resource from ECS 101, comment below other resources you think would be helpful!