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Monday, October 22, 2007

Copyright, Cyber ethics and Podcasts

I looked at the copyright rules for a long time and I still don't really know what is legal and what is not. It is very confusing to understand what you can and cannot do. It is especially confusing when I think back to school and I think about some of the experiences I had. I have a feeling that some of the copyright rules were broken when we watched films or the teacher handed out materials. Therefore, I am very confused about what is right and wrong. Unfortunately, a mistake could lead to a major consequence.

I think cyber ethics is very imporatant to discuss with students. There is so much information about people on the web that it is becoming increasingly difficult to monitor what kids are actually doing. The web is a very public sphere, but activity is easily hidden from parents and teachers. It is sad that so much bullying, stalking and other things like this go on in young childrens' lives. The internet has caused a lot of children to grow up very quickly and they have access to information and privileges that should come with age.

I am really pleased to find how useful I find podcasts. I think they are extremely applicable to the Spanish classroom. They are good for listening exercises, literature, grammar and culture. It is especially good for students to practice listening to native speakers, instead of me all the time. The videos are also useful in bringing worldwide content to the classroom. I am really excited about figuring out how to use this technology in my classroom and creating lessons that excite and engage students.