Summary of Learning - Becoming a Digital Citizen

To help me in my summary of learning, I used Simplemind, a mind map application that assists users to visualize, explain, and organize their thinking.  I learned about this tool because of this class and was fortunate enough to review this tool in my blog.  I chose Simplemind because of its simplicity.  In my review of the tool, I stressed the importance of developing brainstorming and problem-solving skills and Simplemind is one avenue to take.  It contains a desktop version and a mobile version that only increases its ability to be used effectively in a classroom. 

Digital citizenship was one of the main topics that I learned about over the semester and many of the topics covered before this gave me an “ah ha” moment when finally putting everything together.  I created a mind map to somewhat organize my thinking.  Since digital citizenship is how you are known, act, and participate in the digital world, there are many factors that come into play when creating this identity.  

                Creating and sharing are the basics of your digital citizenship.  Obviously, content must exist for any kind of interaction to take place.  Once content has be created, this can be shared throughout online networks for consumers to digest, learn, expand, and even re-create.  This is the sharing process.  When educational material has been shared, it creates the opportunity for open education environments to form.   OERs have the ability to reach a large audience, cut education costs, increase connections, and create a snowball effect on the development of content.  When these open education communities exist, educators can use these resources in their F2F classes and create blended learning environments.  Responsible and active sharing can create endless opportunities for students and teachers across the globe as we can see in the two examples I stated above. 

                Sharing, OERs, and blended learning environments may seem to be the foundation of the digital citizenship, but there is another layer underneath these topics that can greatly affect them.  This ‘layer’ is copyright.  Copyright is like the master puppeteer that can pull the strings on anything that is online.  That being said, copyright isn’t necessarily an obstacle but more of a facilitator.  Through its permissions, copyright balances protecting content and allowing access to maximize the benefits of online educational content.  Through all these topics, your digital citizenship is born. 

                 I plan to incorporate new technologies into my classroom by always being a student myself.  I believe that some people can become content with the status quo and that hinders their ability to expand what’s in their ‘arsenal’ for effective teaching.  If I can keep the mindset that education truly never ends, I believe this will allow me to adapt new methods, tools, and strategies as my career progresses.  It has truly been a pleasure taking this class this semester.  It’s funny, I remember mid-way through the semester I said to myself, “What a great first class to take to enter back into school,” since I have been out of school since my undergrad graduation in 2014.  I said that because I feel like this class touched on so many aspects that I will experience as a student throughout my grad program.  I was skeptical about how quickly I would be able to adapt back into the student mindset, but this class truly dispersed any ill feelings.