In class this week, we talked about ethics involved with technology. As it becomes easier and easier to download videos for free off the internet, it also becomes easy to forget about the laws of coyright. It seems as though people think very little about what is legal and illegal to download and watch, because what are the chances of actually getting caught and punished? What we do on our own time may be our own business, but when we are bringing technology into the classroom, I think it's important that we are good role-models to our students. It may even be necessary to show the students how to find the copyright on ressources and explain that even though it may be possible to use certain movies in different situations, it may not be right or legal.
It is almost important to inform students that they should not believe everything they read on the internet. One example is http://descy.50megs.com/Emankato/mankato.html
When first looking at this site, it seems dated, unorganized and poorly written. However, readers assume it is real. Because why would there be a fake site? When looking more closely, one can see that Mankato clearly does not exist as it is shown in this site. The place is complete with an underground city, pyramids, whale-watching, hot springs, as well as skiing/snowboarding! Using common sense, one can realize that this seems very far-fetched. It almost is too good to be true, and that is why some people have actually gone to visit and been disappointed that it isn't real! Anybody can post whatever they want on the internet, which means that lots on the internet, will not be true. When doing research projects, this is an important point to make before sending students off to do research online. It is important for students to figure out how to find authentic and trustworthy sites, before quoting them as fact. The above site would be an excellent one to use to show students the danger of believing everything they read online, which can be expanded to believing everything that people tell them.
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