Week 2
The latest post in the Educational Technology and Mobile Learning blog is focused on security. This is a comonplace theme in all things technology these days, yet I confess that I am surprised at the emphasis on the educational technology space specifically. I would not have imagined this to have been a specifically vulnerable space, yet the blogger claims that it is a frequent target of hackers because it is so sprawling a field, with little consistency and especially vulnerable populations, including not only students (who tend to be technologically savvy but immature and socially naive) but also parents and educators (who may be socially sophisticated and mature, but unaware of technological pitfalls). Well, now that you put it that way...
The post is valuable for anyone wading into these waters as a guide to secure practices and safe resources: https://www.educatorstechnology.com/2019/12/complete-web-browsing-privacy-guide-for.html
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On CoolCatTeacher, blogger Vicki Davis hosts guest blogger and teacher Chelsey Greer podcasting on a similarly topical issue, at least for "big picture" educators. That topic is "Talking to Students About the Big Fake"--a matter of deep significance in a world permeated with "fake news" and other such phenomena in the merit-flattening digital environment. The concept of a "post-truth world" threatens students with a deep cynicism that would undermine any moral component to education, and probably more. The Greer podcast is a follow-up on an earlier podcast (linked) identifying the astounding variety and depth of fakery on-line, but her focus is more on how to teach this in the classroom. It is a facinating and important discussion. https://www.coolcatteacher.com/how-to-talk-to-your-students-about-the-deep-fake/
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The most recent post at the Educational Technology Guy, assesses a new "learning management system, assessment management and data management" program for teachers called Otus. The similarity the name to the old Lotus software suite cannot be coincidental, since Otus is truly a suite of tools for teachers. It also is clearly a product created with the application of contemporary educational approaches in mind, such as standard-based assessment. However, beyond some nice screenshots and vendor demo videos, there is little discussion on the blogger's part and nothing like a real assessment of its pros and cons, useability, cost, multi-platform compatibility (other than a mobile app), multi-user functionality, etc. In brief, then, this post is a product teaser, and nothing more. Disappointing. http://educationaltechnologyguy.blogspot.com/2019/11/otus-lms-data-management-and-assessment.html
Hi Menachem, your comment on internet safety cannot be more relevant than with the student population- even us technologically challenged teachers aren't as vulnerableas those kids who are so eager to show themselves to the world and get some love (even if from the wrong population. As a mechanechet I teach a lesson on how to use all the different apps in a safe manner and explain all the different platforms their info and pics can be shared on. I'm happy to hear this issue is important to you too. Chag sameach!
ReplyDeleteI spent most of my professional career working for a company that provided digital security, and you would be amazed at what damage can be done once a hacker gets control of a system. For example, the education ministry might have very good security when it comes to accessing its computers from outside the system, but a lot less security when the access is from within the system. So hacking in to a school system might just be a portal for that hacker to gain access to a more critical and important system. Some of the most famous recent hacks have been via simple "smart" household items, like a wi-fi camera, that typically does not have any security built in. Bottom line, it is a jungle out there. Caveat Emptor.
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