Published: 2018-10-24 11:41 |
Category: Technology | Tags: awesome, campaign, corporate influence, digital literacy, dogtrax, google, kevin hodgson, new york times
“We are helping them become more knowledgeable about what the digital landscape is like,” Mr. Hodgson said of his students, “so they can make choices about what they use and what they don’t use.”
Source: Google Is Teaching Children How to Act Online. Is It the Best Role Model? - The New York Times
The Times article on Google's "Be Internet Awesome" campaign does a great job of outlining why programs like this are needed, but not from companies who benefit from users within the program.
I tend to lean toward Kevin's (Mr. Hodgson) approach to teaching about the Internet: it's complex and you need to be aware of what you're using and why. The same is true for teachers. When I'm asked about apps or websites, I encourage them to read terms of service, privacy statements, and other conditions, especially if they want to use the thing with students.
Cutifying the practice of using the web wisely makes it exciting and easy to get into, but it's also easier to gloss over the deeper practices we should be teaching our students.
(Be sure to check out Kevin's blog for more of his writing.)
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