Tasked to talk about something using twenty photos for twenty seconds each is not as easy as it sounds!  The idea of the Pecha Kucha is to deliver information quickly, directly, and visually while speaking is another way to create presentations that are interesting.

Here is the presentation slide show created by Katrina Brown and myself.  Our topic was “Cyber Safety”.

The presentation was effective.  We were able to speak to each slide in the 20 second time allotted. We each took turns describing a feature of cyber safety that connected to the photos.  We selected the photos as they were funny and we felt it caught the attention of the audience.  For example, the “Loo With a View” slide corresponded to not having as much privacy online as you think.  The slide with Katrina and I in the creek showed an example of a “trusted adult pointing out pitfalls to avoid unnecessary mistakes online”.

I don’t know if I would use a Pecha Kucha style presentation in my phys ed class, but it is short and gets to the point quickly.  Perhaps PE might be the place for this for as it is short it would not have students sitting for a long period of time when explaining something, only 6 minutes 40 seconds followed by questions and discussions.  This assignment was a bit challenging to get the timing right, choose the right photos, and place them in an effective sequence.

Growing up as a child of the 80′s, bullying in my day included name calling, pushing, shoving, and ice bath initiations. While gossiping may happen behind your back, or over the phone, it was still an interaction between two or more real, live people.  Today, bullying has been taken into a new arena – the digital world.  SMS, chat rooms, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube have all sprung up to provide a valuable communication service for people, but it has opened a new way for bullies to pick on others in a hugely public manner.

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When it comes to the underlying intent of bullying, I do not thing much has changed from when I was a student to now.  People jockey for social positions, often at the expense of others, using popularity as a platform to pick on others. I think students to day have a different language to describe bullying, calling it drama, perhaps as a way to convince themselves that what they are doing is ok. The article “ “Bullying” Has Little Resonance with Teenagers” by Danah Boyd does a great job outlining the language students use to describe their behaviour.

I had a student who wanted to be popular.  This individual told me they LOVED being involved in “drama” because this meant they were popular and knew what was going on socially in school.  When I discussed how talking behind people’s backs, spreading rumours, or ignoring unpopular students were all forms of bullying that hurt people, they still didn’t care. Being popular was more important than being nice.  I wonder how many students, especially middle school students, also feel this way, and then act this way.  I can completely understand the need to belong, the need to feel wanted, accepted and liked by your peers, but to gain this, at the expense of others, I don’t get that. (FYI – I had a conversation with the student’s counselor for follow-up!)

During one of the conversations in our Coetail class, one colleague made the point that she had very little power when it came to being able to follow up at school when students used public venues, such as Facebook, to bully other students.  In the jurisdiction where she taught in the US, if a student used a social networking site outside of school to bully another student, nothing could be done.  Only if an incident happened in school, could she have the “teeth” to follow up with consequences.  The province of Ontario in Canada has done a few things over the past few years to help teachers help students who are being bullied.  This past year, the Ontario Legislature introduced a bill that specifically addresses bullying and cyber bullying to help provide a safe environment for all students in the province. It is expected to be passed into law this year.

I think everyone needs to be responsible for talking to students and youth about bullying.  Taking the time to value the development of strong self worth, being positive, having empathy, and simply being kind to each other is so important.  Teaching our students about how to handle, report and follow through with bullying (or “drama”) whether they are a victim of or a viewer of such behaviour.  Asking questions like “does your behaviour reflect the kind of person you want to be” or “have your words or actions helped or harmed” are important to ask our students on a continuous basis, both in the classroom and out.

I used to live in a town of 350 people that had no real road in or out.  You could only fly in or take the ice road when it was February and minus 40 C.  Everybody knew everybody, everybody knew exactly what everybody else was doing, and when everybody was doing it. Living in such a small town, you quickly realize your life is an open book. I loved my time living and working there, but once and a while, some privacy sure would have been nice.

CC BY-NC by Sahtu Wildlife

It seems to me, that the World Wide Web is making my world as small as that tiny town I used to live in.  I love going online for shopping (how else can I support my Lululemon addiction), Facebook keeps me updated with family and friends throughout the world,  Skype to phone home, checking news from Canada, booking holidays and, of course,  searching for stupid cat videos.

When I read about Google’s new privacy policy that will be put in place, it makes me stop and think about how I use the internet.  I usually use Google to search, I use it for email (I have three accounts: one family, one professional, and one for work), sharing documents, uploading videos to YouTube for both work and personal use,  and a variety of other reasons.  It was interesting to learn just how much information that Google already knows about me, my search history, my shopping interests, my email usage.  That Google will even further link all of my usage together and track everything is a little alarming. It was very interesting when our class searched for “snowflakes” that nobody got the same search results.  I didn’t get the same search results when I used two of my different accounts. It is very interesting to think that somewhere out there every click or keystroke I make is being watched and recorded.

How do I feel about my privacy online?  I was the one who clicked “agree” when I signed up to use services like Google, Facebook, and Twitter.  I am responsible for whatever information I supply and then they subsequently use for whatever purpose they want as outlined in the privacy policy. To complain about a policy that you agreed to (that you probably didn’t read the fine print of) doesn’t seem right to me.  If you don’t like it, don’t use the service.  I have to be responsible for what I put out onto the web, and be careful in regards to what I agree to.

While I do think I am careful, I was surprised how much information you can actually find about someone who thinks they are being cautious.  I used a search tool (www.spokeo.com)  to see what information I could find about a classmate.  What a shock!  I knew this person’s age, sign, former addresses with Google Earth links, the value of the home they lived in, where they went to school, and more.  For a price (after supplying my credit card number) I could have had access to even more information.  This person didn’t know all that personal data was out there.  This was an American site, and would only search for people who live(d) in the United States, but it made me question if there were any Canadian sites that would do the same.  I haven’t been able to find one,  but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist, and who knows what kind of information about me exists beyond my search capabilities.

Navigating the line between private and public can be tricky.  I think the only way to protect yourself is to not post or provide information that could be damaging.  Even then, it is a slippery slope knowing when to and not to provide information.  Posting information that should be “private” on Facebook could potentially land you in hot water.  I try not to post photos or comments that I would not feel comfortable showing either my grandmother or my students, not that either have access to my Facebook page.  (Oma – if you are reading this and send the request, I will friend you on Facebook!) I use this site for specific reasons and provide only certain information.  I also realize that some people that I may not be aware of can have access to what I post on my page as it is still a public venue.  I also use Twitter for professional connections with other teachers and individuals in the fitness industry.  All of my tweets are public and searchable.  My blogs are also searchable.  I want to share this information with people who are interested.  Sharing is a great way to learn and grow professionally.

My online privacy concerns do raise questions about things like my personal identifying information, banking and credit card information, address, phone number, and so on.  Who has access to this?  What information do various companies share?  Who do they share it with? Do I remember what information have I supplied to various companies? Is this information searchable?

In the United States, the Fair Information Practices Act (FIP) exists to help protect personal information, and in Canada, there is the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA).  FIP has 5 guidelines whereas PIPEDA has 10 guidelines as to how information in Canada can be collected and used.  The unfortunate thing about these guidelines is that a lot of personal information gathered and used in a variety of ways that you may not be aware of because you did not read the fine print.

What about our youth who may not realize the impact of providing personal information online?  The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act helps protect minors under the age of 13 in the United States and requires parental consent when collecting information.  This is the reason why Facebook can not accept users under 13.  In Canada, PIPEDA is used. There is no specific law in PIPEDA that identifies children, but the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada (OPCC) has outlined guidelines for companies collecting personal information to get permission from parents/guardians of minor children before hand.  Whether or not this is done, I have no idea.  I suspect not, since there is no law to back it up, only a guideline.

Educating students about privacy online is critical.  Going beyond thinking about poor judgement and effects that could surface years down the line, there are cases of cyberstalking, identity theft and fraud, which can be much more damaging and difficult to deal with.  In Canada, the OPCC has developed a website for youth to help students develop an awareness of online privacy (or the lack of it) and how to protect themselves.  It includes video, parenting tips, and teacher presentations for students in grades 7 and 8 in Canada.  I tried out the Privacy Quiz (which was 5 questions aimed at middle school aged children) and I got 5/5.  I wonder how many students would also get 5/5?  The website does have a lot of great information for students to assist them.

As we did in our Coetail class, I think it is necessary for students to critically evaluate their own online presence and help peers as well.  Google yourself often, keep records of what information was supplied to who, where do you do your online shopping, could you show your mother your Facebook page, and asking a million other personal questions about your digital footprint and presence.

I love the connections that the internet affords me, both personally and professionally.  I do have to remember that it does make me an open book, and that anyone can read a page, or even a chapter from it.  Being cautious, aware, and smart with your online presence is key to protecting yourself and presenting a positive face for the world to see.

As I approach my return to Canada in a year and a half, my thoughts are already thinking about the dreaded job hunt.  I will most likely be returning to Ottawa, which is not necessarily a good thing for me professionally.  It is a very tight market for teachers, especially those, like me, who do not parle francais (that’s “speak french” in french).   I have four goals in the upcoming 18 months I have remaining in Delhi: learn french; finish the Coetail courses and Master’s degree; upgrade my teaching certificate to reflect the many university courses I have taken this past year; and finally,  develop my online profile to convince prospective employers to want to hire me.

Who am I online?  What is my presence out there?  I Googled myself, as was suggested in our course last week and in the article “Your online reputation can hurt your job search“.  There wasn’t much out in the digital world about Liz (or Elizabeth) Halina.  I have a Twitter account, which I use for professional connections with other teachers of Physical Education and those who want to integrate technology into the classroom, I have this blog and the comments I make to classmates, and a Facebook account (which did not show up).  There is an old article about a trip I took with students from the Northwest Territories to Antarctica from 2003, a list of people who participated in a competition in the United States where  I represented the Central and Arctic division of the Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary in  along with my husband and two other friends, and I ran the Yellowknife Marathon in 4:00:59.  What does this say about me? Beyond that I am a PE teacher interested in technology integration,  I like to travel, I like boats, and I like to run.  Yup, that’s me.

NHA Library, no known copyright restrictions

What does my online presence say about my professional life?  My digital profile is just beginning to emerge. I actually need to create and manage my online presence and “brand” myself as an educator.  As many employers  according to an article written by John Paul Titlow, use Social Media and online profiles to “get to know” potential employees,  I need to develop a strong eportfolio of my work as a physical education teacher for future employers to see.  Often, this digital profile can make or break a potential hire. I’m not sure if, right now, my profile matches up with who I am, and who I want to be, as an educator.  Slowly, my presence is growing.

In addition to a professional teaching blog (which needs to be created) and this Coetail blog, I would like to create a fitness blog because if I can’t find a job as a teacher, I will be falling back on my previous experience as a personal trainer, group fitness instructor and yoga teacher. I would like that platform to showcase my experience as a diverse,dynamic instructor with a wide variety of skills.

I also use Twitter to communicate ideas back and forth with other educators and fitness professionals.  Not only does this help me gain insightful information as to what is new and interesting in my field, but allows me to contribute to the conversations, not just consume ideas from others.

How do I manage my online profile?  Number one, I put thought into what I post online.  I try to ensure that my comments and posts are positive, constructive, and interesting, no matter what social media site they are on, be it Twitter, Facebook, or on my blog.  Professional and personal sites are kept separate.  What I have on a personal site, while I don’t share with students,  contains nothing I couldn’t share.  I also do checks by performing Google searches of myself periodically.  I was surprized that even though my presence isn’t large, I still followed much of the advice from the article “Managing your E-Reputation“.

How would I advise students about their online presence? Awareness.  Show them cases of how both a positive and negative online presence has had an affect on someone’s life.  There are numerous examples of people being fired or for making negative comments or posting inappropriate photos on Facebook or other social media sites.  Have students critically examine their online presence, and that of their peers.  Discuss branding, profiles, and footprints.  Allow for questioning and discussions about who each student wants to be, what kind of profile would best represent them online, and how to best go about creating that digital person.

We all have a global, digital presence out there.  Will it get you to where you want to be?  Will it showcase the person you really are?  Does it promote you in a postive light?  I hope mine does.  Please tell me if it doesn’t because I’d really like a job in 18 months!