Empowerment Technologies Student Reader

This Student’s Reader and its corresponding Teacher’s Guide consider the instructional design based on Section 5 of RA 10533: Pedagogical approaches in Curriculum Development | Thus Learning activities are designed to be:

inquiry-based, reflective, constructive, collaborative and integrative

UNIT 1 : A connected world needs more than a network of computers and gadgets. It needs

technology enabled, confidently mindful and compassionate digitally aware community of

the Networked World?

Search anything about Information and Communications Technology (ICT) or digital tools that

interest you. Find out the latest about them or something similar to them that you have you

used so far. Be ready to share them in class using traditional learning tools, e. pen and paper,

or via ICT tools, e. online.

Your search, ideally done online, should take you on an exploration about:

The current state of ICT tools (i., Web 2, 3, convergent technologies, social, mobile, and assistive media).
Online systems, functions, and platforms

CHALLENGE QUESTION: A survey called “Networked World Readiness” contains 5 categories, namely: Access, Learning, Society, Economy, Policy. Which category is most important to you?

As you continue your work using this Student Reader, you may realize that digital tools, such as

those appearing in the following image would give you an idea of the range of possibilities to discover, disclose, connect, and co-create, in a Networked World.

Image source: globalearlyed.wordpress/global-tools/teacher-tools/

How many of the items or icons in the image above are you familiar with? Which ones are you

Whatever your answer, take a closer look at the Trivia/Glossary of Terms. The list contains some key phrases that characterize the ICT tools that, when used properly, can empower users to

make positive social change.

TRIVIA/GLOSSARY OF TERMS

Assistive Media - a component under Assistive technology (AT), which is a generic term used to refer to a group of software or hardware devices by which people with disabilities can access computers. Assistive Media is also a name of a company: “the Internet's first audio solution for persons with print reading/access barriers. The audio recordings of the literary works produced by Assistive Media are now easily accessible, on-demand, to the ever growing number of persons with disabilities who now use the Internet.”
Collaborative platforms - “is a category of business software that adds broad social networking capabilities to work processes.”
Convergent Technologies - an extension of the term convergence which means a “coming together of two or more disparate disciplines or technologies. For example, the so-called fax revolution was produced by a convergence of telecommunications technology, optical scanning technology, and printing technology.” Convergent Technologies also refers to an American computer company formed by a small group of people who left Intel Corporation and Xerox PARC in 1979
Information and Communications Technology (ICT) - ICT (information and communications technology - or technologies) is an umbrella term that includes any communication device or application, encompassing: radio, television, cellular phones, computer and network hardware and software, satellite systems and so on, as well as the various services and applications associated with them, such as videoconferencing and distance learning. ICTs are often spoken of in a particular context, such as ICTs in education, health care, or libraries. The term is somewhat more common outside of the United States. It may also be defined as Information and Communication Technologies (ICT or ICTs) are digital forms of communication including tools available on the Internet, such as blogging and email, as well as computer software, such as Microsoft PowerPoint and Word 3
Mobile Media - This refers to “media devices such as mobile phones and PDA’s were the primary source of portable media from which we could obtain information and communicate with one another. More recently, the smartphone (which has combined

3 Connecting in and Out-of-School Writing Through Digital Tools by Emily Howell and David Reinking in Handbook of Research on Digital Tools for Writing Instruction in K-12 Settings, edited by Rebecca S. Anderson, 2014)

GOAL: At the end of the lesson, you will be able to understand better the 24/7, social nature of

digital media. In particular, you will be able to:

● explore your digital life, and ● learn that it is important to act responsibly when carrying out relationships over digital media.

CHALLENGE QUESTION: How is your digital media life like? Hint: You have to think figuratively.

Think about your life with media. 7 First consider the questions below. Use your responses to help you finish the statement, “My media life is like a . ” This statement is a simile, a literary

device for comparing two unlike things. For instance, someone who does not use much media

might say that her media life is like a desert, because there is little life there. Someone might say

that his media life is like a track meet, because he is exhausted at the end of the day. Finally,

make a picture or drawing of the simile you created. The drawing can include text.

Questions to consider:

● Are digital media a big part of your life? ● What kind of impact do digital media have on you (a little, some, a lot)? ● What are your favorite and least-favorite things to do with digital media? ● Do you connect with others or create things with digital media? Finish this statement: My media life is like ___________________________________________ because ___________________________________________________________________

Illustrate your simile in the box below (or on a separate piece of paper):

decision in 2014, SC ruled that imposition of cyber libel on the “original author of the post” (on Facebook) is constitutional, but clarified the same is unconstitutional insofar as it penalizes those who simply receive the post and react to it. philstar/headlines/2014/02/19/1292003/internet-libel-cyber-crime-law- constitutional

From a personal and community perspective, this link on Pinterest could serve as a visual and textual guide, goo/zDDVIB Another visual reference presented online as a student group work can be accessed via Prezi here: goo/dsMn9M 7 Source: MY MEDIA LIFE IS LIKE . www2.powayusd/teacher_resources/digitalLiteracy/Grades6- 8/digResp/Unit1-6/HO-Media%20Life and goo/eli6N

You might be interested to know that digital media can be interchanged with more popular terms such as social media or social networking sites. At the same time, you might wonder:

“What is social media’s role in your life?”

Now, consider the following statement.

“Instead of promoting social behavior, social media promotes disengagement,

self-absorption, loneliness and sadness.” Do you agree?

Image credit: Jason A. Howie

Now think about this: Social media or media enabled by digital tools are 24/7 and socially connected as demonstrated by popular ICT.

The following image is a screenshot from a video from Common Sense Media Education:

Mash-up is a remix or blend of multiple songs, videos, or other media content into one product. Fan fiction writing is one form of a mash-up, as writers take characters from a well-known video game, movie, or book, and rewrite their actions or relationships.
Massively multiplayer online game (MMOG) is usually an online virtual world that multiple players navigate and play in together. While in this virtual world, their avatars chat, cooperate, and quest together, oftentimes towards a goal.
P2P, or Peer-to-Peer, network allows for sharing of mp3s, videos, and other digital files by transferring information directly between two computers rather than by going through a central server. P2P technology is also behind the popular Internet phone service Skype.
Phishing is the illegal act of sending emails or messages that appear to come from authentic sources, but really come from spammers. Phishers often try to get people to send them their personal information, everything from account numbers to passwords.
Podcast is a downloadable video or audio file. Podcasts can be verbal, based on a certain topic, or can include music, video, and commentary. Most podcasts are updated regularly through the addition of new episodes.
Short Message Service (SMS), or text message, is a short message of fewer than 160 characters sent from a cell phone. A Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) is a text message that contains an attached multimedia file, such as a picture or song.

ACTIVITY:

First, take the quiz on your own. When you are done, trade with your partner. Together, use the answer key to calculate each other’s score. Discuss what surprised you the most and which answers were the closest to or farthest from your own experiences. 8

82% of teens say that they own which of the following? a) cell phone b) smartphone c) iPod Touch or similar device d) iPad or similar device
What percent of teens describe themselves as “addicted” to their cell phones? a) 11% b) 27% c) 41% d) 63%
68% of teens say they do which of the following at least once a day? a) text

8 Adapted from Commons Sense Media, commonsense. Answer Key is in the Supplement of Additional Resources.

b) visit a social network c) instant message (IM) d) use email 4. How many characters (letters, punctuation marks, symbols, and spaces) can you send in a regular text message? a) 110 b) 140 c) 200 d) 250 5. How often do 34% of teens visit social networking sites? a) at least once a day b) several times a day c) once a week or less d) never 6. What percent of teens say that they don’t understand their social networking site’s privacy policies? a) 24% b) 35% c) 46% d) 61% 7. What percent of teens still prefer face-to-face communication with their friends over communication online or via texting? a) 22% b) 36% c) 49% d) 61% 8. What percent of teens say they have said something bad about someone online that they wouldn’t have said in person? a) 33% b) 67% c) 49% d) 25% 9. What percent of teens say that social networking helps them connect with people who share a common interest? a) 35% b) 42% c) 57% d) 66% 10. What percent of teens agreed they wish they could “unplug” for a while? a) 13% b) 27% c) 29% d) 43%

A. Find the Hidden Calculator

If number crunching just isn't your thing -- and you need a fast answer -- Google's hidden

calculator is a lifesaver. Head straight to the search bar and type in the problem or equation

you're looking to solve. You'll know you've gotten to the right place when a gray, calculator-like

tool pops up as the search result.

Bonus tip: How many teaspoons equal a tablespoon? When the homework is put away and you

need an extra hand at the Chemistry lab, this tool converts measurements, too.

B. Definitions and More

Browsing the Merriam-Webster dictionary for hours might be a lost art, but broadening kids'

vocabulary doesn't have to be. Simply add the word "define" before a search term (for example,

“define onomatopoeia”) to bring up the proper spelling, definition, origin, and even fun tools

like voice and translation options.

Bonus tip: If you struggle with spelling, don't worry. Google will suggest and search based on

the appropriate spelling of most words, just as it does for regular searches.

C. Age-Appropriate Results

● Tools like Google SafeSearch 9 and YouTube's Safety Mode 10 can help filter out mature content that's beyond what those below 18 are ready to see or read. This can also be taken a step further with search results filter by reading level so you or your younger siblings or friends feel comfortable with what's in front of them. Let Google annotate the results with reading levels labeled, or choose to only show basic, intermediate, or advanced level content. ● If you are looking for credible information -- or your first taste of scholarly research --can check out Google's academic offshoot, Google Scholar. 11

9 support.google/websearch/answer/510?hl=en 10 support.google/youtube/answer/174084?hl=en 11 scholar.google/

● Bonus tip: Explore with confidence 12 by viewing content critically. Just because you see it online doesn't mean it's true.

D. Time-Zone Challenged

If you have far-flung family and don’t want to wake them up in the middle of the night, you can

find the local time anywhere in the world by typing "time" and a city's name into the search bar.

E. The Perfect Search

● Let’s say the homework assignment requires you to use only one source of information. Enter your query, followed by the url for the website (i., weaving site:ncca.gov/ ) and hit enter. You'll see only results from that website. ● Need help with weaving homework but getting search results for weaving for sale? Add a minus sign before "sale" to eliminate sale-related results.

Learning how to attribute photos is a critical research skill. With Google Reverse Image Search 13 ,

you can upload any photo to Google Images and hit "search" to find the name of it, and a whole

Bonus tip: In Google's Chrome browser, you can just right-click on any image and select "search

Google for this image." There's a Firefox add-on 14 , too.

12 google/safetycenter/families/explore/content-credibility/ 13 support.google/websearch/answer/1325808?hl=en 14 addons.mozilla/en-US/firefox/addon/google-similar-images/

ACTIVITY:

On the next opportunity that you have an Internet connection, do the following “What Matters

in a Query” search tips. To validate the results of your search, get a screenshot 18 of the resulting scenarios. Be ready to present the results in class.

18 How to get a screenshot:goo/ErxORI

Source: Google Search Education

The prescribed tools and techniques are listed below in the context of situational use-cases along with the respective resources:

Tools/Techniques Use Case Related Reference (Note: The Internet links below will be printed as part of a Supplement containing additional learning resources which can be viewed online via this short link: goo/44vFXy)

Mail merge and label generation Mass email or printed letters 19 ● wiki on/images/3/3c/WG4211- UsingMailMerge ● goo/OUy1ct
Custom animations and timing Enhances viewer experience 20 ● help.libreoffice/I mpress/Animating_Objects_i n_Presentation_Slides ● goo/H8hlQy
Hyperlinking in presentations Optimizes use of related content and references. Applies to Word/Write documents too.

● help.libreoffice/W riter/Inserting_a_Calc_Chart_ into_a_Text_Document ● goo/XX5dM

Integrating images and external material in word processors

Enriches textual content. Also useful in presentation slides and sometimes in spreadsheets

● help.libreoffice/W riter/Inserting_Graphics_Fro m_Draw_or_Impress ● goo/K4nV

Embedded files and data Seamlessly integrates related files ● help.libreoffice/I mpress/Insert_Slides_Objects ● goo/G9lNIe
Advanced and complex formulas; and computations

Simplifies and automates common tasks

● help.libreoffice/C alc/Functions_by_Category ● goo/XRtFDy

The following are key glossary of terms and links to related tools and techniques for advanced

19 Advantages of Mail Merging “The advantages of using mail merge are: ● Only one document needs to be composed for communicating to an extensive list of interested people, clients or customers. ● Each document can be personalised i. it appears to be have been written specifically to each recipient. It contains details only relevant to the receiver. ● Many document formats can be developed to use with one database. ● Errors in transcribing details from one document to another are eliminated. This advantage, of course, depends upon the accuracy of data entry into individual records in the first place! ”

20 Whenever used appropriately, “slide animations are similar to transitions, but they are applied to individual elements on a single slide—a title, chart, image, or individual bullet point. Animations can make a presentation more lively and memorable. Just as with transitions, heavy use of animations can be fun, but distracting and even annoying for an audience expecting a professional presentation.”