Blog Journal #2

     As a student, not only have I used Microsoft Word on hundreds of occasions, but I have also witnessed teachers, administrators, and many others use it as well. I have used Word for many things, some of these things include, essays, group projects, individual projects, formatting, graphic design, letters/emails, note-taking, and many more. Word is an essential tool for any classroom; there are thousands of uses for it and all are beneficial for the student and the teacher. I have seen teachers use Word for newsletters, syllabuses, important announcements, a way to show new material to the classroom, and hundreds of other uses as well. Word is very versatile with a broad range of uses. It is very easy to use and so straightforward that anyone can use it.
     Copyright and the fair use of materials has always been in the back of my mind when it comes to completing a project. With the concept of plagiarism drilled into my brain from every teacher I have ever had I knew that taking other people's work was not only wrong, but it could cost me my grade. However, if I did ever happen to use another person's work to contribute to my own, there are ways to do that without getting into trouble, citations. As a teacher, I want to educate my students on how to properly cite material and what exactly counts as plagiarism. I would give a lesson on what plagiarism is and what are the rights and wrongs of using another person's work in a project. As a teacher, if I need to use someone else's work I will use the proper citations and give credit to whomever is due.
     A solution to the issue of copyright would be the use of turnitin.com, and a lesson on what plagiarism is and the proper ways you can use other's work without getting into trouble. Cyberbullying is an issue everywhere and is a very touchy and difficult subject to handle. By giving a lesson about cyberbullying and the consequences (including legal consequences) that come with it. I can also tell students that if there ever is a problem that I will handle it discretely and anonymously for the sake of the student. Privacy online is also another big issue. I can assure my students that nothing will be published or shown to anyone other than myself unless I am given permission directly from the student. If there is anything extremely personal in an essay or project required for my class I can also assure my students that I will not share that information to anyone else unless the student says it is okay for me to do.