If the internet existed (like it does now) back when I was a child and my teacher asks me what I want to be when I grow up , I would definitely say - "When I grow up , I want to be like the internet. I want to be able to change the world in just one click." This is exactly what the internet means to me as an educator, citizen and user. The massive benefits of the internet in my life cannot be denied. To me, it serves many purposes – it’s a 24 hour library with resources updated and available every second, it has been a way for me to connect with people , and a place to find entertainment, creativity and ideas .
As an educator , the internet serves as a communication tool – to parents and students who are on the computer for the most part of their day . The amount of time that our students spend on the internet is incredible! Knowing this, my responsibilities extend to teaching students safe usage and making sure that they only leave good digital footprints . On a lower scale, these values are taught to our second graders. From knowing proper ways to blog and comment on someone’s blog, we are teaching them respect . Whenever they use pictures or pieces of information from various sources, we teach them to cite their sources. We talk to them about the purpose of social media like facebook and twitter which most of their parents are actively involved in.
In the Philippines , our government has just recently passed a bill called the Cybercrime Act which defines and punishes cybercrime to prevent it from spreading. It includes imprisonment to anyone who commits libel either by written messages, comments, blogs, or posts in sites such as Facebook, Twitter, or any other comment-spaces of other social media in the Internet that is monitored by the cybercrime unit. In a protest to this act, some citizens hacked into some civil society and government websites.
As a citizen, I see the internet as an opportunity to connect with a lot of people all over the world. It serves as a means through which our opinions -political, public and even private can have a direct effect on individuals, communities and countries. The internet gives us so much freedom and it is important that we commit ourselves to the responsibility that goes with it.
As an educator , the internet serves as a communication tool – to parents and students who are on the computer for the most part of their day . The amount of time that our students spend on the internet is incredible! Knowing this, my responsibilities extend to teaching students safe usage and making sure that they only leave good digital footprints . On a lower scale, these values are taught to our second graders. From knowing proper ways to blog and comment on someone’s blog, we are teaching them respect . Whenever they use pictures or pieces of information from various sources, we teach them to cite their sources. We talk to them about the purpose of social media like facebook and twitter which most of their parents are actively involved in.
In the Philippines , our government has just recently passed a bill called the Cybercrime Act which defines and punishes cybercrime to prevent it from spreading. It includes imprisonment to anyone who commits libel either by written messages, comments, blogs, or posts in sites such as Facebook, Twitter, or any other comment-spaces of other social media in the Internet that is monitored by the cybercrime unit. In a protest to this act, some citizens hacked into some civil society and government websites.
As a citizen, I see the internet as an opportunity to connect with a lot of people all over the world. It serves as a means through which our opinions -political, public and even private can have a direct effect on individuals, communities and countries. The internet gives us so much freedom and it is important that we commit ourselves to the responsibility that goes with it.