Blog Journal 8

 1. I think I aquired a lot of new skills from working on the Web Design assignment. I think I am getting better at creating my Creative Commons Licenses for my work. I have gotten to the point where I know what I want to share and what I don't. I also think I caught on pretty quickly to linking external pages and my accounts to the website. I had always wondered how people did that, but now I know. I have also never been one to use Google Calendar, but being able to make the events show up in the shared, public Google Calendar was really easy. I think that would be a great tool in the classroom. The thing that I disliked about this assignemtn was Weebly. The site crashed while I was working on the assignment and deleted my work. It kept saying loading for 2 hours and when I refreshed my computer, all of my work was gone. I was able to redo my work, but it was a little frustrating. I can definitely see myself using a website or something similar with my future class, but maybe through a different platform. 

2. To save time, you could present a QR code to an attendance question to make attendance more efficient and fun. You could post weekly announcements in a QR code to the parents and students. The classroom materials and supplies list could be linked in a QR code. I can remember a teacher in high school using QR codes for us to receive our groups and online groupwork. It is a quick and easy way for students to receive information. 

3. My ethical dilemma is pasted below. 

"Your teacher has assigned a group project that requires research and collaboration. Each group is allowed to use online resources and educational apps to assist in their work. One of your classmates, Alex, discovers a new app that allows users to access paid resources and articles for free, which would be extremely helpful for their project. During group discussions, some members think it’s unfair to use the app since it’s technically illegal to access those resources without payment. Others argue that since everyone else will be using various online resources, it’s just leveling the playing field. Questions for Discussion: Is it ethical for the group to use the app, knowing it’s illegal? What are the potential consequences for using the app? How does this situation reflect on values like honesty, fairness, and responsibility in both school and the wider world? What alternatives could the group consider to ensure they stay within ethical guidelines?"

I think in this situation I would have to address personal ethics in addition to online ethics. Breaking the law in terms of accessing resources without payment is not okay. I would have to sit down with this student individually and explain to them how this is wrong and could put them in serious trouble. I asked ChatGPT to come up with some discussion questions about this and I think it perfectly sums up an in-class discussion I could lead about this. I think it is important to get the other students' opinions about leveling the playing field in this way and have them explain to the student in question why they think it is wrong. When students are contemplating breaking the law, they probably care less about what authority would say about this situation, so getting input from their peers would be beneficial. Assuming this is a first offense with cheating and breaking rules, I would continue on with class as normal from this point on.