Alec Couros Drops In



Alec Couros had great points and resources for us that I hope we all use in our future classrooms!

Alec first discussed filters and how different websites and your computer constantly are showing YOUR interests. For example, if you are viewing conservative articles chances are more articles that are on the conservative "side" will be recommended or be the first results on your computer. He mentioned that it is because of an algorithm, the same can be said with many apps that we and our students use. These apps include Facebook and Instagram. Instagram even has an algorithm where the amount of people who view your photo is determined by how much time you spend on their app, leading to fewer likes which is important to many people.

Alec also discussed fake news. This is always a fun subject to talk about and show students. I believe it is important for students to look at and understand the importance of determining what is real and what is fake. As Alec mentioned, the best and worst thing about the internet is that anyone can voice their opinion. Anybody can write anything online. Teaching students to look deeper into sources and posts allows for smarter digital citizenship across the internet. It is important to consider whose agenda is being voiced and why, reflecting on these questions can help you determine how much is real, fake, or if the news is being spun in a different light than the original purpose. I think it would be very interesting for students to come up with their own fake news pieces - whether it be a post, a meme, article, etc. and share it on a platform (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter) and see how many shares and traction it gets. Doing so will also illustrate how many people "hop on the bandwagon" and do not check facts before sharing something! He also provided us with different "fake" websites.


Dog Island

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The Pacific Northwest Tree Octopus

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DHMO Kills


Alec also talked about different scams that included dating sites (catfishing), donation sites, and manycam.com. Again, it is important for everyone to check into things (organizations, sites, etc.) to ensure that they are real especially when it comes to giving money! What scared me the most was the manycam.com website that Alec showed us. This site allows for a person to take a photo of someone else and manipulate the photo to portray realistic movement that matches their expressions. He also touched on the deepfakes linked to "pasting" a photo of someone's faces on someone else's in a video setting. He mentioned that when this technology becomes more readily and easily available, it can lead to instances of bullying within schools. So we, as educators, must be aware of as many apps, websites, and online platforms that students can get their hands on. We must also teach our students to be good digital and "real life" citizens. They need to be shown the real risks and dangers of the things online. They may post things without even realizing the consequences these things have. To show this, you can use examples of celebrities who have been criticized for their posts, even if they were from a few years prior! Take Kevin Hart for example, not too long ago was criticized for his Tweets from 2011 that were not supportive of LGBTQ people. This cost him his place as the host for the Oscars. Here is one of many articles that show his Tweets dating back to 2009 and more on the story.
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Another great point that Alec mentioned was allowing for curiosity to grow and take students places in their minds. We need to get away from the phrase, "just Google it!" I find myself even using this line and realize now that I need to stop. We need to reclaim thinking! In the future, it will be more difficult to tell the difference between what is real and what isn't when browsing online and we need to learn to distinguish the difference. By letting students harness their curiosity they feel more comfortable questioning different things which will be a huge asset to them.


Here are some other great resources Alec supplied us with! 





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