Hello Readers! To get things fired up here, I suppose I should introduce who I am and what I'm doing. My name is Lucas Boryskiewich, I grew up in the small village of Angusville, Manitoba, and completed my K-12 schooling at Major Pratt School in Russell, Manitoba graduating in 2013. In the Fall of 2013, I started to work for a Financial Institution where I continue to do so while in University. In the fall of 2015, I started my Bachelor of Physical Education Studies where I would graduate with a mathematics minor in 2019, and it would lead me into the Education After Degree at BU that following fall. Currently, now I am in my last term of this degree, so the light at the end of the tunnel is starting to get a little bit brighter!
Throughout this blog, it is going to have a focus on ideas and topics that are presented throughout a class I am enrolled in, however, it may also be intruded by my personal thoughts of events or ideas throughout the term. But let's get into it.
The first thing that really stood out to me in the information provided this week, is that the internet and the world wide web, are not the same thing! The internet is a global system of networks that use the Internet protocol suite which is connected to devices all around the globe creating a network of networks for information to be passed through. The World Wide Web however is a service that is transferred on the internet in the form of links, documents, or texts.
The Internet and the resources available to many people these days reached new importance with the emergence of COVID19 which has led to a change for both educators and students alike as some schooling has become completely or part-time online. Educators have had to utilize resources available to them in an online environment to be able to provide the best education they can provide to their students, in high schools, for example, the use of sites such as Google Classrooms have dramatically increased as teachers are able to create, post, and assign assignments for their students, as well as post recorded lessons for their students to watch. In University we have utilized online resources such as Schoology, Teams, Moodle, and Zoom to continue with our education and to get an understanding of what we can use as we make our transition into certified teachers.
One question that will always be asked about the internet, is privacy and safety! "Are our phones listening to us?" "Does Facebook record me?" "Are my messages being read by corporations?" These are questions you may have seen online or have outright said or heard before. In an article written by Simon Pitt named "Why We Think Our Phones are Secretly Listening to us" which I will post a link to below, he discusses that no, these companies such as Google and Facebook are not listening to our conversations, however, when we utilize Google to search something, that history can lead to ads that target that search that can appear on websites such as Facebook.
Personally, I always found it quite interesting to Google my name and see what comes up, a bunch of boring information about an interview I did, or being present at works Annual General Meeting, or my high school glory days of being on a provincial volleyball team. Nothing too crazy comes up, however, I also have not always been very present on different social media for pictures that I have posted or others have posted of me to show up. It can start to be an eery feeling though that in less than a second any remains of you that exist on the internet can be brought up by Google and can be found by anyone with a few clicks of a button, especially for those that do not have common names, such as, Boryskiewich.
Edit: A request for a volleyball picture was presented to me, although you will only find listings of me on the team, I did some digging around to find a picture or two to complete the request.
Hi Lucas,
ReplyDeleteIt was interesting reading about who you are and what they have engaged in so far. it is amazing to see how human are finding a way to connect using those medium you already mentioned during this tough times. I agree with you that our phone do not secretly listen to our conversation but uses the searches we have made, site we visited and shopping made online to push ads and other things our way. The book facts Vs. fiction also mentioned it. I only hope our law will be fast enough to cover up the prons that comes with the internet.
Interesting post! I think you're right to point out that COVID-19 has drastically changed education for both teachers and students. It makes wonder: is this new, increasingly online form of education here to stay? Or will it go into retreat once the pandemic is over and things get back to some degree of normalcy? And is an online education qualitatively worse, better, or more or less the same as an in-person education? Anyhow, just some random thoughts/questions sparked by your post.
ReplyDeletegood questions, Peter. I think it will go back to in person, but online will still be around and will improve as a result (I hope!). Some kids excel online. Research says online or hybrid is very much the same in achievement as in person, though I certainly prefer in person myself.
DeleteGreat explanations and distinction between the internet and the world-wide web. Do you think it's important for students to understand this distinction? Curious how you might cover that in the classroom.
ReplyDeleteI like how you not only brought up the use of the internet in the public schools, but also how university students are going through the same experience. I also agree with the feeling of anyone being able to Google you at any time, I also have an uncommon name, Wishnevetski. I would, however, like to see some of your glory days volleyball pictures on this blog, maybe next week?
ReplyDeleteHello Mr. Wishnevetski,
DeleteAt your request you will see that I have added in an edit to my post. I hope these are sufficient.
Thank you,
Mr. Boryskiewich
Lucas, thanks for introducing yourself a bit on this platform. I appreciate getting to know my fellow colleagues! Prior to looking into this topic myself, I would have considered the internet and the world wide web to be the same thing myself. Your explanation was clear and concise which is appreciated. I also think that it is important to bring up the subject of security and privacy with our students so that they are aware that their behavior online matters. Very good thoughts and I look forward to reading future blog posts.
ReplyDelete