Blog Journal #3

Microsoft Office can easily be considered one of the most renowned softwares used to construct documents, presentations, spreadsheets, and more! It's course of development has allowed us to both organize and format our thoughts and ideas by simpler means. One component of the MO program is known as Microsoft Word. Being a word processor, Word consists of many different features that construct documents of all sorts. Over the course of my education I have seen Word being used in many ways as both by us as students and by educators. Speaking for myself, I have used Word to write essays, organize schedules for my jobs, and journal. Educators on the other hand are more likely to use Word to construct exams and create outlines for lesson plans. Through the development of Word, another component known as Google Docs allows for documents to be shared between both parties while simultaneously being worked on. Because the program is multifunctional, it serves many purposes in assisting both students and educators in effective teaching practices. 

It wasn't until last semester that I realized that copyright and fair use of material was as serious as it is. In my social psychology class, I learned that breaking these rules is way more than just plagiarizing. Through the use of Turnitin.com we have been able to identify many cases of plagiarism which has helped protect writers from becoming discredited. However throughout my personal experience, I have also seen many unfortunate cases where because students are not fully aware of all the components of "copyright" and "fair use", they are often times punished harshly. I believe that if I were an educator, I would ensure that my students understand the severity of these doctrines. I would also grant leniency towards first time offenders or certain cases where confusion comes into play. Creating original work is imperative to the development of successful students and educators. But the complexity of using pervious material to gain knowledge while creating that work is one that should be dealt with with carefulness. Individuals should find the healthy balance in referencing and using old material for support while constructing original ideas and work,

Two technological issues that I believe have an immense role in the academic world are lack of funding and academic dishonesty. Because we live in a technologically-dependent world, the lack of funding for up-to-date technology can lead to major setbacks in certain schools. This is an issue that primarily falls into the hands of the government. As an educator I would try my best to provide technology in my classroom by my own funds. Coming from a fortunate family background,  I could see my supporters contributing to my classroom needs. I would also try working with higher-up supervisors to better the school system. If all else fails, teaching the students to use traditional methods such as the dictionary and encyclopedia is better than nothing. As for academic dishonesty, with great power comes great responsibility. It is almost expected that students will try to find the deepest parts of the internet to use information from. In this case, I would try my hardest to let my students know that struggling with a topic and coming to me is far more important than using others work. Instilling an environment where students feel comfortable to share their downfalls would decrease the likelihood of academic dishonesty and host a positive classroom atmosphere.