Facial recognition technology has come to stay

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You're going to read a short extract from a digital newspaper article in order to write 2-4 questions about the content of the rest of the article.

Follow these steps:

1. Read carefully the title and the paragraph (the one that is below the title and above the photo). Think over these questions: Why did the author of the article ask a question in the title? What type of question did he ask? Why did he choose that type of question?

2. Look closely at the first picture and read the caption. Think over these questions: Why did the author choose this picture? How does the picture make the message clearer?

3. Read only the first two paragraphs below the picture. Think over these questions: What kind of information is given in these paragraphs? What for?

TIP: Read the title, the paragraph above the photo, the caption and the first two paragraphs below the photo as many times as you need to.

Do NOT read the whole article, please.

4. As you read the text, write 2 (minimum) to 4 (maximum) questions that you think the article might/should answer in the paragraphs you haven't read yet. Write your questions in the Google doc (Check your inbox; you've received a link to the doc "Facial_recognition_technology" by email).

Here is the link to the article:
Facial Recognition: is the technology taking away your identity?

Remember to check that your questions are relevant, interesting and grammatically correct.

Digital Citizenship: Online Safety IV

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In these activities, we're going to read some newspaper articles published online to explore another issue related to online safety: phone blackmail (or telephone extortion).

1. Choose only one of the short articles below. They are all in Spanish.

Abusos y secuestros virtuales, los miedos de los adolescentes en la Web.

Córdoba: desbaratan dos bandas de secuestradores virtuales.

En una semana hubo 25 secuestros virtuales en Santiago del Estero.

Dos detenidos por secuestros virtuales.

Los presos quedaron sin tono.

Secuestro virtual en Belgrano.

2. Read the article and answer these questions in English:

   a. What connexions can you establish between phone blackmail cases

        in Argentina and the online safety cases you read and watched here

        and here?

   b. Are there any similarities/differences between phone blackmail

       and other types of computer crime?

   c. If you got a phone call from a blackmailer, what would you do?

       What should you do?

2. Surf the Internet and find a newspaper/magazine article about online safety in Argentina. On this website, you'll find a list of the main Argentinian newspapers.

 - Read the article and write a short comment about it in English.

 - Share the article (include a link to the article you chose) and your comment about it with your classmates: Post everything in a comment on this blog.

Digital Citizenship: Online Safety III

Well, we're  back. Hope you've enjoyed your winter holidays.

In this previous post, you were asked to think before you post.

In these activities, we're going to watch some videos to find out what might happen when you post private/personal information on social networking sites.

1. Before you watch the videos, think over these questions and jot down some notes. You'll need the notes afterwards. We´ll talk about your ideas in class.

- Would you confirm a friend request from somebody you haven't met face-to-face yet? Why?

- What do you post on the timeline of your social networking site?

  Status comments? Photos? Videos? Podcasts?

- What type of information do you post?

  Private issues? Funny stuff? Serious/academic/professional stuff?

- Would you upload photos/videos/podcasts showing somebody doing something embarrassing? Why?

2. Choose only two videos and answer these questions as you watch the videos.

TIP: watch the videos several times and pause them to write down your answers. You can draw a chart with two columns and six rows to compare the videos.

a) What has the protagonist done?

b) Why are the consequences of her/his actions a problem for her/him?

c) What similarities/differences can you distinguish in both videos?

d) What is the main message in each video?

    Which scenes help you understand the message in each video? How?

e) Who is the target audience in each video?

    Which elements/characteristics of each video help you identify

    the target audience? How?

  

3. After watching the videos you chose (activity 2), go back to the notes you've written down (activity 1). Think over these questions:

- What have you learnt by watching the videos?

- Would you change anything in your notes? if so, what? Why?

- What can you do to protect your online identity and reputation?

4. Post a comment with only your answers to activity 3.

    Remember to say which two videos you chose.

REMINDER: Remember to bring along your notes with all the answers. Next class, we're using them to do another activity.

Digital Citizenship: Revision I

In the activities you can download from this post, you're going to revisit and assess what you've learnt so far about digital citizenship and the expressions you need to talk about this concept.

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1. Go over the previous posts and activities.
2. Download the three activities below onto your netbook (or desktop).
3. Make sure you understand the instructions.
4. Do the activities.

Activity 1: Digital Citizenship Gap-fill

Activity 2: Cybercrime Crossword

Activity 3: Online Relationships

Activity 4: Amy and Jo's Story Web Sequitur

If you're in doubt, post a comment on Google+ wall.

5. Assess the four activities. You could use:

    useless     rather useless     useful
    difficult      rather difficult      easy
    boring       interesting           fun

a) Type in your answer (in the AnswerGarden tool below).

b) Press the submit-button to add your answer. It will be published in the word cloud below.

Now, if you agree with one of the existing answers in the word cloud, you can click on it. So you will skip step 'a' above.

What do you think about the four activities in this post?... at AnswerGarden.ch.

Feel free to post a comment with your own opinion below.

Digital Citizenship: Online Safety II

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In the previous post, we explored some concepts related to online safety and read Worried Jack's email to an agony aunt. In these activities, we're going to explore online safety a bit more.

1. Before watching the presentation, make sure you know the meaning of these expressions:

    go out with (somebody)        be in love with (somebody)

    go along with (somebody)    meet up with (somebody)

    take in    fake      read up on (somebody)     

    refuse     back away     yell for help     grab      let go     run away

    

You can look them up in the online dictionaries on your right.

What can you do to learn and remember these expressions?

2. Click on this link. Then, click on Part II: Amy and Jo.

3. As you watch Amy and Jo's case, think over these questions:

   a. Why did Amy fall in love with Jeff?

        What did he say/do to win her over?

   

   b. Why was Jo worried about Amy's attitude and behaviour?

   

   c. If you had been in Jo's shoes, would you have called Amy's mum?

       Why? What would you have done?

4. Read (or listen to) Part I: Worried Jack and watch Part II: Amy and Jo again. Do the online quiz (at the end of Part II: Amy and Jo). 

- How many statement did you get right?

- What have you learnt so far?

- What do you think about Worried Jack and Amy & Jo's cases?

5. Post a comment with your answers below.

Digital Citizenship: Online Safety I

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In these activities, we're going to talk about online safety or Internet safety.

1. Think over these questions. Jot down some notes; you'll need your notes afterwards.

- What do you know about online safety?
- Have you ever heard of...?

  Internet scams       malware              phishing           offensive content
  cyberstalking     cyberbullying    online predation (child/sexual grooming)

- How are these concepts related to online safety?

Now, you're going to read Worried Jack's email to an agony aunt.
In the email, you'll find these expressions:

    agony aunt       social networking site       share       arrange outings
    log onto/in (a website)          get into (an account) / get in         profile
    mobile number         hurtful things        call (somebody) names
    come up to (somebody)         hack into (an account)        cause havoc
    user ID        log off         take over       block       trust       harassment
    take action against (somebody)

2. Before reading the email, make sure you know all these expressions.
You can look them up in the online dictionaries on your right.
 What can you do to learn and remember these expressions?

3. Click on this link. Then click on Part I: Worried Jack.

4. As you read (or listen to) the email, find this information in the email:
    a. What does Worried Jack use the social networking site for?
    b. What was the matter with Worried Jack's account?
    c. How can Worried Jack's reputation be affected?

5. If you were the agony aunt, what would you suggest that Worried Jack should do?

6. Post a comment with your answers below.

Digital Citizenship: what kind of online relationships do you have?

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In this activity, we're going to talk about the kind of online relationships we establish.

- Have a close look at the photo above, what do you think the quote is about?

- Read Charlie Gilkey's quote (next to the photo) and check your answers.

- Have another close look at the photo and read the quote again.
  How does the photo help you understand the quote?

- What does he mean when he says,
 "we expose our inner selves but we hide our outer selves"?
- What kind of online relationship does he refer to?
- Is this bad/unhealthy/dangerous or good/healthy/safe?
- Why?

- Post a comment with your answer below.

Digital Citizenship: before you facebook, text, tweet or blog, THINK!

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In this activity, we're going to explore the concept of digital citizenship.

1. Think over these questions:

- What is digital citizenship?
- Are you a responsible digital citizen? Yes? No? Why?

2. Let's compare your answers to the information on this website:
Digital Citizenship

3. Let's play!

- Click on this link digizen.
- Follow the instructions on the screen.
- When you finish, reflect upon this:
     What have you learnt?
     What did you like most? Why?
     What did you dislike most? Why?
     Is there anything else you'd like to say about this activity?

- Post a comment with your answer below.