I was at a family gathering recently and I caught up with an aunt that I hadn't seen for a few years. During our visit, she told me that she was working for a major cable network/streaming service in the Taxonomy Department. My face must have given away my puzzlement as she humorously pointed out that she didn't say taxidermy - the preserving, stuffing and mounting of dead animals - but rather taxonomy - a way to classify words or ideas. (She must get that an awful lot!)
Now, I AM a science teacher so I do know what taxonomy means, but what I couldn't get my head around is why would a major cable network need a department to manage a scheme of classification? Over the next 10 minutes my aunt explained her job and as well as being fascinated, I also became more than a little worried.
You see, every time you click on a website, watch a movie, select a an item from an on-line store, your action becomes part of the meta-data of the world wide web. Yes, that's right, you are being digitally stalked whether you want to be or not!! What my aunt does is make that huge amount of data "sortable" by creating a system that allows for cross correlation and data mining. While her job is very impressive, what it reminds me of is a saying from Pirkei Avot (A book on ancient Jewish Ethics - translated as the Ethics of our Fathers): "there is a seeing eye, a listening ear, and all your deeds being inscribed in a book." Kinda of creepy don't you think?!!
You see, every time you click on a website, watch a movie, select a an item from an on-line store, your action becomes part of the meta-data of the world wide web. Yes, that's right, you are being digitally stalked whether you want to be or not!! What my aunt does is make that huge amount of data "sortable" by creating a system that allows for cross correlation and data mining. While her job is very impressive, what it reminds me of is a saying from Pirkei Avot (A book on ancient Jewish Ethics - translated as the Ethics of our Fathers): "there is a seeing eye, a listening ear, and all your deeds being inscribed in a book." Kinda of creepy don't you think?!!
After our visit, I starting thinking about how does one live in a world where everything that we do on-line is so carefully scrutinized for marketing? Then I though of an answer... Become Informed!! We are not just citizens of the country that we hail from, but we are also digital citizens of the World Wide Web! When I want to be informed about being a "digital citizen," I turn to the director of the Digital Citizenship project Dr. Eli Shapiro! (You may remember me mentioning Dr. Shapiro in my blog on screen time and device management for parents.)
As a Tech Specialist, I firmly believe that every teacher, parent, administrator and student needs to know how to be safe (as one can be) on-line and what pitfalls to look out for. And that, my dear readers, is exactly what Dr. Shapiro does with the Digital Citizenship Project. Whenever I have the pleasure to speak at a Consortium of Jewish Day Schools (COJDS) event and Dr. Shapiro is there, I make sure to attend his presentation. I always learn something new and relevant every time I listen in!
Now, if you are going to be in the LA area on Sunday, April 30th, I urge you to attend the session that Dr. Shapiro will be giving at CIJE's STEM/STEAM & 21st Century Ed day. The title of his session is Digital Citizenship: What Every Educator Needs to Know and the information that he is presenting applies to everyone!! If you are a Head of School, Administrator, Teacher and this is the only session you can attend (and the free lunch afterward :-) then I implore you come to this event. It will be a well spent one hour!
Here is the link to register for the Sunday, April 30th event.
Here is a list of all of the sessions and workshops that we will be holding.
If you are teacher, please let your colleagues know about this PD day. If you are a principal or head of school, please try to attend yourself, but at the very least, send some of your faculty! There is no cost and the sessions/workshops are AMAZING!
As always, I solicit your comments on my blogsite.
Regards,
Yossie
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