User:Marlenak

Individual Final Project
1. Introductions:

 This article comes from the discussion “Learning Literacies - Find it” in module 1. In this article, the reader learns how to deem a site to be credible or not through a method called the CRAP test. Students are able to gain the critical thinking tools they need to deem a site, or any resource they find online to be credible or not.

 This article clears up common misconceptions that many have about Wikipedia. While the site is made of completely voluntary work, and that anyone could edit a Wikipedia page into whatever they wish to, in order for a page to continue to stay on a site there must be verifiable sources for the information stated. So while there will naturally be bad apples who will provide false information, it will only last for a short amount of time without a verified source.

2. Privacy and Freedom of Speech:

 The state of rapidly improving technology in this day and age has become controversial for some. In this article, it talks about a facial recognition technology that is already being used in 15 airports, including 3 abroad. While the purpose of this technology is to make traveler’s lives easier by speeding up lines at the airport, some people argue that it is a breach of privacy. I think this brings up a very valid and concerning point regarding privacy, and if we may have gone too far.

 With the popularity of computers, smartphones, and other brand new technology, many people have not been able to keep up with everything. This includes how to keep yourself safe from people who would want to harm you or steal your information. This article helps people with keeping their privacy when using a computer, which is incredibly helpful in today’s world, and I believe should be taught in schools.

3. Intellectual Property:

 The prominence of both computers and the internet have dramatically changed the art world from even just a few years ago. With the internet, it is easy for artists to sell their art quickly and efficiently, and would even allow new artists to hone their craft through sites such as YouTube where they could view tutorials. Computers have made way for digital art to be in the forefront of the space, programs such as Paint Tool Sai and Photoshop are incredibly popular programs for artists. However, the internet has also made way for art theft and copying to be much more prevalent than it was in the past.

 Not only has fake news become a popular buzzword, but an actual thing that we are bombarded with on a daily basis. This article provides readers with media literacy skills in order to better spot when misinformation is being spread, or twisted for their benefit. With the rise of social media, the way we as a society perceive information has changed so much, and people will believe anything on the internet as long as they believe there is a source to backup their claims.

4. Crime:

 Yoshitaka Sakurada, Japan's minister of cyber-security, is preparing to launch a homeland "readiness" cyberattack against almost 200 million internet connected devices. The attacks are part of a 5 year experiment in an effort "to create a new social contract and economic model by fully incorporating the technological innovations of the fourth industrial revolution".

 One of the most predominant fears nowadays is getting hacked and having your private information leaked to the public. With classes on how to hack being readily available and information on hacking easily accessible online, cases such as private pictures and conversations being leaked are becoming more common. This article gives a step by step guide on how to recover after getting hacked. I believe many people could benefit from this guide, especially people who may not be as familiar with the internet.

5. Employment, Education, and Entertainment:

 One of the most important aspects of running a business is social media, with it becoming an important part of society in recent years. This article details how to build a better business by growing your social media.

 This article talks about how STEM programs should be developed to be taught in schools so young children could be exposed to future job options such as engineering. However, I believe that this article makes it out that STEM is the only worthwhile job path when it’s not the case at all.

6. Midterm - Grand Challenges:

 Onebillion is the second of the two grand prize winners and is based in London in the United Kingdom. Onebillion was able to develop solar-powered tablet, along with the Onecourse app that has learning activities for reading, writing and math, plus a library of over 300 stories. Onebillion claims to have reached over 100,000 children in countries such as Cambodia, Brazil, and several African countries through partnerships with organizations like the University of Oxford and the Cambodian Children’s Fund.

 Chimple is one of the finalists of the competition that received $1 million based in India. Chimple’s learning platform helps children learn reading, writing and mathematics on a tablet through more than 60 explorative games and 70 different stories. Their belief is that modern technology has not yet been utilized for learning by children, and that children thrive when learning independently or with friends. Through Chimple, children are able to learn about reading and writing, science, math, coding, and more.

7. Evaluating and Controlling Technology:

 This site provides a lot of information on the topic of digital divide. Not only does it give a thorough explanation on what the digital divide is, but it also gives possible factors to what is causing it, solutions, statistics, and programs to help give resources to those without technology.

 This article provides information on net neutrality. In recent years, companies have tried to capitalize off the accessibility of the internet and have tried to put it behind a paywall when it should remain open for everyone and continue to be free.

8. Risks, Failures, and Responsibilities:

 This article details some of the ways computers and technology have been used in order to improve the medical field and help many people. I think this is an example of computers changing society for the better, and how it can improve many peoples lives.

 This article talks about how to stay safe on the internet, specifically towards children being safe from predators. With the rise of the digital age, online predators have become an alarmingly bigger risk to children online. I believe that online safety should be taught to children in schools, including what to do if a stranger contacts them online.

9. Anytime, Anywhere:

 This course is designed to train teachers to catch signs of child abuse with their students. I thought this course was interesting, and every K-12 teacher should be enrolled in some kind of course like this, which would help a lot of children.

 This article provides a lot of information to a person who has little knowledge about MOOCs. Before this, I did not know they existed. I believe they are beneficial because of time flexibility and you have the potential to learn from everywhere.

'''10. Technology Advances, Social Trends: '''

 This article talks about Samsug’s project known as Neon, an artificial intelligence being described as being a “friend” rather than an assistant. While I think this advancement of technology is amazing, it does make a bit uncomfortable.

 Solvatten is a combined portable water treatment and solar water heater system that has been designed for use at the household level in the developing world. While advancements in technology and artificial intelligence alike are of course amazing, I think inventions to help the less fortunate are even more important overall.

Marlena Kramarz
The project I chose is: “Global Learning: Empowering Children To Take Control of Their Own Learning”. The project is completed and is in the “Awarded” phase. For this project, various teams from the United States, India, and the United Kingdom were challenged to develop an “open source, scalable software” that will allow children living in developing to be able to teach themselves basic reading, writing, and math within 15 months. Technology is crucial to this challenge as software, accessible data, and hardware are all powerful tools that are able to aid children in learning on their own. Five finalists were chosen in September 2017 to field test their products with children in Tanzanian villages. Each of the finalists received $1 million, and the two finalists split the $10 million grand prize.

KitkitSchool

KitkitSchool is one of the two grand prize winners and is based in Berkeley, California. Kitkit developed a game-based learning application that allows children to be able to learn independently. The application offers a vast library of books and videos and 2,400 learning activities with 22 sessions covering math and reading. It is developed by the company Enuma, which also develops an application called Todo Math, an app for children in pre-K to second grade with over 700 math activities.

Onebillion: one app that delivers reading, writing and numeracy

Onebillion is the second of the two grand prize winners and is based in London in the United Kingdom. Onebillion was able to develop solar-powered tablet, along with the Onecourse app that has learning activities for reading, writing and math, plus a library of over 300 stories. Onebillion claims to have reached over 100,000 children in countries such as Cambodia, Brazil, and several African countries through partnerships with organizations like the University of Oxford and the Cambodian Children’s Fund.

Chimple

Chimple is one of the finalists of the competition that received $1 million based in India. Chimple’s learning platform helps children learn reading, writing and mathematics on a tablet through more than 60 explorative games and 70 different stories. Their belief is that modern technology has not yet been utilized for learning by children, and that children thrive when learning independently or with friends. Through Chimple, children are able to learn about reading and writing, science, math, coding, and more.