Fort Drum Land Use

Information Literacy has become an increasingly important aspect for learners of all ages and in all aspects of life due to broadening technological growths and the proliferation of information sources. These expanding resources allow for the development of new learning environments and information portals.

     Hunting on Fort Dum, NY used to be as easy as simply buying a hunting license and finding a location suitable for a successful hunt. Overtime though, regulations have changed requiring the successful completion of a Hunter Education or Bow Hunter Education course in order to purchase a hunting license. Due to the government layoffs, shutdowns, and budget cuts, manpower has been reduced requiring Wildlife Conservation Officers to rely on websites and digital technology to educate individuals on the changes and regulations required in order to legally hunt and access federal lands on and surrounding military installations. This guide will prove as a resource to anyone looking to access the federal lands and training areas of Fort Drum, NY for hunting or fishing. There are a few steps to be followed and they will be outlined below.

1.      Recreation Access Pass

     In order to access the training areas of the installation for outdoor recreation purposes, individuals must obtain a recreation access pass by visiting the following website fortdrum.isportsman.net. From here it is as easy as looking to the left side of the page for the link to “Get Recreation Access Pass” and following the instructions. The access pass is free and takes only minutes to fill out the form and print the pass. An automated number is provided with the printed form to utilize when checking in and finding out which training areas are available for public use and not being utilized presently for military training.

2.      Hunter Education

     Hunting in any state requires proof of a Hunter or Bow hunter Education Course completion. A new outdoor sportsman in New York will need to find a course offered in their local area by accessing the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) website at http://www.dec.ny.gov. One third of the way down on the left side of the page is a link to “Sportsman Education.” By following this link, access to upcoming hunting and trapping courses are available by zip code or geographic locations throughout the state based on distance from home. The courses are free as part of an educational tool used by the state to encourage safe and enjoyable use of the flora and fauna throughout the state.

3.      Hunting License

     Hunting licenses are available at any of the local businesses selling outdoors and hunting equipment.

4.      Check-In

     Before embarking on a trip to the various ranges, a phone call to Range Control’s automated number is required. After having completed the Recreation Access Pass form and printing it in step 1 at fortdrum.isportsman.net, utilize the number located on the instruction form to call with the permit access number that is provided. Check in must be accomplished each 24 hour period the installation training areas are accessed with no checkout procedure required.

     By following these simple steps, anyone can easily access and enjoy the outdoors and wildlife located on Fort Drum. Any additional questions about land use and permits or regulations on or around Fort Drum can be answered at www.fortdrum.isportsman.net and http://www.dec.ny.gov.

Cyber Awareness

Well, here is my attempt at a literacy guide for students (probably 8-12th graders). This is my first attempt at anything like this, and I reflected on aspects of our readings and my personal experiences. Let me know how you would have changed this or approached this subject and utilized it in your classrooms. I appreciate feedback and grow with your input as I feel less qualified in this field than any of you.

Information Literacy has become an increasingly important aspect for learners of all ages due to broadening technological growths and the proliferation of information sources. These expanding resources allow for the development of new learning environments, yet they also expose learners to dangers that they may not be aware of. The sharing of personal information or sensitive individual information can have a lasting effect that is not always discussed at length by parents and educators due to humanities trusting approach to so many things encountered in life.

     This simple guide is not an all-encompassing cyber security guide; rather it is an awareness guide to promote critical thinking when searching internet sites or participating in the growing realm of social media.

Statistics

·         43% of teens have been victims of cyberbullying. 1

·         52% of teens who have been victims of cyberbullying do not tell their parents about it. 2

·         96% of teens use social networking applications such as Facebook, MySpace, chat rooms, and blogs. 3

·         One in five U.S. teenagers who regularly log on to the Internet say they have received an unwanted sexual solicitation via the Web. 4

Introduction

·         Discuss as a class what would constitute as personal or sensitive information.

·         Students should make a mental list of any personal information about themselves and their families that they frequently provide freely on social media sites.

·         Ask students if they know of anyone who has been cyberbullied from any social media outlet.

Literacy

·         Have students reflect on their usage of social media sites, and discuss some of the more popular and currently trending sites that request personal information before signing up.

·         Have students list the number of times they have found an external media storage device and plugged it into their own personal media storage device.

·         Discuss with students the importance of research into site content validity before downloading media or providing personal or sensitive information.

Evaluation

·         Students will research pros and cons of social media as well as the dangers associated with digital technology and provide documented sources detailing findings through a typed written document to be used anonymously by others in the class in a pros and cons debate.

·         Have students serve on a pros and cons panel of the importance of social media in their lives. Discuss the vitality of providing all of the personal information requested by sites, and the dangers of downloading media without regard for allowing access to personal devices by outside sources.

 

References

1. National Crime Prevention Council, http://www.ncpc.org/resources/files/pdf/bullying

2. http://www.guardchild.com/statistics/

3. http://www.statisticbrain.com/cyber-bullying-statistics/

4. Crimes Against Children Research Center

adolescent interview

We live in an ever progressing society of social media. Some consider this to be a very important asset to our lives, while others prefer a life void of continuously emerging technologies. Social media, however, has created a plethora of unique jobs and opportunities for an evolving workforce. Due to the progress of social media, we are seeing a growth in a job market that caters to the new social media and networking hubs such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Social media sites are used all over the world, every single day, by children and adults. So it’s no wonder why social media has proven to be such an important tool in society today.

There are some downsides to social media such as the lack of privacy and misuse of personal information. If someone posts a comment, picture or video none ever knows exactly how many people might see it and how it could be misused. Posting information on media sites about personal schedules or trips that can leave a person vulnerable to attacks or theft, and the information posted could potentially be harmful to a career if the content is judged to be of poor taste.

In contemplating these ideas, I interviewed a young lady who frequently uses social networking and social media on a regular basis. Not being part of the networked generation, I am unfamiliar with social media hubs, so my questions were very generic in nature.

Question #1: What social networking sites do you most often frequent?

Response: Pinterest, Instagram, YouTube, and email.

Question #2: How often do you use them, and why have you chosen these particular    sites?

Response: Pinterest gives me new ideas for projects I am interested in and what are  some of the new trends. Instagram helps me to keep in touch with friends and family and allows me to post current pictures. YouTube is merely for viewing entertainment. Email is used for contacting teachers, colleges, family and friends who do not have Instagram.

Question #3: Do you have any parental controls on your usage of these sites?

Response: Yes. My parents do periodically check to see who I let into my world. It is not a big deal, because I do not do anything that would worry them.

Question #4: Do you see changes to your choices based on peer input and their social   networking uses?

Response: Not really. I am not a follower of others input if it does not pertain to anything of importance to me. I do see quite a bit of improper conduct by many I go to school with, so I try to avoid too many of these extras.

Question #5: What hazards do you encounter, and have you ever encountered any severe infringement on your privacy?

Response: Well, I have not had any problems too big. I do not like the continuous pop up ads that are inappropriate. I also worry that my accounts will be hacked and that I could end up with a virus or something like that. I have also noticed an increase in cyber-bullying from what my friends have told me. So far, I have not had to deal with any of that though.

Overall, my interviewee showed to be a responsible young lady who is aware of the dangers that are present with her networking use, and avoids all possible pitfalls present in using these sites with regards to personal information that could prove damaging. I learned an immense about current, new, and upcoming social media outlets, and am more aware of the issues that our youth will be facing.

Of all the topics presented to her that were covered in this course, she was most interested in the “generation lap” that Don Tascott discussed in his you tube video titled “Growing Up Digital.” Her realization that she is the subject matter expert in discussing emerging social media sites and current media outlets proved to be a boost in morale and self-awareness. Jenkin’s idea that “when children are deep at play they engage with the fierce, intense attention that we’d like to see them apply to their schoolwork” was thought provoking and helped her validate her own use of games as learning tools. (2006) The ferocity applied to learning games proves how attention is better focused when learning is fun and engaging.

References

http://youtu.be/qujFJuj1S6I

Jenkins, H. (n.d.). Fun vs. Engagement: The Case of the Great Zoombinis. Retrieved November 9, 2014, from http://henryjenkins.org/2006/06/fun_vs_engagement_the_case_of.html

Participatory Challenges

Challenges to Participatory Culture

Participatory culture is defined by Jenkins (2006) as being “a culture with relatively low barriers to artistic expression and civic engagement, strong support for creating and sharing one’s creations, and some type of informal mentorship whereby what is known by the most experienced is passed along to novices.” (p.7) He goes on to explain that it is a part of someone’s daily life in which their involvement gives them satisfaction and meaning. According to Jenkins, participatory cultures involve some form of affiliation with an organization or group, expression, team, or circulation that involves creating and affecting an area of the media world. (2006)

As I posted in my blog previously, I have never been a part of a participatory culture as Jenkins has defined it. I have, however, been actively involved in what most people call life. Participatory culture begins on the playground at recess as a youngster, and evolves as we age and grow into the adults we will become. I asked one of my children what they believed was meant by Jenkins definition and what was being described, and they replied with childhood. Without the internet, participatory cultures would still be defined in the same way that life has always defined us.

Jenkins writes of the growing gap in participation as an issue that must be addressed and faced as our digitalized society evolves. I like how Jenkins points out that earlier, “youth who had access to books or classical recordings in their homes, whose parents took them to concerts or museums, or who engaged in dinner conversation developed, almost without conscious consideration, skills that helped them perform well in school.” (2006, p. 14) I am concerned that the same gap will develop between kids without access or permission to access emerging technologies and those with unrestrained access. I allow my own children only 30 minutes each day, outside of school related activities, to peruse the internet while having constant adult supervision. This has hampered their personal growth with computers in comparison to their peers just as Jenkins pointed out would happen. However, they continue to enjoy the museums, family games, books, literature, and writing exercises to name a minimal of activities that take the place of time spent in front of a computer.

     At one time, literacy could be based solely on how well we could read or write, but if we take a word based in its purest form, we see that it is neither reliant nor a negligible singularity of our own language.

     At first glance, there appears to be very little change in the way students learn from years past. It is apparent however, that teachers must adapt the way material is conveyed to students to achieve optimal success. Textbooks have become a fading aspect of schools because of the desire to change with current trends or perceived cost imbalances and have been replaced by new digital devices and handouts. It is up to the educator to learn to adapt to emerging technologies in order to maintain a progressive outlook on ways in which our youth are learning. “Effective teachers use a wide variety of teaching methods and techniques.” (Orlich, Harder, Callahan, Trevisan, & Brown, 2010, p. 162) Literacy is no longer a product of literature, but on the ability to understand the world around us and the exposure to an increasing digital atmosphere.

     Jenkins (2006) argues that “traditional literacy” must be taught and understood before these newer literacies can be utilized.(p. 19) I am concerned that this is not necessarily the case. My oldest child can write in cursive style whereas my youngest was never taught? Today, pilots learn how to fly helicopters in much the same way as I did, but are immediately transitioned to all digital cockpits and instruments. When they arrive for duty, they are no longer pilots, but more of a warm body and electronics sitter for a machine without the need to think on their own, navigate, and make decisions. When do we decide to maintain a standard, and when do we decide to alter our own level of standards and competencies to “adapt” to the world around us?

 

References

Darling-Hammond, L., & Bransford, J. (2005). Preparing teachers for a changing world. SanFrancisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Jenkins, H.J. (2006)., Confronting the Challenges of Participatory Culture: Media Education for the 21st Century. http://digitallearning.macfound.org/atf/cf/%7B7E45C7E0-A3E0-4B89-AC9C-E807E1B0AE4E%7D/JENKINS_WHITE_PAPER.PDF