Privacy

This is an amazing thing that all of us connected to each other over the world through the internet. We can talk and share with each other even if we do not know each other. It is true that because of the internet, the world is small and connected. However, we have to face some problems we cannot be avoided is privacy. 

When we using google to research, we think there is no one can monitor our activities. However, Google can get some data and to predict what you want to do next. For example, Google can collect data about how many times you have visited, what websites you have visited and how long you stay on this website. In addition, Google can track your location. In “My location”, we send our location information to google’s servers when we use the location tool, even if Google says it does not record our location. Moreover, I think Google knows more than that. When I using google to search something, I think google can predict what I want to research according to the previous history. In other words, when I type something, it always appears the complete sentence or some keywords I want to research and I even do not need to type completely. 

We have many methods to protect our data such as unlinking account, Firewalls, and download some apps designed for protecting privacy. In my opinion, I prefer the track the trackers by Firefox. Compared to Firefox, download some protection privacy apps from apple store which means I still send some my personal information to the app server like my IP address or my personal information. For Firefox, I can tap the Lightbeam icon to see who is tracking me. In this case, I can block cookies, close my location information or refuse third party collection and so on. If I do not know who is tracking me, I do not know what I can do next. 

Privacy is not only for the individual but also for online education. In my blog 1, I introduced the Chinese instrument online course and showed the advantages for the students, but I find this online course may exist the problems when they creating the online course. With respect to the privacy of the online course, I think students need more data protection because some online website may not have enough money to build sophisticated systems. Thus, some schools entrust student’s personal information to the education technology company which can harvest student’s privacy if they use student’s information as an advertisement (n.d.). We cannot guarantee the student’s data will be protected, thus, collect data online put students at risk I think. 

In order to build the ethnic online course, there are several ways should be noticed. For the online course, we have to be specific the course, the lecture, assessment, rubrics, intellectual property, the authority of the teacher and the syllabus. In addition, the most important thing is the critical pedagogy.  Using Chinese instrument online course as an example, after taking this course, the students cannot access the course when the course is over. In this case, how students and teachers interact with each other and students engaged in the course and think critically? Thus, we may not be designed course for committees and should design it for the individuals or small groups, because we want to participants can be motivated (Stommel, J. 2018). 

References: 

Schools May Put Student Data at Risk. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.govtech.com/data/Schools-May-Put-Student-Data-at-Risk.html 

Stommel, J. (2018, September 12). A User’s Guide to Forking Education. Retrieved from https://criticaldigitalpedagogy.pressbooks.com/chapter/a-users-guide-to-forking-education/