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Checking for Website Security

Legions of websites encourage you to shop on their site or to use their credit card or to pay your bills online. While it is enjoyable and convenient to shop or pay bills online, it is important to know if a site is secure before you type in your personal information. You want to be sure your transaction is protected by the Secure Socket Layers (SSL) protocol. This protocol is a Payment Card Industry standard for securing websites. Companies use SSL to keep your information encrypted and authenticated so third parties (people who would like to steal your data) cannot see what you send to the secure site. There are several ways to tell if a website is using SSL.

Look for the letter S to be added to the standard http in the address line in your search engine. A secure web address looks like https where “S” represents “Secure.” This indicates the site is using SSL on the server so it is safer for you to add your personal information on this site. Some commercial companies use a non-secure website for you to browse their products. When you go to pay for something, they then switch over to a secure website for payment information.

Check for a yellow padlock or key icon on the webpage.  These symbols also indicate the website is using SSL. In Internet Explorer, the padlock or key appears to the right of the address box while in Firefox the padlock or key appears in the address line. Firefox also indicates secure transactions by adding a yellow highlight to secure addresses. Sometimes the padlock or key will also appear in the bottom of the window.

Click on the yellow padlock or key for an additional check on the level of security. These icons represent a certificate of authenticity for a website. Internet certification authority companies like Verisign and Equifax Secure issue certificates to websites which meet industry standards. When you click on the icon, it should display more information about the website’s encryption and authentication information. You can click on “View Certificates” to see more information about the website and whether it matches with the address being used.

Spoofed and fake websites creators are becoming very innovative in making their sites look like commercial sites. Even fake sites can be encrypted, so having a “secure” connection is not any guarantee that the web site is legitimate. In addition to checking the address and for icons, try clicking in links and other images on the websites to see where you go on the website. Also look carefully at the address line and make sure it is spelled correctly.  If the address line is not similar to the web site name, the site could be a copy of a legitimate site.

According to OnGuardOnline, another check of the security of the site is a phone number and physical address for the company so you can call or visit the company.

 

 

Do You Really Want to Do Business Here? Checking Out an Online Business

It is easy to make trust judgments about a physical business. You can walk in their front door, greet the clerk, touch, feel and see merchandise, and return a defective product to the store. Online, you don’t have the luxury of walking into a physical place, so it is more difficult to tell if a web business is legitimate. Some web-based stores may actually use logos which resemble a trusted name brand, but are not associated with the company at all. The Internet is a vast space and putting up a web site is relatively easy. Consumers who use online businesses need to do their research before turning over their credit card number.

First, get to know the website you plan on using. According to OnGuardOnline.Gov, when you find a website you want to do business with, confirm the company’s physical address and phone number. Look at the returns policies and delivery times for the company.  Those should be clearly spelled out so you are not guessing what to do if the item does not fit or is poorly made. Also, know what you’re buying by looking at the physical description, especially the fine print, and to know exactly how much your item will cost including shipping. OnGuardOnline also recommends using a credit card for your purchases as well as keeping the records of your transactions in case there are discrepancies.

You can also check the company’s website address to see if the website is genuine. Start by investigating the web address of the site or the URL. Spoof websites will have website address which look very similar to a legitimate address, but might have additional letters or be misspelled. You can take the URL to InterNIC, the folks who assign IP address and domain names, and do a “Search Whois?” Type in the URL address into the dialog box and press “Submit.”  Do not include http://www. Here you can find information about who registered the website and see if it matches the information on the contact page for the site. The dates the site was registered and updated are also available.

Look for stamps of approval from other businesses and consumer reviews. Search for the company and read reviews of the product or service you are thinking of buying. Check to see if there is a Better Business Bureau’s Reliability Seal, or the Good Housekeeping Seal, or other Internet trust organizations. Before you purchase your product and enter in your credit card information, a locked padlock should appear next to the URL line. This indicates the company is using VeriSign which encrypts your financial information so it is not sent out as text over the Internet. It also certifies that the company is who they say they are. If there is a warning after you click on the padlock, the site might be a scam. Never give out your financial information over email say the folks at OnGuardOnline.

Finally, if you got scammed, report it to agencies like OnGuardOnline, the Better Business Bureau, your state’s attorney general’s office and consumer protection division, and the Federal Trade Commission.

How to Handle a Difficult Student in Your Online Class

Setting the tone for your online classroom involves many components. You create a syllabus to clearly communicate the goals of your class and your expectations of the students. I usually going over the standards of my online class conduct and academic honesty with my students in our first meeting.  It does not matter how well you prepare or what expectations you convey to your class, you will still have at least one student who is difficult. Disruptive students can dominate online conversations; make rude and offensive remarks, challenge your authority, submit plagiarized work, fall behind in class or just not submit assignments.

It is easy to get angry with others online.  Text, images and other media can easily be misinterpreted.  Maintain your professionalism in your online class as you would when you are with students face-to-face. Never write to a student if you are angry or upset.  If a student is being rude to other students in an online discussion or challenging your authority, intervene to counteract the behavior. Know how to block the students’ access so you can remove the student if need be. Open a dialog with the disruptive student out of the public forum about what is acceptable in class. You might need to talk to the student face-to-face or call them on the phone. Know your institution’s policy on inappropriate behavior and have a plan in mind before you meet with the student. If you suspect substance abuse problems, refer the student to counseling services. Be sure to show support to the other students in class. If the difficult behavior created conflict within the class, seek discussions with the other student(s) affected to minimize the tension.

Monitor student progress and be sure to remind students of their course requirements. If a student is non-responsive or becomes abusive because they are frustrated by their own lack of progress, again, contact the student individually, not in a public forum. Offer the student extra guidance and point them to where they can find resources needed if their work is not satisfactory. Know what the guidelines are for helping a student withdraw from a course if they are too far behind.

Stop plagiarism by getting to know your students and their work. Give them clear information as what constitutes cheating in your classroom and what they can expect to happen if they are caught stealing another’s work. Your institution’s policy on plagiarism will give you clearer guidelines. Often, you must make decisions on what you will personally accept after a student is caught cheating. Be clear in your syllabus and in your first meeting about the standards and conduct you expect of students.

Modeling good behavior and professionalism for the students is part of teaching. Try to remember students are often passionate about subjects and debates online can get heated. Before you start class discussions or debates, have your students develop their own rules of acceptable behavior.  Discuss with your students the rules of debate and talk about how to treat each other in a disagreement.  If your students develop a list of acceptable and unacceptable behaviors, they will often police each other during discussions and debates.

Creating A Student Technology Team: Duties and Responsibilities

  • Provide support to faculty in developing technology-assisted instruction through consultations, personal contacts and other activities.
  • Assist in the implementation of the course management tool.
  • Develop and teach seminars, workshops, and training sessions on various instructional software.
  • Create educational materials on a variety of hardware and software applications for public distribution.
  • Conduct research in educational technology and its application to the teaching and learning process.
  • Assist in creating publications including brochures, web pages and other promotional activities.
  • Perform follow-up communication on various projects and other assessment activities.

Word Games

Playing games may not sound like it is learning, but word games are great educational tools, especially for your English as a Second Language (ESL) students. Word games give meaningful context to English and your students practice language in a more relaxed atmosphere. There are a variety of word games to help your students learn English.

Tongue Twisters
Many people are familiar with the saying “She sells seashells by the sea shore.” Tongue twisters like these are fun to use in ESL classrooms to teach pronunciation. Write several tongue twisters on the board and have the class practice them a few times. Then, get out the stopwatch. Have your class separate into teams. Each member of team takes a tongue twister and is timed for how quickly they can say it. Continue to time each team member until the last person speaks. Write the time for each team. The winning team gets to pick the next set of tongue twisters.

Bingo
Give each student a bingo card with their vocabulary words on them. The instructor pulls the vocabulary word meaning from the bingo bag and reads the definition. The student calls out the name of the vocabulary word if it is on their card and gets to cover the card with a sticker if they have it correct. Play continues until all the students have Bingo.

Conversation Games
Talking is one way students get to practice their speech. There are many games structured to get your students talking to one another like the “Getting to Know You” game. Each student pairs with another student. They each have a list of five or six questions to ask the other student like “what is your name,” “what do you want to do when you grow up,” “what is the strangest thing you have eaten?” Make sure your questions cannot be simply answered yes or no. The student can also write down the answers to their questions. When they are done, they introduce their partner to the class and explain what they have learned about the other student.

Singing
Karaoke is very popular in many foreign countries, but you can also use singing word games to help your students learn English. Find several songs like the Beatle’s “Yellow Submarine” or “What a Beautiful Morning” by Richard Rogers and Oscar Hammerstein. Pick songs which are easy to understand and to sing. Have your students find all the words to the song and to practice singing the song with their group. For the next class period, put on a show with the music and the students singing.

Making Oobleck

Teaching science is easier when you incorporate physical or tactile learning for your students.  One way to help students understand the scientific properties of solutions is to make Oobleck. Oobleck can be made with ingredients found in most kitchen cupboards. Oobleck helps kids explore properties of liquids, solutions and solids by creating a colloid or a mixture of two or more substances which appears solid, but are not. To further the experiment, and the fun, add different substances to help children understand colloids better.

Ingredients:

  • Newspapers
  • Measuring spoons and cups
  • Small cups, bowls or small zipper storage bags
  • 1 ½ cup Corn starch for each participant
  • 1 cup Water for each participant
  • Wooden sticks or spoons for stirring
  • Food coloring (optional)
  • Flour (optional)
  • Powdered Sugar (optional)
  • Baking Powder (optional)

Basic Directions

  1. Lay out newspaper on a table since making Oobleck can be messy. Give each student something to measure ingredients into such as paper cup or small bowl and something to stir with like a wooden stick. You can also use a zipper storage bag and have students measure into the bag if you would like to have a little less mess. You will not need wooden sticks if you choose to use zipper bags.
  2. Let each child measure out 1 ½ cups of cornstarch into their bowl. Let students explore the cornstarch. Ask them for a description of the plain cornstarch-what does it feel, smell, and look like.
  3. Ask the students to measure out 1 cup of water. Ask them to slowly add the water to the cornstarch and to stir the two substances together. Let the students explore the colloid with a spoon or wooden stick and with their fingers. Ask them to describe what happens to the mixture when they touch or smack it. What happens if they put it on the newspaper or try to pick it up. Can they make it into something like a ball or line? Ask them what they could make out of Oobleck?
  4. Have the students add food coloring to the mixture. Ask the children to explain the changes they see in the solution. Explain the science of Oobleck to the students such as what is a colloid. Ask them if they can think of any other colloids. Explain that quicksand and gelatins are both colloids.
  5. Ask students to guess (make hypotheses) about different substances such as powdered sugar and flour. Have the students experiment with other substances to see if they can get the same or a different effect. According to David Crowther and Ryan Ross from the University of Nevada, you can then explain the science of solutions, suspensions, emulsions and immiscible liquids to students.

Tip

Read the story of “Bartholomew and Oobleck” by Dr. Seuss before starting the experiment to prepare students. Have them hypothesize how to make Oobleck before you begin experimenting.

Creating and Using Listening Teams

Overview

Giving a lecture about a subject is a standard way to teach.  Most students find lecture-based learning dull and typically tune out the teacher quickly into the lecture.  One way to help your students stay focused and alert during a lecture-based lesson is to create a listing team. Based on the work by Mel Silberman, you create small groups responsible for clarifying the material after you have given your lecture. This allows students to be active with the information given and allows them to ask questions about the material they do not understand.

Procedure

Divide your students into groups of four member teams.  Each student is assigned a role.

Roles:

  • Example Giver: Gives examples or applications of key concepts.
  • Questioner: Asks two questions about the material to help make the concepts clear.
  • Devil’s Advocate: Identifies two areas of disagreement within the content and explains why they disagree.
  • Team Player: Points out two areas of agreement with lecture content and explains why.

Tell the students while they are listening to the lecture or video, to think of examples, questions, and areas of disagreement and agreement.

Present your lesson.

After the presentation, the students meet as a group for 5-10 minutes to share ideas and finalize contributions.

Groups share examples and ask questions about your lesson and the other groups to solidify their understanding of the key concepts.

When I did this exercise in my class the first time.  It was very confusing and the students muddled through the questions.  By the third time, I surprised the students asked excellent questions are really seemed to understand the material better.  I also found it was great feedback on my teaching style.

Source: Mel Silberman, 1996. Active Learning: 101 Strategies to Teach Any Subject. Allyn & Bacon.

CourseInfo Lesson Plan

When you are doing a training session, start by introducing yourself and who is helping you in the session (if applicable).  Write on the board where you can be contacted

I.  What is CourseInfo (who makes it, what is course management software)

II.  How to access the CourseInfo web site – what is the address

III.  How to login

IV.  Explain My Blackboard section

  1. How to access their course
  2. How to change their password, email address, and other personal information
  3. Explain other categories – you might have them look at web resources for a few minute
  4. Go to the course

V.  Take a tour of the student side of the course so the faculty member understands what a student sees

VI.  Control Panel

A.  Site Management

  • Course Options (foundation of course – how the course looks and what is available, course information)
  • Communications (what do you want your students to be able to discuss and where)
  • Student Tools (what access will you give your students)
  • Course Utilities (batch uploading and exporting the course so you can save it)

B.  User Management

  • How to add a single user (what are the problems with adding users – ids and password problems, different types of users, what do you do if student is already enrolled in another course – ask the student what id and password they are using and the system will add them)
  • Modifying users
  • Deleting users (only done by secretaries or system administrators)
  • Groups – creating, modifying, removing

C.  Page Editors

  • Announcements, Staff Information, and External Links all work like each other, so choose one and show how to create text, modify text and how to remove text.

VII.  Where to find tutorial or help files

 

Doing a Master’s Degree Thesis Paper

Researching and writing a long paper relating to your master’s degree program is now required by some higher education institutions. Requirements may vary from school to school, but the order for planning a master’s thesis paper has similar elements.

What Your Institution Wants

Look at your university or college’s requirements for a master’s thesis. Some college’s only need the written thesis, while other institutions want a more elaborate process including a committee and a defense of your work.

Propose a Topic

Focus on a topic within your discipline which is narrow enough in focus and interesting enough to research. Spend some time doing preliminary research on several questions before choosing one.

Meet with Your Advisor

In most higher education institutions, before you begin major research, you need to have the approval of your advisor or chair of your department. Usually, you need to submit a formal proposal for what you plan to write about before you begin writing.

Research

Brainstorm on your topic and research, research, research. Often, you begin your master’s thesis research in one year and then finished in another.

Form Your Paper

Major papers often include title pages, table of contents, graphs or tables to illustrate research. Also plan on explaining your methods of research, your results and conclusions as well as showing all the research you have done.

Turning It All In

Once you have it written, often you must defend your paper in front of a committee. After your defense, you usually need to rewrite sections of your thesis for a final submission.