This week we had a guest speaker come discuss privacy and safety regarding technology in both the classroom and our personal lives. One of the most interesting topics I took away and am still thinking about is allowing phones in class. They can be a helpful tool in technology-based learning, but can also be a huge distraction and have the opposite outcome. In my experience through high school, there was only one time we were actually allowed to be on our phones in class – and that was for Kahoot. Although even in that short 15-minute period we had our phones out, people would still abuse that privilege by going on other websites and apps. Even I’ll admit in some classes it was nice to pull out my phone and just mentally check out for a bit, so as a future educator it’s difficult for me to draw the line between helpful use and hurtful use. Another interesting discussion topic was our social media and internet presence as a professional and upcoming teacher. It’s important to understand that everything on the internet is public in some way and people, such as future employers, can find what you post. That being said, students and parents can also find what you post. This is something I’m glad I’ve learned before and have been reminded of to keep a professional digital footprint. This topic scared me a bit, and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t briefly think about deleting all my social media and vanishing with a minimal trace during this lecture – but I was reminded how useful and forthcoming technology is in today’s school system. That being said, I am also excited to see where technology can take learning and how I can learn to use it in my classroom, safely of course!