Cybervation

I took the denotation of the word “blog” from Mariam’s dictionary to mean, “a personal website or web page on which an individual records opinions, links to other sites, etc. on a regular basis”.  The blog site that I played with most was my district’s e-chalk web page because we have discussion boards on the web page and every individual teacher has their own.   The reason I am interested is because I have created a program that I would like to implement in my district for my dissertation that would allow counselors to blog with students regarding issues that they may be facing. 

Blogs differ from the normal discussion page or how discussion boards are currently implemented on e-chalk because discussions are organized into topics by 'threads', anyone in the community can start a thread on a topic of their choosing, all participants have an equal voice, posts require someone to reply for a discussion to take place, and you can follow through a thread on a particular topic.  Moreover, discussion boards are primarily used to conduct class discussion or debate, for questions and answers, role play, help forums, social forums, and online icebreakers.  Bogs, on the other hand are author centered, posts are made by the blog's author only (may be a group), posts are usually opinion pieces and written in the authors voice, readers can add comments to the author's post( if approved by the author), usually blogs are organized in reverse chronological order so the most recent posts show on the entry page, and the blog usually reflects the authors identity in the tone, look and feel and content.  Blogs are used like learning reflections, journal writing, book reviews, resource reviews, software reviews, editorial style articles, personal publishing, travel diaries, and news.

Because our counseling corner doesn’t allow for counselors to have either a blog or a discussion board I think that in the age of technology, to help and reach students that are reluctant to ask for help or seek out assistance from counselors, this would be beneficial.

As a learner, bloging allows some anonymity and allows more free thought to flow.  It differs form other technologies because anything and everything said or posted in most circles can come back to haunt you, however when you blog the reflective writing is done as a healing process, one that in my profession used to be done on paper.  I believe that is necessary on a secondary not only to post discussions on discussion boards, but to blog as well so that the healing process can take place and be up to date with today’s technology.

Content-What content or learning objectives or content standards could you address? What is the desired level of thinking in the objectives/standards according to the categories detailed in Blooms Revised Taxonomy of educational objectives?

 I propose a program I have co-designed  titled Cybervation specifically to help students who are suffering from harassment, bullying, cyber harassment, and cyber bullying.  Stakeholders will carefully evaluate their individual situation and assist them in improving their quality of life. The Cybervation program will be conducted by Corpus Christi Independent School District, headed by the license specialist in school psychology department, in conjunction with Texas A&M University Corpus Christi, counseling and psychology department, and the National and Community Service, local offices known as Communities in Schools.

Stakeholders across a desired school district will benefit from the Cybervation program over the next few years because it will provide educators with the tools to identify students who may be bully victims, students who may be victimizing others, and students who may not be able to recover by themselves. Because secondary levels do not have a pull out counseling system like those in the elementary, students who may need to see a counselor or go through group therapy sessions are overlooked and consequently never treated.

Pedagogy

Studies by Dr. Martin Teicher have shown, secondary students, or teens, need to have their victimization treated or the repercussions can be irrevocable. Dr. Martin Teicher conducted a study examining the neurological impact of verbal abuse on childhood brain development. Dr. Teicher subjected teens who had been bully victims to brain scans where he was able to see the physical differences in their living brain tissue, specifically in the corpus callosum, in comparison to the neurological structures of teens who had never been victimized by bullying.

The Boston Globe reported, that bullied teens “had observable abnormalities in a part of the brain, corpus callosum, and had less myelin, a coating that speeds communication between the cells--vital in an organ like the brain where milliseconds matter in visual processing, memory, and more.” This caused a slow transference of information went from one hemisphere of the brain to the other. The myelin acted, as if the brain was trying to protect itself from what it was processing.

Cyber bullying has been brought to the forefront of importance because of the neurological damage it can cause. Using the joint effort of National and Community Service, a specified school district and a local University/College, along with the experience and knowledge of our local stakeholders, creates a powerful tool that can fit the individual needs of our students.

The Cybervation program will help students analyze their immersion in cyber bullying or cyber harassment so they can make informed decisions regarding their future and choices. In addition to individualized salvation planning assistance, Cybervation will offer workshops and other educational programs to help educators improve their ability to recognize students who may be suffering from cyber bullying or cyber harassment.

An Independent School District: will train stakeholders to identify students who may be suffering from cyber harassment or cyber bullying. School counselors will be used in the initial process of confirming a victim or bully, will further assess if the student is psychologically at risk because of his or her victimization, and will make the necessary contact for the student’s betterment

Technology--

An Independent School District will mandate that all stakeholders attend the training given by Communities in Schools. Administrators will provide stakeholders with the necessary means to anonymously report victims or bullies, punish violators, and offer help to both victims and bullies. District school counselors will provide the initial counseling procedures necessary for students that have been victimized or are bullying. If pullout programs are not feasible for the secondary students or if further counseling is needed, the school counselor will recommend said student to a university caseworker.  Moreover, the district will provide each counselor with a counseling corner that will include a discussion board and blog page. 

Obstacles

Ethical Implications: when dealing with abuse cases, such as cyber bullying and cyber harassment, there are periods of age where children are more susceptible.  Between the ages of 7 and 17, children are developing a sense of self and can easily have that self-perception damaged by their family, peers, or anyone they look-up to or value.  This abuse changes one’s self-perception because it affects the brain development.  The problem with peer abuse, like other abuse cases, is that there can be a silent period.  A silent period is when years pass before someone deals with the pain of abuse.  A study conducted by Dr. Martin Teicher showed that there is usually an average of nine years for a silent period. (Teicher, 2009)

Cybervation and its professionals would have to follow the law while conducting its counseling services and report to the law, when necessary, a potential problem with a participant. The licensed professional may also want to refer the participant to a psychologist.

 As a school administrator, one must assume responsibility for providing professional leadership in the school and community. This responsibility requires the school administrator to ensure the well-being of students as the fundamental value in all decision making and actions.  By ignoring cyber bullying and cyber harassment, an administrator can be considered a bystander (one observing abuse, but not stopping the abuse), thus neglecting the students’ needs and failing to maintain a safe environment for all students.  Administrators need to take preemptive roles in the development of student’s minds, not just through the curriculum they are given and taught, but in the development of the brain and the effect of the environment on that development.  In order to stop tragic school shootings, suicides, and retaliating events administrators can no longer ignore the studies about child brain development and the affect verbal abuse from peers is having.  Administrators must unify and ask for a program like Cybervation because it may be someone’s salvation.