Investigation

=__PART ONE: Investigation...__= This year, for our Information Technology project, we have been told to (as a group) pick one of the nine elements of digital citizenship, and create a presentation that element, having it ready to present to an audience of our choice. Here in my investigation I will describe the basic idea of what we have come up with so far; what our element is, our understanding on this element with background material, which type of audience we are going to address, and so on.

The nine elements of digital citizenship are as follows: The element that my group and I have chosen to do is digital communication. We chose this because (in my opinion) it is one of the easiest of the elements to find information on, and is also one of the most important! If it wasn’t for digital communication, many people wouldn't be able to communicate easily, especially internationally. For example, most people living in Qatar are not nationals. If it wasn't for modern digital tools (such as computers, cell phones, etc) it would be very difficult for them to communicate with their family and friends in their home countries.
 * //Our element://**
 * 1) Digital Access
 * 2) Digital Commerce
 * 3) Digital Communication
 * 4) Digital Literacy
 * 5) Digital Etiquette
 * 6) Digital Law
 * 7) Digital Rights & Responsibilities
 * 8) Digital Health & Wellness
 * 9) Digital Security

//Digital communication: electronic exchange of information. One of the significant changes with the digital revolution is a person’s ability to communicate with other people. In the 19th century, forms of communication were limited. In the 21st century, forms of communication have exploded to offer a wide variety of choices (e.g., e-mail, cellular phones, instant messaging) The expanding digital communication options has changed everything because people are able to keep in constant communication with anyone else. Anyone is afforded the opportunity to access information anywhere and anytime. Unfortunately, many administrators, teachers, students, and the general public have not been taught how to make appropriate decisions when faced so many different digital communication options.//
 * //Definition//** **(According to the "Digital Citizenship" website [//http://coe.k-state.edu/digitalcitizenship/index.htm])//**

According to the above definition, digital communication includes anything involving e-mail, cellular phones, instant messaging, and more! Here are some listed resources, and a basic definition of what can be found on these pages, showing examples of these types of digital communication.
 * //Research & Background Material//**

1. On this page you will find an article based upon a type of digital translator program that scientists are hoping to develop within a month. (Article was published the 6th of July 2003). It will be used to aid communications between different countries when there is a "…national security threat, like a terrorist attack, war or humanitarian."
 * //http://www.wired.com/science/discoveries/news/2003/06/59093//**

2. This article applies more to people my age. It describes the use of cell phones between teenagers, and how it affects their social standing. It implies different realities, such as how when a group of teenagers get together they are more likely to be talking on their cell phones then with each other!
 * //http://www.wired.com/culture/lifestyle/news/2003/05/58861//**

3. **//http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9907E6D9143EF932A05754C0A9659C8B63//** This is yet another article, however this one is probably more appropriate for the age group that we are going to be presenting to (to be further discussed later). It is talking about how digital communication technologies (such as e-mail and cellular phones) are now interfering with summer camps, as well as homesickness! It is describing how homemade packages and letters can now easily be replaced by phone calls and e-mails.

4. This article is based around digital communication as a whole; specifically the internet. It discusses on the homepage, as well on sub-pages, the importance of internet in modern day communication, as well what is appropriate on the internet and what should be censored. There are many forums included where topics such as this one can be discussed between users!
 * //http://hyper.vcsun.org/HyperNews/battias/get/cs454/topic00/26.html?nogifs//**

The targeted audience for our presentation is going to be Mrs. Bray's grade 5 class in the primary for five specific reasons:
 * //Our "learning community"!//**


 * 1) They are about to enter the QA senior school, and need to have more experience with digital communication.
 * 2) They are at an age where they will understand anything slightly complex, as well as enjoying little games and colorful handouts.
 * 3) We have easy access to meetings with the teacher, and our schedules tend to fit well for these meetings as well as presentations.
 * 4) They need to know how to approach digital communication, how to use it responsibly, and how to have fun with it (so that it is not as confusing in the future!)
 * 5) They can be introduced to some pieces of technology that can be shared with others, which will help them within and outside school.

In conclusion, my group and I have a pretty clear understanding as to what we are going to do during this project. We have come up together with a clear understanding as to what digital communication is, a targeted audience, and at least one specific example that can be used in our presentation. However, things we need to work on in the design cycle include exactly what we are going to present to the class, and which means of technology we are going to use in order to present it! This will come further in the design stage, and so far I think that we have a pretty clear understanding on how this project is going to turn out!
 * //Conclusion//**