I work as a vocational special education teacher on a vocational college. Working methods and equipment on the field of education have changed direction of digitalization in last decades. There are no more diaries, student lists, education plans or information sheets on paper. The on-the-job learning agreements are being signed electronically. Lesson materials, textual tasks and exams are being shared for students online. I find this development very positive. It makes running things much easier, quicker and decreases mistakes. The current functional system of using digital applications is result of continuing educating ourselves.
In the very beginning of the studies our students are being learned how to use Wilma as a student information system, Microsoft 365 network applications, Moodle and Google learning environments. Our ICT support helps both students and personnel, when problems arise. Usually problems are related to passwords, access rights, students own devises or network droppings.
Many fields on vocational schools are so called craft work professions. I´m sure that performing work won´t disappear in the future, but it will change. Robots will do the assembly and repairing work, customers can talk with machines and have service and even care from them. Still people will always need contact to each other. We want to sociate with other people. That makes care and wellness business to run even bigger in future.
Maybe after some years, when you need a pedicure, you can have consultation from a human beauty therapist and the service from a robot. Or you can pick which one you prefer, if you have money enough. Sometimes robots and other machines can to even more precise work than a human, but human touch, conversation and fellowship will lack on dealing with a machine. That will make “human touch” a precious luxury. The digital development will transform teachers work as much as our students work in future. The accent of the work of professionals will be more conduct machines and ensure that customers’ needs and expectations become filled and even surpassed. Teachers must prepare to that transform on their own work and on the work of their students.
GPDR and combat cybercrime
We have in EU the toughest privacy and security law in the world. All organizations who allocate data related to people in EU are obliged to comply this law. The obeying of the law is being also strictly overseen and infractions are being penalized ponderously. (GPDR.eu.2024)
I think the GPDR is a very good thing, thou it causes sometimes difficulties in taking care of everyday tasks. As a teacher I work closely with students’ parents and students’ welfare. Sharing information even in our closed network is strictly regulated. I am allowed to give and get only information which includes students’ studying. Many times, I see when I have taught a student for some time things that influence in student’s learning and healthcare personnel has been aware but haven’t been allowed to tell me. On those cases if I had known about things earlier, I had had time to prepare and were able give support before. The problem is the same the other way around too. For example, school nurses have no access to data in our student information system. All they can see is names and class identifiers.
If I think about cybercrime, I am extremely happy that we have GPDR in EU. James Lyne talked in TEDtalk on year 2013 about everyday cybercrime. He also demonstrated how easy for a criminal is to capture your computer and make whatever he or she wishes with it. Lyne gave also good tips how to protect our devices and personal information. He pointed out that he hopes we all ordinary people would take care of our part in making cybercriminals work harder. (Lyne 2013.)
Andy Yen as well talked about data protection and privacy protection on his presentation in TEDGlobal 2014. His topic was from email privacy point of view. He described simple way how using electronic key system, is possible to keep email messages hidden and private. (Yen 2014.) I think his idea was good when we are thinking about honest people’s sending messages for each other. Legalizing this key system also criminals would have opportunity to use privacy system for their meanings. Then we would have even bigger problems to combat. So, I prefer open network and strict legislation.
Conversation with ChatGPT
On this part has been used AI on dealing wtih the subject.
I have used ChatGPT a few times before. Now I asked in English from it how AI can help students to learn.
The question was open. I didn’t tell what age students are or what they study or do they need any special support. ChatGPT gave me long and elaborate answer what ways AI can enhance the learning experience in many ways. For example personalized learning is possible by adaptive systems, recommendations, intelligent tutorial systems and automated feedback.
ChatGPT told also that AI-powered tools like speech-to-text and text-to-speech can help students with disabilities. Language translation tools are helpful when a student learns foreign languages. That one I tested right away. I asked if ChatGPT could tell me answer on my question in Finnish. (That I wrote still in English.) ChatGPT answered to me in Finnish, and it was even fluent Finnish.
Then I asked, what should I do if I see that one of my students is suicidal. I thought that maybe that would be tricky one. But ChatGPT came me a good versatile answer that I should take the situation seriously and immediate action. The directions were reasonable and usable. Only not useful thing were the contact phone numbers it suggest. The numbers were operators in the US.
My third question to ChatGPT was: What I can do if one of my students is being bullied? ChatGPT told me that I should act promptly on the situation. I got a good list what to do and in which order. It Included reporting to school auctors and parents. In the end of the list were again telephone numbers to helping auctors in The US and in the UK. I wonder why help to student who got bullied have helpline in the UK, but for suicidal students only in the US.
Anyway, I had an interesting chat with ChatGPT. So, I thanked it from the conversation. It answered me nicely and hoped I won’t hesitate to reach out if I need more help in the future. Finally, it wished me: Take care with a smiley. How humane was that!
Self-evaluation
I have made couple of blogs years ago and didn’t remember anymore how to do it. So now I can utilize that tool again. On my work I use quite many digital tools and platforms without thinking it. It was nice to notice, that I have that kind of know-how.
I have not stopped before to think about plus and minus sides of open network vs. closed network. It was interesting to listen to different points of view.
I have used a little bit AI before. It is not my favorite tool, but now I see more benefits on using it and have more courage to use it in different ways too.
I think it would be beneficial to read more about GPDR. It includes so many questions and things that my knowing of it is still a scratch.
References
Yen Andy 2014. Think your email’s private? Think again. Presentation. TEDGlobal 2014. https://www.ted.com/talks/andy_yen_think_your_email_s_private_think_again?subtitle=en. Refered 27.9.2024.
Lyne James 2013. Everyday cybercrime – and what you can do about it. Presentation. TED2013. https://www.ted.com/talks/james_lyne_everyday_cybercrime_and_what_you_can_do_about_it?subtitle=en. Refered 27.9.2024.
GPDR.eu. 2024. What is GPDR, the EU’s new data protection law? https://gdpr.eu/what-is-gdpr/. Referred 27.9.2024