A Week in Review: Internet Safety!

Internet Safety Newsletter

Above it the Internet Safety Newsletter I created using LetterPop.  Creating the newsletter, working with my classmates on the webquest, and our whole class meeting this week on internet safety was very insightful.  As an adult, who has grown up with the internet, I am very familiar with all the hazards and  online predators that exist.  However, young children and parents who do not have much experience with the internet may not know some of the basic information they need to keep themselves safe.  Children these days are highly involved on the internet from facebook to youtube to twitter, they have a way to connect, share and meet people instantly.   This comes with a double edged sword.  They are able to share and get ideas on any subject and research information on their next school project.  However, they are also able to chat with strangers, who may not be who they say they are, send and receive pictures, and are exposed to inappropriate information.  Cyberbullying is a topic that has researched the forefront of discussion.  Children are made fun and bullied all across the internet and this has led to student suicides.

Clearly ground rules have to be set so that students can enjoy the great benefits that the world wide web has to offer.  Parents ,who may not be internet savy, need to get involved and keep track of what their children are doing.  This may be as simple as keeping the computer in a neutral family room and blocking off certain sites.  Teachers should use the vast amount of information that the internet has to offer in their classroom and they should also teach their students that what is said online is very transparent can be seen by anyone.  The internet is an amazing tool and can remain safe if certain guidelines are set.

After working with Team TechSavy on the internet safety webquest, it was nice to see the different perspectives that we had on the subject.  Some of the group members focused on the positives of the internet and others more on the negatives.  After collaborating, I think the group has reached a balance.  We are aware of the dangers, but we know there are measures that can be taken to make the internet a safe place. We created a powerpoint presentation using google docs.  I focused on the dangers of spam, or internet junk mail.  Lauren and Granger focused on internet chartroom safety and Ashley focused on proper internet etiquette.  Together we cover all of the major issues a teacher, student and parent should know about internet safety.  We collaborated well together and planned out our assigned roles with a meeting on WizIQ.  Check out Team TechSavy's presentation:  Team TechSavy's Internet Safety PowerPoint.

Our whole group online class meeting on Monday night was very insightful as well.  Each group shared their powerpoint presentations on web safety and what they had learned from the webquest.  I feel that our class has a very good handle on internet safety and will be able to implement technology very effectively in their  classrooms.  Next week we are working on the topic of collaborative learning vs. cooperative learning.  I am very excited to learn more about this topic.  I feel that my team members and I have worked well together this semester.  We have found ways to collaborate and support one another with assignments, even though we all have such different schedules.

Wondersay Texts! Oh so fun!

Below is a short wondersay word text that I created.  This is a tool that can be used in powerpoints and other types of media presentations to catch the attention of your students and spice up the old lesson a bit. You can make one yourself using the link below! : )



made on Wondersay - Animate text with style

Your digital footprints will follow you wherever you go, so make sure they are classy ones!

Below is a video I made using youtube search stories that tracks my digital footprints, to date. After creating my video and reflecting upon the assignment, I reached some interesting conclusions.  It is important to know that everything that you do on the internet is available to anyone that is online.  Therefore,  DO NOT post, write or send anything that can compromise your job or reputation.  Things always have a way of resurfacing on the internet, no matter how air tight you think your privacy settings may be.  Tell your students they should never do something online that they would not want their mother to see.  


On a positive note, this assignment allowed me to see the marks that I have left on the digital world and the connections that I have made that would not have been possible without the internet. On twitter, I follow some amazing educators from all around the world, where I get cutting edge information and sources about education.


So the moral of the story is:  Your digital footprints will follow you wherever you go, so make sure they are classy ones!


   You and your students can create your own digital footprint story using: youtube/searchstories

Social Network Literacy

I came across these videos by Howard Heingold and found them very insightful.  In them he details how the technological architecture of social networks are designed to allow for user innovation and creativity and how they have revolutionized education.  The world wide web outputs information to recipients.  Recipients next take this information and input it in their own personalized  and/collaborative way.  The experience of using networks places a  new value on information that would not have existed if the data was retrieved using another source.

This led me to think about the obvious connections between the Literacy and Technology class and ,also,  the Information Processing Model.  When educators use this type of lesson structure with their students they are allowing them to discover, interpret and reach personal conclusions in a way that never would have been possible without the use of social networks.  Social Networks truly have restructured the way we retrieve and interpret information.  

Check out Howard Heingold's videos:

Fireworks Worthy Resource: Google Documents

Get the skinny on google docs! (Newsletter)

I have come to know and love Google Documents over the past few semesters.  Above is a link to my newsletter detailing the reasons why Google Documents is so useful and a tutorial video explaining how to use it.  I created the newsletter on LetterPop, which is also a great resource. Check it out! : )

Below are the videos that are also available in the Newsletter:

So Why Don't You Slide?

Below is the slideshow I created using slide.com.  I have put in pictures of my blog, my personal wiki space, Team Techsavy's  business card and my why do you do what you do project.  Making the slideshow was very easy to do and allowed me to see the accomplishments so far this semester in one nice compact viewing.
Making a slideshow is a great way for students to show off their work. You may have your students create their own slideshow at the end of a big unit project.  It is a great way for students to be proud of their accomplishments and to share them with their classmates and parents.  Using a slideshow also will engage more visually inclined learners.  Best of all it quick, simple and free.

Voki for Education!

I have always been a big fan of Vokis, which are customizable speaking avatars.  The voki site has launched a new section, "voki for education." Educators can  view and share lesson plans that contain vokis on this site.  There is a teacher's corner in which educators share and discuss creative ways that they have incorporated vokis into their classrooms.  Voki are a great tool; they can be used for any subject, at any grade level and engage students in a creative way. For example, if you are teaching a lesson on American history, it would  be nice to incorporate a president voki.  It will grab students' attention and get a few laughs.  Last, but certainly not least, they are free!  Check out the Voki for Education Page and create your own.

As you can see they are a lot of fun to use ! : )