Question:
"Some people have strong feelings about being in the public domain (meaning their pictures, thoughts, interests... can be potentially accessed by people they don't know). Explain your feelings? How do we address these concerns as teachers and role models? How do we teach this?"
Answer:
when i was in my last year of high school, internet was a strange new thing i became aware of and started using slowly - literally dial-up was no fun! not everyone had access to the internet and it seemed rather expensive to get it. i really didn't understand what all the fuss was about. i was much more excited to get a cell phone the size of an encyclopedia.
i also remember reading george orwell's novel 1984 without realizing then the significant impact the internet would have on our private/public lives. similar, in some ways, to the pervasive government surveillance throughout the protagonist winston smith's world. i think people who fear the internet often liken it to this idea of "big brother."
as the internet became more advanced and more public, so have i. and yes, i have had pictures, posts, and emails that i wish had never been uploaded or sent... luckily, i quickly learned my lessons and eventually survived the embarrassment.
throughout this learning process, i never really had anyone guide me. my college and university professors were barely internet literate themselves and it seemed that no one had a chance to keep up with the light speed pace and growing capabilities that the internet allowed.
Now, teachers are facing the challenge of how to teach responsible internet use while guiding students to create public profiles that they will carry with them the rest of their lives. a pretty daunting challenge!
as a teacher, i think it is important to teach kids to be safe and responsible in all situations whether online or not. we should provide students with the tools and skills they will need to be successful in all aspects of their lives. they will make mistakes but hopefully they will be minor and provide opportunities for growth.
how do we this... specifically? as a humanities teacher, i love to sneak learning in when the kids don't notice. so, as we are working on a project, we also learn about a new online application. this then gives me the chance to discuss with my students the various issues surrounding their experiences online. for example, the issues surrounding choosing a username and password, signing-up for e-newsletters, sharing online documents with friends, etc. teaching them useful skills through an authentic learning experience.
there's no point running from the fact that we all have public profiles. the idea is to be smart about what you put out there. big brother is indeed always watching...
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
My Thoughts on Google Apps...
I LOVE GOOGLE APPS!!!
Now let me tell you why....
1) Collaborative
2) Portable
3) Easy to use
Shared Google Docs allow students, teacher, administrators to all work on the same document in real time. This means that students can work on group projects together and peer edit each others work. Teachers can collaborate on curriculum, teaching strategies and ideas, as well as student needs. Administration and teachers can minimize meeting time and maximize efficiency during meetings.
GMail, Google Talk and Chat allow us to stay in touch. I find I have more meaningful and frequent contact with parents. I can easily create groups and send out emails quickly. I can send an instant message to a colleague regarding a student or the answer to a quick question.
Google Calendar allows me to create several calendars that I can share with my classes, student groups, colleagues and parents.
With Google Apps, I can take my work with me anywhere. I have all my resources, contacts, and calendars. It doesn't matter what computer I'm on or what country I'm in - as long as I have internet, I can do it all!
Not only do students learn how to use Google Apps easily, so did I! I find it easier than the software I have been using for years. I never have to worry about losing my work with the life-saving autosave feature. I can easily organize all my docs, emails, and calendars into groups and folders.
Do you love Google Apps too?
Now let me tell you why....
1) Collaborative
2) Portable
3) Easy to use
Shared Google Docs allow students, teacher, administrators to all work on the same document in real time. This means that students can work on group projects together and peer edit each others work. Teachers can collaborate on curriculum, teaching strategies and ideas, as well as student needs. Administration and teachers can minimize meeting time and maximize efficiency during meetings.
GMail, Google Talk and Chat allow us to stay in touch. I find I have more meaningful and frequent contact with parents. I can easily create groups and send out emails quickly. I can send an instant message to a colleague regarding a student or the answer to a quick question.
Google Calendar allows me to create several calendars that I can share with my classes, student groups, colleagues and parents.
With Google Apps, I can take my work with me anywhere. I have all my resources, contacts, and calendars. It doesn't matter what computer I'm on or what country I'm in - as long as I have internet, I can do it all!
Not only do students learn how to use Google Apps easily, so did I! I find it easier than the software I have been using for years. I never have to worry about losing my work with the life-saving autosave feature. I can easily organize all my docs, emails, and calendars into groups and folders.
Do you love Google Apps too?
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
MS 1:1 Teacher Preparation Program
Next year, the Middle School will be kicking off our 1:1 student laptop program. In order to get ready for this momentous and downright exciting event, we teachers are doing a little online learning to prepare.
For our second module, we were asked the following questions:
1. What are the main differences between Gmail and any email you've used before?
2. What would you like to be able to do with Gmail? Responses here might inform future learning opportunities in this course.
3. How could one of the tools in Gmail be used to positively impact student or teacher performance at ISB?
And here are my thoughts....
Gmail is my preferred email provider because it is more than just email: chat, talk, calendar, shared docs, task lists, sites, RSS reader, etc.... It allows me to instantly connect with my students, colleagues, family and friends. I love it! I have been a dedicated Gmail user for about two years now and I would still like to know how to use more tools, more effectively!
Out of the long list of tools Gmail offers, I believe that the two best tools are Google Calendar and GoogleSites. Both of these tools help students become more organized and more independent. I post due dates, assignments and homework, rubrics, and resources. It's handy, it's all in one place, and extremely easy to use!
For our second module, we were asked the following questions:
1. What are the main differences between Gmail and any email you've used before?
2. What would you like to be able to do with Gmail? Responses here might inform future learning opportunities in this course.
3. How could one of the tools in Gmail be used to positively impact student or teacher performance at ISB?
And here are my thoughts....
Gmail is my preferred email provider because it is more than just email: chat, talk, calendar, shared docs, task lists, sites, RSS reader, etc.... It allows me to instantly connect with my students, colleagues, family and friends. I love it! I have been a dedicated Gmail user for about two years now and I would still like to know how to use more tools, more effectively!
Out of the long list of tools Gmail offers, I believe that the two best tools are Google Calendar and GoogleSites. Both of these tools help students become more organized and more independent. I post due dates, assignments and homework, rubrics, and resources. It's handy, it's all in one place, and extremely easy to use!
Monday, May 25, 2009
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Final thoughts...
It was a bumpy road but one I'm glad to have travelled!! I've really increased my awareness and understandings of social networking, collaborative partnerships, productivity tools, and even discovered how an avatar could be used in the classroom! I have been exposed to new ideas, and new ways of thinking. This has encouraged, rejuvenated and motivated me to set new goals for my own continued professional growth, as well as, new goals for my students!
How will I continue without you, Jennie? Is there an advanced class? I guess I will have to lean on my twitter leaders to guide the way....!
How will I continue without you, Jennie? Is there an advanced class? I guess I will have to lean on my twitter leaders to guide the way....!
Reflections on Mark Federman's Talk....
Content-shmontent! We need to teach skills more than we need to teach dates, names, and other silly factoids! Students can find answers to their questions using the internet and even social networking/collaborative web 2.0 apps. Why memorize it?
What we need to teach is how to construct meaningful questions, how to search effectively for information, how to work collaboratively, and how to use the information productively!
I fully agree with Mark Federman. We need, as educators, to move away from the 3Rs to the 4Cs: Connections, Context, Complexity and Connotations.
Can someone help me do that, please??
What we need to teach is how to construct meaningful questions, how to search effectively for information, how to work collaboratively, and how to use the information productively!
I fully agree with Mark Federman. We need, as educators, to move away from the 3Rs to the 4Cs: Connections, Context, Complexity and Connotations.
Can someone help me do that, please??
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
