This is, by far, one of my favorite courses I have taken in this program so far! Not only did I have the opportunity to complete a goal I had in life (blogging), but I learned about Web 2.0 tools and how to utilize them within my classroom. Before this course, I didn’t know anything about Flipgrid, BYOD, Plickers, Kahoot, Add on and Extensions, Internet Safety, Global Collaboration Projects (GCPs), and using Twitter as a form of communication with stakeholders. Through this course, I have learned methods and strategies to integrate into my instruction that will support communication, collaboration, creativity, and critical thinking.
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Internet and SafetyJust like students have to be taught to read and write, teachers must teach students safe and healthy use of the Internet. Teachers can start by having a conversation about the benefits of technology and how it works (Muthler, 2015). Teachers can educate through scenarios by presenting situations to students and asking thought-provoking questions about the scenarios (Lucas, 2013). This will cause students to think critically and aid in being good digital citizens. Another way teachers can educate students about internet safety is to get parents involved. Studies show that family involvement is one of the most significant predictors of a child’s success. Having schools and families work together there can be positive outcomes for all (Morris, 2019). With the help of the students, teachers should create a technology contract that outlines guidelines of the use of technology (Muthler, 2015). I believe it is important to educate teachers about the safe and healthy use of the Internet. Consequently, I have picked two websites to share with you on the topic at hand. The first resource is an article written by Kathleen Morris. In this article, Morris talks about 10 Internet Safety Tips for Students. These tips included the following topics: laws, talk, friends, privacy, reputation question, cyberbullying, accounts (passwords and usernames), manners, and unplug (Morris, 2019). This website also gave 4 different ways to approach teaching internet safety. One approach that stood out to me was storytelling. In storytelling, students are given a realistic scenario to consider. Students have the opportunity to discuss what they think is the best way to handle the scenario. This approach is better than lecturing because it allows students to learn from someone else’s problem. The second is teaching students strategies. Morris believes that we have to go beyond teaching students what they should not do but train them with strategies of things they should do. The other resource that I would like to share with you is an article titled, Help Kids Practice Smart Internet Habit and Stay Safe Online written by Erin Wilkey. Wilkey links us to 12 different lessons plans for students in grades 3–8. These lesson plans focus on the "do's and not the don'ts, which agrees with Morris' article. My favorite is a 5th-grade lesson about teaching students about clickbait or clicking on catchy headlines with extreme pictures. Wilkey believes implementing these lessons will build critical thinking skills and habits to deal with issues if they arise. Please check out the website and share your favorite lesson with me. I am a second-grade teacher who is working hard at preparing my students as digital age learners. I know how vital internet safety is and I want to teach my students about internet safety so they can be better users of the internet. The following is a videoI would show to my students, followed by a think-pair-share activity. There are a ton of things that you can do to keep students safe on the Internet. I have provided a few strategies below. 1. COPPA stands for Children's Online Privacy and Protection Act. This law deals with the way websites, apps, and other online resources collect data on students under the age of 13. COPPA informs teachers about several ways to keep students safe using the internet. • Knowing your school's policies on adopting new technologies and follow them. Check to see if your school has a list of approved websites. Students privacy should have been considered when the list was compiled. • Choose your classroom tech wisely. Teachers should choose tools that are geared towards education. Avoid games, websites, or apps with a lot of advertisement. 2. Common Sense Media published at video titled, How to Keep Kids Safe Online. In the video, they give parents 3 rules to keep their students safe when interacting online. These tips are guides to help students stay safe in the digital world. • Never talk to strangers – if you don’t know someone you shouldn’t chat or exchange emails with them. You should never meet up with them. Students should tell their parents if they suspect something. • Don’t overshare- remind your child not to share their address, phone number, or selfies. It is crucial for students to understand that they have to protect their personal privacy. • Never share your location- parents should turn off GPS settings for apps and websites. • Parents should always check in with their child when regarding the digital world. 3. When students use technology to bully or harass another student, it is considered Cyberbullying. To protect students against cyberbullying, schools have to be proactive by creating guidelines even before the bullying starts. Schools should get input from students when creating the guidelines. Each classroom should have a copy of the guidelines and should be signed by everyone within that class. Global Collaboration Project Global Collaboration Projects (GCPs) are assignments that allow students to work with peers beyond the classroom (ISTE Team, 2017). GCPs are so remarkable because they allow students to develop digital citizenship, global cultural, and collaboration skills. When students take the responsibility of acting and modeling safe, legal, ethical behavior, they are displaying digital citizenship. When students have the opportunity to share their experience or learn from peers around the world, they can tap into global cultural awareness. When students have the opportunity to work with others while sharing responsibility among a group, they are building collaboration skills. Implementing GCP is one way to promote 21st-century skills into our digital learners. One project that I explored was Global Read Aloud. There is one book that is shared among classrooms around the world (global cultural). This book will can be studied for up to 6 weeks. Students have the opportunity to share their thoughts and make connections about the book with one or as many classes they would like globally (collaboration). One Web 2.0 tool that will support this particular GCP is Edmodo. Edmodo allows students to communicate and engage with courses around the world safely (“The World’s Largest Learning Community,” 2018). Students must use good digital citizenship strategies to utilize Edmodo. Another Global Collaboration Project that was interesting to me was This is My Country. In this project, students from around the country share interesting facts, trivia, and information about their state. The students in my class could share information to other students around the world about Georgia such as rivers, regions, famous people (Martin Luther King Jr., Jimmy Carter, governor, and the current president), and more! I would use Flipgrid as a Web 2.0 tool for this GCP because it allows students or create short videos that spark responses from other students in the US or world (global cultural). When students view and respond to other students they are not only practicing digital citizenship, but they are also utilizing collaboartion skills. Sometimes, we as educators have a lot of ideas and it can be difficult to narrow down exactly what we want to do. This can present a challenge when designing a GCP. ISTE suggests starting small and picking a focus. Another challenge could be deciding when to implement the GCP within your classroom. ISTE suggest finding a naturally way to fit into your daily routine. It can also be difficult to get others to participate in GCP. Teachers should reach out to fellow teachers via Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and other PLN. If no one is interested in joining your GCP, it is a good idea to rethink the topic (ISTE Team, 2017). ReferencesCommon Sense Media. (n.d.). How to keep kids safe online[Video file]. Retrieved from https://d1pmarobgdhgjx.cloudfront.net/parenttip/PT_Internet_Safety_Rebrand_2014.mp4 Indiana University of Pennsylvania on YouTube. (2011, May 17). Internet Safety for Kids K-3[Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89eCHtFs0XM ISTE Team (2017). 7 Steps to starting a global collaboration project. Retrieved from https://www.iste.org/explore/In-the-classroom/7-steps-to-starting-a-global-collaboration-project?articleid=608 Knutson, J. (2018). What Is COPPA? Retrieved from https://www.commonsense.org/education/articles/what-is-coppa Lucas, R. (2013). The Teacher’s Guide to Keeping Students Safe Online. Retrieved from https://elearningindustry.com/the-teacher-guide-to-keeping-students-safe-online Morris, K. (2019). Teaching Digital Citizenship. Retrieved from http://www.kathleenamorris.com |
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