The Internet is an amazing tool for classroom teaching, but can be dangerous when precautions are not followed. It is the teachers responsibility to make sure students are safe when using internet tools! (That's why we need to learn how to navigate the internet!)
To ensure that my students (and me!) are safely using a Blog I will...
1. Make clear the guidelines (including restrictions) for using internet tools such as Blogger. Knowledge is power! If students know how to PROPERLY use internet tools for the classroom they will be safe.
2. Get administration, other teachers, and parents on board. When bringing the internet into the classroom, other professionals and parents must know the objectives and goals. Students must have access to computers and have permission from parents and guardians. (A teacher must provide an alternative assignment for the students that do not want/ cannot participate in an online activity.) Students must also have resources or assistance if they do not understand the technology.
3. Be a role model and set up my blog as I want my students to set up their own blogs. I will go through the process step by step and explain why we do not include last names, pictures, and why it is important to use a nickname. I will also closely monitor what the students are saying and who is talking to one another.
4. Consult a Library Media Specialist who is very familiar with safe, kid- friendly websites. I want students to use the Internet, but get accurate and understandable information.
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Safety is a legitimate concern and I think you're right in that students who don't want to (or whose parents don't want them to) participate online still have to do the work through a similar assignment. I truly hope that as teachers we don't run into too many students like that, though, because the internet is a huge part of daily life today, and if they do not learn how to use it properly, safely, and to their benefit, what trouble might they get themselves into down the road?
ReplyDeleteIn the same vein as Matt...
ReplyDeleteI guess I never really considered that there may be students, parents or families who do not want to participate in an online learning activity such as blogging, but it really is a legitimate concern.
I also think that it is a great idea to use the library consultant for help regarding safety. As teacher using these tools, we obviously have to be aware of safety techniques, but the specialists are just that, the specialists!
Modeling proper and appropriate behavior is one of the best actions that students can learn from. As a fellow internet user, new users (our students) will look to what we as teachers do, our concerns, and our actions to choose their own. Reasoning behind certain decisions is also very important to convey.
ReplyDeleteI think you are looking realistically at the situation when you think of alternative assignments for students whose parents may object to blogging or who don't have ready access to a computer. A good teacher always has a plan "B".
ReplyDeleteDr. Burgos