Cyberbullying

Probably one of my most terrifying moments as a child was being bullied by a girl, after school. I felt if I told my parents, it would just make matters worse. I was afraid they would call her parents, and then I would be attacked even more. I don't know about you, but living in a world of fear, was not fun! Today our children are experiencing that same fear, only it is Cyberbullying. I do believe many parents do not have a clue that their children are being bullied over the internet, or their children are taking part in bullying. Just like my parents had no clue that I ran a dead sprint for home after school, because of the fear of being attacked. I feel it is very important to let parents know that this is happening in our society today. Children on both side of this issue, whether they are being bullied or the one doing the bullying, may pay terrible consequences that could affect their lives forever. Parents need to be notified and children need to be aware that they need to tell someone if they are being bullied. I feel it is very important that parents, and teachers work together to teach children the safety of Cyberbullying. Here are some websites for teachers,parents, and children to access in understanding the importance their safety. www.cyberbullying.org/ www.netsmartz.org

images is from Pic4Learning

Assistive Technology

We are all different in our own way. We have different hair color, skin color,talk differently, walk differently, act differently etc. That is what makes us unique. Everyone has something unique to share. Everyone has something to offer that will change our world and the world around us. In our life time, we will use some type of assistance. I believe without assistive technology many of us would miss out on the experience of gaining knowledge, and the opportunity to communicate in this world by sharing what we have to offer. Assistive technology devices makes it easier for one to function in a setting where the accessiblity maybe difficult. Watching my mother with Multiple Sclerosis lose her mobility, would have been much more difficult for me if I wouldn't have had the different devices to make her opportunities exist. I believe creating a classroom environment with the many different assistive technology devices will foster the learning styles of a diverse classroom. It gives everyone the opportunity to participate, and take part in the learning environment, so no child is left behind. Here is a good website for families that was shared with me. I hope it can benefit someone that has questions that are related to this post. http://www.pluk.org/AT1.html

image is from Pic4Learning

Benefits of Social Networking

Social Networking is a fabulous way to communicate with others and share your common interest. It is a wonderful way to talk with people from other parts of the country. I remember having pen pals in school. These pen pals were from different countries. I remember going to the mailbox day after day, to see if they had sent me a letter. Now we can communicate online and share through websites, Facebook, Twitter, without the long wait of mail. It is amazing how social networking has changed the business world, the educator's world, and many others. I feel it has made it much easier to gather information, to prepare lessons, to learn about different cultures, and to share ideas on what works in the classroom, and be able to carry out every day life in the convenience of your home. I know as a youth leader, it has made my job much easier. Of course, I realize there are dangers associated with social networking. If parents, teachers, and students educate themselves to help each other recognize the dangers, it can be a safe place to communicate. The key is we need to educate, and protect ourselves from these dangers. There is a degree of danger in everything that we do. I think we just need to always be aware of our surroundings, use common sense, and always be well informed before we partake in anything. I found this site to be of great value in Social web tips!
http://www.connectsafely.org

image from Pic4Learning

Discover Dinosaur Video Project

Kindergarten students will listen to a story and be able to sequence the events with this activity.
This video contains a short story about two dinosaurs. It is an interactive video where children can participate and listen to the short story. They are asked to sequence the short story at the end of the video. I found that the window movie maker video project was very fun and I think children would love to use this technology to make their own storyboards. It is a wonderful way for children to collaborate and put together information on different topics. Children's attention is captured by using visuals. Using a storyboard allows children to express themselves, gather knowledge, share knowledge and put his/her individual ideas together to create a wonderful project that they can share with others. Here is a sight where you can also view lesson plans on discovering dinosaurs and purchase videos. http://school.discoveryeducation.com/lessonplans/programs/tlc-dinosaurs
www.germantownacademy.org/Academics/LS/2/dinos/dinointr.htm



Dinosaurs roamed the earth!

Interesting article on integrating technology

I read some interesting articles on the websites below. I thought I would share them with you.
There are examples of integrating technology in the classroom. I hope you enjoy the website.
http://schoolcomputing.wikia.com/wiki/Technology_in_Kindergarten

Using spreadsheets & graphs as a learning tool

Well, another creative project finished, and sent off to my professor. I am amazed at what you can do with technology. There are many creative projects that you can develop using spreadsheets and graphs. These tools can be used as a gauge to see the knowledge that they have retained in the classroom. I used the spreadsheet so children could sort dinosaurs into two different categories, herbivores and carnivores. Children then are able to answer questions related to the sorting activity such as: How many meat eaters did you sort? How many plant eaters did you sort? How many dinosaurs did you sort altogether? Which group of dinosaurs did you have more of? Which group of dinosaurs did you have less of? This activity meets the instructional outcome as the students problem solve,sort, and use computer skills to imput their information. Here is another website that I found that shows how another educator used spreadsheets in her classroom. www.alicechristie.org/edtech/ss/

image from pic4learning