Understanding Digital Citizenship - project due next Tuesday!

I just wanted to reiterate the conversations we have been having about our upcoming project...

You should research, analyze, and interpret one element of Digital Citizenship.  

·         Digital Access

·         Digital Commerce

·         Digital Communication

·         Digital Literacy

·         Digital Etiquette

·         Digital Law

·         Digital Rights & Responsibilities

·         Digital Health & Wellness

·         Digital Security

Locate one current digital concern from one of these areas.  

Then you have a choice...
1)  If you don't have a class of students, you could opt to --- Find a peer-reviewed article to support the need for integrating Digital Citizenship into education.    Write an essay about your findings and present to the class.
2)  If you do have a class, than you can create a lesson(s) to implement with your students about one of the digital concerns.  You will then present this to the class.
3) If you have any other creative ideas...I'm certainly open to them!

***Digital resources will need to be provided.  

(Very similar to our first project except now our focus is on the Digital Elements.)

This will be my only post this week so that you can all focus on your projects for next Tuesday.  If you have any questions about the project you can post them here, email me, or by all means...call me. 

DON'T forget to take a look at the posts from last week!!!

Reminder!!!

There is no class on campus tomorrow, March 27th.  I will see you next week and we will present on our next projects. 

We have had a death in our family this week so I will be slightly distracted but I WILL post.   Please see the blog tomorrow for more posts!

Thanks,
Nicole

Week 10.3

The Govenor's Education Bill

During our class this week, Michele also engaged us is a very important discussion about the new Governor's bill.  We had a very passionate discourse about our rights as teachers and the importance of putting our students first.  While we all know that reform is needed in education, I wonder why teachers must bare the brunt of the turmoil.  The education of our students is what matters most to us...contrary to popular belief it's not tenure or summers off.  We do expect to be fully respected by our administrators and supported by our politicians.  Without that, how can we be effective in creating productive classrooms?  In order to keep up with some of the changes in CT legislature, Michele had mentioned a blog called, "Wait, What?"  I have to admit...I loved it by it's title.  Take a look around and let me know what you think? 

Wait, What?
http://jonathanpelto.com/

By the way...here is the complete bill if you are interested in reading it.
http://www.cga.ct.gov/2012/TOB/S/2012SB-00024-R00-SB.htm

Week 10.2

The Bully Project

This project highlights the immediate need in our schools as well as the crucial systemic changes that need to be addressed where bullying is concerned. 
Is is a film that follows 5 kids and families over the course of a school year, stories include 2 families who have lost children to suicide and a mother awaiting the fate of her 14-year-old daughter who has been incarcerated after bringing a gun on her school bus. With an intimate glimpse into their personal lives, we are given the opportunity to learn from and be inspired to make change happen for our children and students.  

Check out the trailor.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XwZIGnaSuJY

PLEASE visit this website and make these next few items a priority on your to-do list.
http://www.thebullyproject.com/
1.  Sign the petition to give Bully a PG-13 rating.  If they don't change the rating of this movie then we are really missing the point.  The kids who need to receive this message will not be old enough to view it.  I'm POSITIVE that our kids are watching far more violent, crude and inapporopriate films with a much less important message.
2.   "Bring Bully to your city."  Norwalk, CT is currently within the top 10 cities to "win" the showing of this movie...as it will only be shown in select movie theatres.  Feel free to add your city as well!
3.  Take the Pledge to "Help Stop Bullying". 

Can't wait to hear what you think! 
and
Please spread the word! 

Week 10.1

What's the Consesus?

Today we had the pleasure of having Michele come to class and discuss the pros, cons and safety precautions that teachers need to take in order to maintain a professional reputation while accessing social media in their personal life.  She gave us some important advice and eye opening examples of teachers falling into difficult situations and possibly damaging thier careers using facebook.  These types of examples we can certainly generalize into other arenas of social media.  While these tools keep us connected to our friends and family, I do believe teachers need to be hyper aware of their behavior and language presented on these platforms.  Afterall, we are teachers...this is who we always are...this is NOT something we just leave beind at 3pm.  Our reputation as nurturers, educators and role models, has to come first all of the time!  We have chosen this profession, because we care and we want to make a difference.  How better to do that, then to model the appropriate behaviors ourselves.    

Please leave your feedback and/or opinions about the presenation on Social Media.

Hi everyone!
I was unable to get to the blog this week.  My apologies!  I hope everyone is doing well!  Enjoy your week off and please contact me if you need any assistance on your next project.
Nicole

Week 6.5

Facebook in the classroom.  Should we, could we use it?

I have been thinking about our conversation in class, last Tuesday about using Facebook with our students.  I have some resources for you, if you think you might be interested in trying it or using "Fake" facebook tools.

I found some creative ideas for using facebook in your classrooms at a blog called, Web 2.0 Edu.
"Science:

• Students can pretend they are a famous scientist and explain a particular finding or experiment from that persons perspective.
• Students can be a certain chemical in a compound and explain, from the chemical’s viewpoint, what happens when mixed with other chemicals. This one will really stretch the mind of the students and probably the teacher.
• Have a student write from the perspective of an earthquake, a tornado, or a tsunami. This may sound silly, but it will show the teacher whether or not the student understands a concept.

Math: This one might seem like a stretch to some, but there are students in the math classroom that will benefit greatly from this kind of activity.

• Have students be a number in a math problem and tell what happens to them through wall posts. Their friends can be the other parts of the problem.
• Students could be a geometric shape and explain what functions that shape serves.

Social Studies:

• Students could act as historical figures. This activity has great potential. Students could be a civil war general, a ruler in ancient China,  or slave on a ship crossing the Atlantic ocean.
• Students could be a country and explain what the people within the country are doing.
• This one will test the student mind for sure. Have them be a rock on a hill overlooking a valley. Explain what is happening there as it is settled by the people. Maybe a rock along the Oregon trail, or on the coast near Cape Horn.

Language Arts:

• Students can write from the perspective of characters in a story.
• The RAFT concept can be used here to have great potential in the English classroom. Instead of being a character in a story, maybe the students can write from the perspective of a fly on the wall, or a chair in the room, or the family cat.
• Students could be a comma and show how it is used in the comma’s own words. Again, this is a mind bender."

Fake Facebook Tools...
Edmodo - a safe website for teachers to simulate Facebook activities.
http://www.edmodo.com/

Facebook Template in Microsoft Word
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/templates/facebook-template-word-TC102239159.aspx?AxInstalled=1&c=0

Facebook Template in PowerPoint 2010
http://noshhinghere.blogspot.com/2012/02/updated-facebook-template.html

"Flakebook" Template in Google Docs
https://docs.google.com/present/view?id=0AcupvssS0h45ZGhyajJ4cnpfNTBnODhtZm5meg

If you are thinking about using Facebook with your kids or students, here are some safety resources...
http://www.facebook.com/safety/
http://www.connectsafely.org/Safety-Advice-Articles/facebook-for-parents.html

Week 6.4

Dialogue 21

Saturday, May 5, 2012,  8:30am - 3:30 pm

Location:  Saint Joseph College, West Hartford, CT

FREE!

Dialogue21 is a free, teacher-led and directed, technology conference designed to promote effective technology integration into classrooms. From cutting-edge assistive technologies, to engaging Web 2.0 Tools,to social media integration, and conversations on cyber bullying and digital citizenship, this conference aims to let you, the educator, not only decide but share and collaborate with fellow colleagues inspired to teach today's 21st Century Citizens.

Sign up here!

http://sjcsage.ticketleap.com/dialogue-21/

Mike...did I get this right???

Week 6.3

Update on scheduled class dates!

March 20th is a go!  We will have class at SJC that week. Our guest speaker will be Michelle O'neill from the CEA.  Please make sure you can be there that day; I think this will really benefit you!

Our class trip to NEAT (New England Assisitve Technology) in Hartford, has been moved to April 10th.  Originally we were scheduled for April 17th but there were to many school vacations conflicting. 

I apologize for the changes! 
Thanks!
Nicole

Week 6.2

The Ohio School shooting has been weighing heavily on my mind this week!  My thoughts have been going out to all of those affected by this terrible tragedy.  As a mom, it's unthinkable!  As a teacher, it's scary to think that there may have been warning signs that could have avoided this devastating event.  OR was it a truly random event?  Either way, it's difficult to process this type of violence.

I'm interested to hear your thoughts on how students at Chardon High School used Twitter, during this terrible event to educate others about what was happening inside the school.  The public learned about the shooting through Twitter way before news stories broke!  Incredible or confusing???

Ohio School Shooting: 5 Students Shot, 1 Dies At Chardon High School, Suspect In Custody
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/27/ohio-school-shooting-2012-chardon-high_n_1303988.html

Twitter Used As Impromptu Emergency Broadcast System During Ohio School Shooting
http://www.mediabistro.com/alltwitter/twitter-used-as-impromptu-emergency-broadcast-system-during-ohio-school-shooting_b19030

Teen charged with three counts of murder in Ohio school shooting
http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/03/01/10552637-teen-charged-with-three-counts-of-murder-in-ohio-school-shooting?ocid=ansmsnbc11