Monday, June 25, 2012

John Hunter's World Peace Game

John Hunter created the World Peace game for his fourth grade students to solve problems of the world. I think that this would be a great game to allow students to play in classrooms. The world peace game allows students to interact while using critical thinking skills. Students are using problem solving while thinking about the consequences of their actions in the game. Many times students are taught the tools for facing problems. However, they are not taught how to use them. I think the world peace game would be a great way to teach students how to apply the tools they are being taught in class.

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Voki

Animals- Concept map


I. Mammals
There are over 4000 species of mammals. All mammals are vertebrates. They are also warm blooded. Mammals have hair on their body, and they give live birth. They also produce milk to feed their young.
A. Horses
B. Dogs
1. Labrador
2. Poodle
II.  Reptiles
Reptiles are covered in scales or scutes. There are four types of reptiles: turtles and tortoises, snakes and lizards, alligators and crocodiles, and the tuatara. Reptiles are found in most environments excluding icy regions and tundra. Many reptiles spend a great deal of time on land, while others spend time in water..
A. Snakes
B.  Crocodiles
III. Birds
Birds are feathered animals. They have wings. Birds lay eggs. Their eggs have a hard,waterproof shell.
A. Hummingbird
B. Penguin
There are three different types of Amphibians. The three groups include Frogs, Salamanders, and Caecilians. Amphibians like to live in wet climates.
A. Salamander
B. Frog
V. Insects
Insects are broken into two groups, insects with wings and insects without wings. All insects are invertebrates. They have three body regions the head, thorax, and abdomen. All insects have six legs.
A. Lady Bug
B. Grasshopper

Digital Citizenship- Using Technology Appropriately



After reading the article, I realize people need to be familiar with the nine themes of digital citizenship. Digital citizenship is defined as the norms of appropriate, responsible behavior with regard to technology use according to the article. Theme one deals with digital access. It basically means that in order to become productive citizens, we need to be committed to equal digital access. Theme two is digital commerce. Digital commerce deals with the electronic buying and selling of goods and products. Theme three is about digital communication, which is the electronic exchange of information. It also tells about the expanding communication options. Digital literacy is discussed in theme four. It deals with the teaching and learning about technology, as well as the use of technology. Digital etiquette is theme five which discusses the electronic standards of what is appropriate in the digital world. The sixth theme is digital law which deal with the fact that people are responsible for their actions and what they say digitally. Digital Rights and Responsibilities is the seventh theme. It deals with the freedoms that are extended to everyone in the digital world.  There is a basic set of rights to everyone in the digital world. Theme eight is digital health and wellness. It deals with educating and training people on how to protect themselves from the physical and psychological dangers that can come from technology. The last theme, theme nine, is digital security. It deals with the electronic precautions to guarantee safety in the digital world.
Furthermore, I think is is extremely important that educators become familiar with these nine themes of digital citizenship. It is also important to educate students on these themes to ensure digital safety. A good way of teaching the themes of digital citizenship is REPs, it stands for Respect, Educate, and Protect. REP one is respect yourself and others. This is where digital etiquette, access, and law would be taught. REP two is educate yourself and connect with others. This is where communication, literacy, and commerce would be discussed. REP three is protect yourself and others. This is where rights and responsibly, safety, and health and welfare would be discussed. I think REPs is a great concept for teaching digital citizenship to ensure digital safety and appropriate technology use. 

'Safe' Social Networking Tailored for K-12 Schools

After reading this article, I believe that educational social media sites like Edmodo, ePals, and eChalk can be highly beneficial to student learning.These sites have been designed in a way that the teacher leads discussion. Teachers can also monitor the discussions and control who students talk to. These sites provide great security,which makes many teachers more comfortable using them. We live in a society where social networking is very common, so why not allow students access to use these sites to expand education. The use of these types of educational social media sites allows students to connect and communicate with classmates on assignments. In my opinion, the use of these sites allow students to think and organize their thoughts before having to share them with other peers. I also think that these sites make students put more effort into work, because it will be read by other peers. If monitored by the teacher correctly, these sites can beneficial for classroom use and students.

CIPA

The Children's Internet Protection Act is a federal law that is enacted by Congress. The CIPA addresses concerns about offensive content that can be viewed over the Internet using school and library computers. CIPA imposes many requirements for schools and libraries that receive funding through the E-rate program. The deadline to meet the CIPA's  new requirements is July 1. There will be new regulations that schools must adhere to, or they could risk losing discounts and funds. The new addition is that all students' K-12 be educated on cyberbullying and online behavior and safety.  Schools and districts must have a plan written up by the deadline that includes instruction on Internet safety and cyberbullying in the curriculum. However, the CIPA does not include requirements on how the materials should be included in the curriculum., which I think will cause the most problems with school districts. Furthermore, I do think that educating students on Internet safety and cyberbullying can be beneficial, once it is decided on how to implement it into the curriculum.