Internet Safety

To ensure that my students are safe when using the internet for searches, I would do a mini crash course on how to be safe on the internet. First off I would look into what the schools firewall and protection policy is. Once I have done so, I would also contact the parents before doing web searches to give them information about Internet safety practices I will be going over with the students. I would also include some tips and safety tools for parents to keep in mind while their children are on the Internet at home. I would then ask the students what are some potential dangers of the Internet. E.g. Pedophiles, misleading information, advertisements etc. I would then go into some of the tips and strategies to look for while searching for web sites that may not be good ones. This will also include why it is important to safeguard student identity as well. I would also include a procedure for what to do if they stumble on a bad site, such as close the browser and learn not to click on that link again. Students will probably have some sort of background with the Internet but it is still good to review and put some procedures in line for students to follow so they remain safe. I really like the web quest idea when placing students in front of computers and the Internet for searches. The fact that teachers can select which websites students will access can keep students safe from the pitfalls of the Internet. The main idea in teaching students how to search for information on the Internet is to have students learn what are good websites, what are some signs that students are on the wrong path in the Internet, and how to look at the information appropriately and critically.

To discuss or not to discuss?

The positive aspects of bringing discussion boards into the classroom.
Discussion boards are a great tool that can be implemented into the classroom. The pros of bringing this into your classroom is that it allows students to interact with each other outside of school. This creates a community out side of school and strengthens the communication between students. This also is a great tool for kids to express their ideas in another fashion then public speaking. Discussion boards are great for students who are shy and need more time to think about what they say before saying it because they can answer when they want and there isn't that pressure to present the information in front of everyone. The information is always there for every ones disposal and references. This is also a great way for teachers to monitor how much each student is contributing to the discussion. This can also be a great tool to implement because of the aspect on having a monitor for the discussion boards. Giving each student a chance to be the expert on the subject and make sure everyone is contributing can be used as a reward system. Another benefit of having discussion boards is that this encourages collaboration and cooperation among students. Group work and discussions done on discussion boards will allow students time to think about what they are going to say and reflect on other students opinions. This may also create opportunities for students to tutor or help one another if something is unclear. The whole class is available to clarify misunderstandings instead of maybe one or two people.

The cons of using discussion boards.
Technology integration inside the school is very expensive and not only can some schools not afford it, but students may not be able to afford the technology needed to do discussion boards. This may create the opposite affect of creating a community environment. Students may feel left out if unable to do the discussion boards at home to keep up with everyone else. This may also make the students feel punished for not being able to have the things they can't afford. Another problem with discussion boards in the classroom is that the discussion may take turns that are unexpected by the teacher and students. It is important to have the the students who are monitors or the teacher monitor be able to keep the discussions on track. It is also again a risk to post anything on the net so privacy issues are a concern.

Five ways to enhance classroom interactions using discussion boards
1) Discussion boards create another avenue for students to communicate. Students can ask questions and tutor each other online.
2) Discussion boards allow students to post information and respond to comments which may help students who are nervous public speakers. This allows students to feel more relaxed and open to writing down ideas if to nervous to speak or reply to information instantaneously (teachers who may not give much time for the students to respond to questions. This can also lead to better responses). This may really help ELS students to get to learn about their fellow classmates and take all the time they need to read and post their comments etc.
3) This allows for students and teachers to provide more information that may have been missed because of time constraints. This also allows for teachers and students to extend what they have learned in class and apply that knowledge in more applicable ways online.
4) Discussion boards is an easy avenue for group members to communicate to arrange schedules, provide information and organize their work.
5) Another way that discussion boards enhance classroom interaction is that these boards are accessible anywhere anytime. This will greatly help students who can't always be at school because of extra curricular activities and other circumstances.

Ancient Greece and Concept Mapping

For my concept map, I chose to show the relationships of Ancient Greece's religion (Greek gods) and how the worshipping of these gods affected the ancient civilization in regards to meeting their physical, social and psychological needs. By answering these questions the students will see that the connections here are very intertwined and are deeply rooted in the ancient civilizations culture. I think that this would be an effective way to get the students to write an essay and start the process of learning about these gods. The nice thing about Inspiration technology is it allows hyperlinks to other websites etc so the students may also link the answers to the questions for more in depth answers that they can use when studying. This technology is a great way to organize notes and information.

SLO objectives learned:

· some important values, religious beliefs and
customs and how they affected everyday life;
e.g., government, holy days/festivals,
art/literature

summarize information from a variety of sources

3.5 analyze and synthesize information to create a product

1.3 use technology to support and present conclusions

2.3 use graphic organizers, such as mind mapping/webbing,
flow charting and outlining, to present connections
between ideas and information in a problem-solving
environment