Internet Safety

1. Reading: I read the article Things as They Really Are by David A. Bednar

2. I watched the suggested videos as well as videos i found from different children's websites and videos children may watch from YouTube.

3. From all the videos and readings i did, i realized how important it is to prevent students from going to websites or watching videos you don't want them to see. There are a lot of internet predators and bad websites students can easily be distracted by. I realized the importance of really watching children as they are on computers, especially if they are able to access the internet. Also i realized the importance of teaching children about the harmful things on the internet and computers that they need to be aware of. Simply teaching students about what is out there and what they can do will help prevent a lot of problems.

4. I asked a friend about what he knew regarding internet safety and children. I was quite surprised at how much he knew. He suggested internet filters, pop-up blockers, webpage scanner that scans for maliciousness, and setting up through the router times of day where the internet cannot be accessed. I shared with him other things he could do to be safe with children such as informing the child and talking to them about what is on the internet and what to do if they encounter any bad websites or are contacted by people they do not know. I think he will take this information and apply it into his home so that his children will be safer when using the internet.

TPACK Assignment

Here is the link to my google doc: http://docs.google.com/present/view?id=dgqk2phz_4frdf77gt


Here is my presentation. Enjoy!

Three Lesson Plans

Here are the links to my lesson plans:

Content:
http://docs.google.com/View?id=dcmp3j9b_2dcbpggfn

Literacy:
http://docs.google.com/View?id=dcmp3j9b_0f6bfjwdm

Math:
http://docs.google.com/View?id=dcmp3j9b_1f85b48gr

Week 10: What I learned

From watching these three videos I really learned a lot. Before watching, I thought technology integration into a classroom was something that would be hard to do since most of the resources we have looked at have been presentation based, or programs children would need to have spent several lessons learning how to use before they could create a product successfully. But through these videos i learned that technology integration can be, and is most of the time very simple. Children don't have to be exploring the galaxies to be learning about technology, lessons can be as simple as having kids draw their pictures in kid pix, rather than on paper. The other thing I realized through watching these videos is that there is a lot to know about technology, and really there is no excuse not to use it in our classrooms today since most children are fairly familiar with it.

The one thing I really liked was when one of the videos mentioned that we shouldn't be afraid to use technology, because children are brave and willing to try and experiment with it.

Technology in the classroom

I was pleasantly surprised as i walked into my classroom at how much technology was available in our classroom. There are cassette tape players, three computers with internet, a cd player, an overhead projector, a flex cam and a projector that can hook up to computers. There is also a TV available for checkout from the school if needed. I was happy to see that so much technology is used by the children as well as the teacher. It surely is a huge increase since i was in school. I think all the technology around is definitely enhancing student learning.

I have also finished the first two parts of this assignment (the mid-course survey and the informed consent.)

Moon and Earth Exploration

Science Lesson

For my activity i will be teaching my students the earth and moon are both spherical. To do this i am going to use the technology called worldwind. First of all i will talk to the kids and find out what they know about the earth and moon, and then let them use the technology to explore the earth and moon. I will have them note any similarities or differences that they see between the two planets on a worksheet. After they have done this, I will have questions to help guide their learning so they can discover what they need to learn through this lesson. I will ask them to measure the earth and moon and see what one is larger, noting what the measurement line looks like (curved line means the planets are not flat). I will also have them use the time lapse to look at how the sun affects the two planets, and ask them to zoom in and note any differences or similarities between the two planets. After they have done these three things they can play around with any of the settings, explore the atmosphere, and also look at the different planets that are included in this application.

The technology will enhance the lesson because the students will actually be exploring the planets rather than just looking at pictures and being told the facts about each one. I'm really excited to do this lesson and figure it all out!