Teaching Students Internet Safety

The Internet is a resource of endless information. In today’s technology driven world, it is unrealistic to not incorporate the use of the Internet into the classroom. With that being said, the Internet can also be dangerous when not used properly. It is vital that elementary school teachers instill digital ethics and safety into their students starting at a young age.

For early elementary students, using “child friendly” search engines is a great way for teachers to ensure that all the content being viewed is safe for their students. The search engines filter out any inappropriate content so that the students can use the Internet safely. For upper elementary students I feel as though instructors can give presentations on Internet safety to students as young as second grade. In some school systems, the computer or technology specialist will come into the classroom to give these presentations to students. In other systems, the responsibility may fall upon the teacher so it is important that teachers are prepared to give age appropriate presentations. To view an example of elementary level Technology standards click here http://web.harrisonburg.k12.va.us/tech/integration/index.php?page=elementary-internet-safety-curriculum.

Teachers can also incorporate Internet safety into their content lessons in the computer lab. Simple short demonstrations at the beginning of each visit to the computer lab are a great way for elementary school teachers to quickly review safe Internet practices or review what NOT to do. Short teaching moments like these are more meaningful to students, because what you are discussing will apply to whatever they are working on in the computer lab that week. It is also helpful for teachers to show students safe, reliable resources on the web. 

Assessments

In a perfect world, how would you assess your students?  Discuss the benefits and challenges to implementing that in the SOL-driven world that we live in.

In a ideal setting, I would assess my students in countless varieties of ways. When I sit down to plan a lesson I start by thinking about what objectives I have in mind that I want my students to accomplish. When I think about assessing my students on these objectives, I like to think about what task(s) would give  students the opportunity to demonstrate their mastering of these objectives. It is important to choose an assessment that aligns with your goals and objectives in order to get a true picture of what your students know. Instead, teachers are faced with pressure to produce assessments that can be quickly analyzed for data. Our school systems are under pressure to perform well on standardized testing, which leads to some disconnect between what we know is best practice and what types of assessments are actually used. This disconnect leads to meaningless assessments that require students to simply regurgitate information  presented to them. 

Assessments can be formal or informal. Sometimes when you are mid-unit, a quick check for understanding is all that is necessary to continue progress in the classroom. Other times, more formal assessments are required by teachers in order to document student progress, check for misunderstandings and misconceptions, and adjust the curriculum accordingly to meet the needs of individual students. With that being said, assessments do not need to be in the format of multiple choice, true/false, or matching tests and quizzes. Assessments can come from interviews between the teacher and the student, observations made during activities and lessons, or by analyzing a product that is being created. By engaging students in project-based learning, teachers become facilitators who get to observe the student’s thought process and guide their thinking in the right direction. When students create meaningful work, they can also demonstrate understanding. Through creative outlets such as videos, photo stories, experiments, oral presentations, powerpoint presentations, designing or creating original work students can demonstrate their understanding without the use of a paper and pencil test. 

MUST HAVE for your classroom iPad: ShowMe

ShowMe is an application created for the iPad that allows the user to create lessons or tutorials on a whiteboard, and record it to a video . The application’s simple design makes it easy to use for both teachers and students. ShowMe is available for free on the ipad, and there is no limit on what you can teach or create. 

In addition to the creation aspect of this application, ShowMe has created an online global community for it’s users. Teachers, parents, and students can post their lessons, tutorials, or videos to the online ShowMe community where it can then be utilized by everyone. This form of community file sharing is a great way for students to showcase their work. It also provides a great database of information for teachers to utilize. You can watch a video to refresh your memory on a topic you will be teaching, use it to introduce a concept to your students, or post the videos online for your students to use as an at-home resource. ShowMe videos can be incorporated into powerpoint or Prezi presentations. Teachers can also create student accounts so that they can monitor their classroom's activity. 

Students can use the application to watch videos on topics they are learning about in school, watch tutorials for help on at-home assignments, create video projects that showcase their interests, or demonstrate a particular concept to their peers. Students have the option to draw on the whiteboard, upload pictures for their presentations, and voice record directions. Videos can be uploaded to the public, or used privately if you do not want them to be seen by others. By incorporating the ShowMe app into your classroom, you are providing students with a rare opportunity to create something without limitations. Being offered this free choice and creative outlet is enough to excite and engage your students. 

My Vision for Technology in the Classroom

It is no secret that technology is continuously developing and changing. With millions of users uploading content to the internet on a daily basis, it would seem that there is no question you cannot find the answer to online. As technology becomes more and more integrated into our daily lives, it raises the question of how technology should be incorporated in the classroom. While there are those who believe incorporating technology in education has very few benefits,  a recent study conducted by CompTIA reveals that the majority of teachers and administrators believe technology has had a positive impact in education. The study, which surveyed 500 educators across the United States, revealed that 78% of K-12 teachers and administrators believe technology has positively impacted the classroom and the productivity of students. 

The key to successfully incorporating technology in the classroom, is to make sure it is being used purposefully. Purposeful use means that the technology is being utilized to enhance the classroom learning experience. A common mistake educators make is using technology in their classrooms, because they think that the technology itself is interesting or cool. Instead, instructors should be focusing on the goals and objectives of their lesson, and what types of technology can be used to help their students gain a better understanding of those objectives in a meaningful way. In addition to enhancing the classroom learning experience, incorporating technology in the classroom will also increase the productivity of students. If a student is enjoying the task they are working on, they will be more likely to think deeper, work harder, and as a result gain a greater understanding of the topics they are working on. Utilizing technology in their lessons is only one of the ways teachers can bring technology into the classroom. Teachers can use email, video chatting, blogging, texting, etc. to communicate with fellow faculty and staff members, students, parents, or with the education community at large. Technology makes communicating with someone on the other side of the world fast, easy,  and convenient all within the four walls of your classroom. Using technology gives students the opportunity to not just learn about the world around us, but to interact and be apart of it, all without having to move from the comfort of our chairs. 

I personally try to incorporate technology for instructional use as much as possible. After incorporating technology into my activities, I noticed how much more engaged my students appeared to be in the lessons. For example, when I was student teaching in fourth grade we were working on a poetry unit for Language Arts. The students were each given a poem to memorize which they would then be required to perform at the end of the week. The objectives I was trying to achieve with this activity were less about poetry, and more about public speaking skills. I told the students I would be video recording their speeches so that we could watch them together as a group after, and reflect on their performances. The results were amazing. By Friday of that week (performance day) I had about five emails from parents requesting if they could come watch their child perform, and even more emails requesting that I send them the video of their child's performance because they could not attend. This was not the first time I had required my students to give a speech, but it was the first time I had students and parents so excited about it! On the day of the performances I had students coming into school dressed as characters from their poems, students who had brought in or made their own props, and students who had memorized their entire poems even though it was not required. I chose this particular story to share with you, because it completely blew my mind the impact that one small technology addition had on the moral of my students. Every single one of them gave an A+ performance that day. 

Want to know more about technology in the classroom? Watch this video to see how one first year teacher used technology to transform her classroom:  New Teacher Survivor Guide: Technology in the Classroom.