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Part 1: Internet Safety & Global CitizenshipIn the classroom, teachers must use strategies to keep students safe not only in the physical class environment but on the internet as well. First teachers must know and follow the Children’s Online Privacy and Protection Act (COPPA) law. Teachers must be aware of this law and follow at all times when using the internet with students and concerning students. It is essential for teachers to know if their school or district have an approved list of apps and sites for student use because student data privacy issues play a critical decision to approve or not approve websites. Next, teachers should choose their classroom tech for student use wisely, by selecting tech that is designed for educational purposes. Lastly, if a teacher is not sure about a digital tool to use Common Sense’s privacy evaluation for technology tools to help make the decision. I reviewed three websites on the safe and healthy use of the internet that would be beneficial when learning about students safety on the internet. Of the three websites reviewed, the following two are for teachers: The following resource, is the third website I visited, which is an online video for students to learn about internet safety: After reviewing several websites on the safe and healthy use of the internet for students. I thought the following strategies discussed by Common Sense Education are critical for educators to follow when using the internet for students learning and data:
Global Collaboration Projects (GCPs)Global Collaborative Projects (GCPs), can be used to help students develop digital citizenship, global and cultural awareness and collaboration skills by focusing on a certain skill for mastery while collaborating with others to promote learning. Not only do students collaborate with students from the same area and background, but they also interact digitally with others from different areas and backgrounds. By collaborating globally with peers, students gain the opportunity to work with students for various backgrounds learning about different cultures and becoming culturally aware and respectful of others background. In addition to cultural awareness, students learn how to communicate effectively and respectfully with others while using the internet safely and appropriately when working on GCPs which promotes digital citizens. After learning about GCPs and its benefits to students, I would use Edmodo and Global Math Project.
Miranda's Tour Builder ProjectClick below to access my Tour Builder project: Miranda's Trip to Niagara Falls Tour Builder Project My thoughts concerning the virtual environment tools that I explored along with the readings were very positive. I envisioned students of all ages engaged in the learning environment and taking ownership of their learning. The virtual environment tools will reach a lot of students because most of the tools I reviewed are in the form of gaming, video, and animations taking slide shows to a new level. I especially enjoyed the Tour Builder because students can have a 3D view of where people, places, and things they are learning about is located. All of the technology resources that I reviewed were user-friendly and easy to work. I believe these tools will support the 4 C's: collaboration, communication, creativity, and critical thinking. While working with these tools, students can collaboratively work with their peers to complete their assignment and communicate with others by working together and also by viewing other products and providing feedback. Students can share their products with community partners and students from other schools and communicate via the internet what they learn and answer questions and have online discussions via digital tools. These virtual tools also allow students to be creative and express their learning in authentic ways that the students are comfortable with allowing them the freedom to be creative and think outside the box. The tools will also support critical thinking because students will have to do research and use the blooms taxonomy levels when creating products and making sure they provide pertinent information that specifically meets their learning targets and demonstrate a clear level of understanding to show mastery over the skills they are learning. I believe these tools will fit students with diverse learning needs because these tools do not require students to write; they can easily type their information for students with a writing deficit. For students who struggle with verbal communication or is very shy and does not like to verbally present in front of others, these tools will allow for students to create products that will allow students to present without verbally talking by way of gaming, animations, and virtual slideshows. Not only do these tools provide differentiation for students with disabilities, but it also provides differentiation instruction for all students promoting a more authentic engaging learning environment with the use of technology to help students become fluent technology savvy users. The MUVE tool that I select to visit more in-depth was iCivics gaming tool. iCivics is a great gaming tool for students to learn, retain, and demonstrate what they are learning in history class. Managing equitable access to technology in my classroomAfter reading this week reading and viewing videos, I now have a clearer understanding of how many students lack access to the internet and computers at home. While watching the video titled "If You’ve Never Heard of the “Homework Gap” and learned that 50% of students said they were unable to complete homework assignments because they do not have access to the internet nor a computer at home. I have not truly understood that the majority of students do not have internet and computers at home until I became a teacher. During this semester, I have come to a clearer understanding of the digital divide and how it affects students academically. During the video, the students were provided with different rounds of questions. During the first round, the students were all provided the same resources to assist them in answering the questions they were asked. During the second round, one group of students were provided with laptops and tablets, and the other group of students was provided encyclopedias and other books, but both groups were asked the same questions. The group that had the technology devices answers all questions quickly and correctly and the group with the books did not obtain the answers to the questions before the answers were given by the group with the technology devices. The students were divided by a curtain so the groups of students could not see one another. When the curtains were pulled back, the group of students with the books quickly realized that the other group of students had technology devices to help find their answers, which was the reason why they found the answers so quickly, and all were correct. The students realized that one group had an unfair advantage than the other group with the technology devices. This scenario quickly summed up digital equity amongst students and gave a clear visual of the unfair advantage students are faced with when given assignments to complete when some have access to the internet and digital tools, and others do not, but is required to have access to effective get their work completed. Another video I watched titled "Planning for Sustainability: Focus on Equity:" students discussed how to find free wifi in your community so that students without wifi at home can still access wifi for free. During the video, I was intrigued to learn that there is an app called "wifi find" that one can download on their cellular phones, and the app will provide places within the location that has wifi and which places offer free wifi. Students were encouraged to go to restaurants, coffee shops, public library, etc. to access free wifi, and all of those places are good, except for the students that do not have a ride to get to these places to use the internet. During the video, it also discussed the benefit that digital equity has on students. Digital equity allows all students to be connected with available internet and tools to become responsible digital citizens not only at school but outside of school as well. At my school and district, the digital divide exists when students leave school and go home. As stated above, digital equity will help students become digital responsible in and out of school. The problem is that not all students in our system have access to the internet and a computer at home, which puts the divide on homework if students need the internet to complete their homework assignment. However, my school provides digital equity by providing students with 1:1 Chromebooks and working internet while at school, students cannot take the Chromebooks home. Since I have digital equity in the classroom, I make sure that all computers are working and there are a few extra computers so if a student computer does not properly operate at the moment, the student is allowed to use another Chromebook. I always assign an allotted time for students that provide the opportunity to work on assignments in class only, giving them adequate time to complete their assignments without the pressure of working at home to complete the assignments. I wish that students could have 1:1 internet and computer access at home. I would assign homework that students can complete via the internet, reducing the number of papers that students have to turn in although, I do not assign homework, that's what I would do differently to improve access. References:Games. Retrieved from https://www.icivics.org/games
Planning for Sustainability: Focus on Equity. Retrieved from https://vimeo.com/250488786 SoulPancake. (2017, December 08). If You've Never Heard of the 'Homework Gap' This Video Will Shock You. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yqkAlwGsxwE |
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April 2019
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