Technology 115 Internet Safety

Question: Was there anything in the internet safety presentation that was new to you? What about your students? Do you think they are aware of this information?

There was nothing new that I had discovered upon watching this piece on interent safety. I am familiar with specific online dangers like My Space, Facebook, im's, chatrooms etc. I have a teenager daughter who is very knowledgeable about online communication so I have had to set up guidelines and rules of what she can do and not do online and make it clear that she has to do these things in an area where I can see her and monitor her time online. There are a lot of online predators who are very crafty in how they seek out minors, and I definately see that we as parents and teachers need to speak with minors about the dangers and risks. I don't however see how for really young children some of these issues might come up, but as they get older and more knowledgeable about technology, these discussions and protections will have to occur more and more often. I think a lot of families who do have a computer at home probably are not aware of many of the dangers that exist. Some families may have more information about online safety than others. I think more teenagers and families with teenagers are more aware than families who still have younger children.

Question #2 What technology do both you and your students have available?

At my school we have a learning lab where the students use computers and specific software to help in literacy and math. They are each assigned a computer and spend a portion of their day on the computers. All of the teaching staff has a laptop which we use to log in daily attendance, create long-term plans, unit assessments, spreadsheets, etc. We also use the computers to access work e-mail and submit documentation to be reimbursed for classroom purchases. The computers are also used for credentialing program and to do online work and submit completed course work for portfolios etc.

Question #3 What kinds of technology do you currently use in your class? I use my laptop to enter attendance, check on powerteacher to access student information. I use the computer to show students pictures of things we are learning about, so they can see what it is I am talking about. I use computer as a resource to look up information about lessons and to search for new ideas of how to teach a specific skill in a different way. I use the internet to look for literature connections to math content. I have used the overhead projector a little bit to show the students up on the screen a specific worksheet or explanation of something. I do not use it very often, but I have used it before.