Incorporating Internet Safety into the Classroom

Internet resources are a large part of today’s learning environment.  Teachers use online resources, such as modules, videos, and games, to enhance the learning experience of students. Despite our best efforts to use ad-blockers and kid-friendly resources, the use of these materials means that there is potential for students to come across areas of the internet that are not appropriate. The information that students learn about internet safety is applicable in the class and at home.

There are many effective ways to incorporate internet safety into the classroom. Just like when children learn other important safety information, the key is to effective safety instruction is repetition and teachable moments. When my classes are in the computer lab or using laptops, I will begin by making sure all students are able to log into any online resources successfully. If a student has forgotten a their username or password, I will model the importance of protecting personal information by quietly reminding that student of their information instead of announcing it for the entire class to hear and ensuring that the student knows not to write it down.

Next, I will take time to remind students to raise their hand if they see something that are not sure of them or that makes them uncomfortable and remind them to talk to parents/guardians at home about the websites they browsing.  When students have completed their assignments for the day, they will work on the NetSmartzKids interactive adventure about internet safety. Each student will receive a certificate of achievement and NetSmartzKid safety patrol badge upon completion of the module.

Aside from reminders and online modules, I think it is important to have real-life examples of the potential consequences of not being safe online. The children do not need to be “scared straight,” but need to see that these threats are real and can be serious. It would be nice to have a speaker and their parents that are around the age of the students in my classroom. This way the speaker is relatable and the parents can talk about how the incident affected the entire family and ways to help prevent similar situations from occurring and what to do if you find yourself in a negative online situation (when to get help, how to talk to a trusted adult).

http://www.netsmartzkids.org

Assessment

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.

Our classroom days revolve around assessment, formal or informal.  While assessment has different meanings depending on if you are a student’s parent, a teacher, an administrator, or a government official, it frequently displayed in a quantitative manner. Students and parents learn that the student received a certain percentage on a test, teachers discover that only X number of students passed the standardized test or certain sections of the test, and administrators know by how much their school passed or failed meeting the requirements for No Child Left Behind. 

It is impossible in today’s society to avoid giving tests in the classroom altogether. Even if unit tests are not given, standardized tests, such as Virginia’s Standards of Learning, will have to be given at one time or another in a student’s career.  In order to prepare students in the best manner possible, I will assess students in my classroom using a mixture of formal and informal assessments – tests and projects, reports, journals, etc. While each student would receive a grade on assignments, as required in order to have evidence to support report cards, I will not simply provide students with raw numbers that have little to no meaning and an assignment they will never look at again.

 I will work to take the quantitative data and add a qualitative component, give the scores meaning to help overall achievement.  By providing students and parents with information about why the student received the grade they did and providing the opportunity to student to work learn from their errors to improve, students are more likely to succeed. Students will revisit their tests and assignments, edit/revise them (with support if needed!), and then resubmit them for a new grade. Students will not learn from their mistakes and improve if they are not given the opportunity to revisit their work.

A major challenge to having students revisit work is time. Since many standardized tests are given before the very end of the school year, teachers are under pressure to fit the large curriculum into a small amount of time that seems to shrink more and more with things like assemblies and snow days.  While revisiting work may seem impossible given the time constraints, correcting mistakes and diving deeper into thoughts will help better prepare students for tests like the SOLs. Instead of replicating their mistakes to the point of habit, they will hopefully be caught early and students can create good habits that can help them succeed on required tests.

As a teacher or administrator it is important to look at the breakdown of the scores and see where students are having difficulty. Focusing on these areas and the concepts that support these areas will help solve other problems in the classroom. Many topics build on one another, so if students struggle with one concept, they will continue to struggle and become frustrated as the year progresses. Addressing the needs of the student and spending the extra time to clarify information will help students be successful with the material and in an SOL-driven world.

It is important for parents, students, teachers, and administrators to work as a team. Assessing the needs of the learner using multiple methods, such as tests, projects, reports, etc. while providing appropriate feedback and the opportunity to improve gives the student motivation to revisit old work. Providing these opportunities and information should help students succeed and schools experience higher rates of passing students.

Scholastic StudyJams

Scholastic StudyJams is a great resource to use in and out of the elementary classroom. The website provides videos, songs, step-by-step instruction, and practice problems for over two hundred concepts in the fields of mathematics and science. The simple format and large text and buttons make the website easy to navigate for most individuals. Since the material is available without cost and without a membership, parents and students can access the materials at home or at the library.

           
The videos provided by Scholastic are packed with information about each topic. All of the information can be intimidating and cause anxiety for students being introduced to the topic for the first time. In my practicum experience, I have found it is best to use the videos during a review of the entire concept or to only use sections of the video that pertain to the lesson being taught that day.

           
The content is designed to be relatable for students at the elementary level. The videos use problems that might be applicable to the lives of students or, at the very least, are not so abstract that students lose interest. The website provides some step-by-step instruction and problems for students to practice or test their skills. Depending on the environment in which the student is working, it might be fun for students to participate in the karaoke found in certain content areas of the website.

           
The largest critique I have of the website is the fact that it does not provide students with educational games in addition to the videos, songs, step-by-step instruction and practice problems. Adding games to the website would help keep students engaged with the material for a longer period of time while having fun. Students could work as a team, using an interactive whiteboard, to successfully complete tasks or problems.

            
While none of the activities should be used to replace regular instruction, they can be beneficial as supplemental activities. Students can use the practice problems as part of centers time or as part of their rotations during class. The step-by-step instruction can help clarify concepts and help students complete difficult problems on their homework, while the videos can serve as an overview of the concept before an assessment is given. The variety of resources on the website provides students many different ways to access the material.

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My Vision for How Technology will be Used in My Classroom

Technology will be incorporated into many aspects of my classroom, just like it has the world.  My goal is to utilize the technology available to me, as a teacher, in order to supplement and enhance my students’ learning objectives. It would be in a waste of money for the technology to sit in a corner of the room and not be used for its intended purpose; therefore, in an effort to help my students, I will request training or assistance with any piece of technology that I cannot use proficiently. In order to help my students grow, I need to use technology for communication, learning (to supplement material covered in class and provide a social element), and assessment. 

Communication with other teachers and parents is vital for students to be successful. Teachers outside of my classroom need to know where in the pacing guide my class is in order to effectively help students with special learning needs or to help plan themed school days. By utilizing Google Drive, I can share my pacing guide with other teachers, check off what my students have already completed, and share examples of student work.

Parents need to know what their students are learning and how they can help their students. My hope is for my school district to utilize a program, like Skyward, that allows parents to access their student’s grades online at home or from another computer. I will be able to leave a message to the parent explaining the reasoning for that grade or any concerns I might have about their child. What is nice about the program is that parents can also message me with any concerns they might have. I will also utilize newsletter programs to give parents periodic updates about what is going on in my classroom, the grade, and the school.

A SmartBoard is a piece of technology that is necessary in my classroom. Using the NoteBook, I will create engaging and interactive lessons. Students will be able to come up to the board and use the tools to manipulate objects on the board in order to discover new information or practice skills. Additionally, the SmartBoard will be used during centers time – there might be a game or an activity on the SmartBoard for students to complete.

To help my students become social learners, it is important for my classroom to have laptops available to students. I prefer laptops to desktop computers because they allow mobility. Students are not stuck in one place or in the computer lab. They can take the laptops around the classroom to an area that is most conducive for their work. Laptops have a broad range of uses in the elementary classroom. They allow my students to conduct research, create interactive presentations, engage in simulations, practice challenging concepts and publish and post work on secure forums in order to share with their peers and family.

Technology will play an important role in the assessment of my students. Some assessments will be presentations or videos they have created, while others might be published writing samples. In order to reduce test anxiety, some tests will be given on the computer since many of the standardized tests required in Virginia are given on the computer.

I am excited for all of the opportunities that I will have to incorporate innovative technology into my classroom for communication, learning, and assessment.  There is a wealth of educational programs and software available. Edudemic compiled a list of fifty tools that every teacher should know (but they aren’t limited to teachers!), which can be found at:

http://www.edudemic.com/50-education-technology-tools-every-teacher-should-know-about/