Though the Internet can be risky when students aren't knowledgeable about all of the dangers that are out there, we can turn it around into a positive in the classroom as we educate them on how to use the internet wisely and gain worlds of knowledge and learning from it. It should definitely be a part of the classroom because of all the wonderful resources that can enhance learning and enjoyment both inside the classroom and out. So many questions can be answered with just a click of the mouse-it is so efficient! The great benefit of using it for school is that there are wonderful places, such as UEN, that give students a safe place to learn over the Internet. We don't need to worry about inappropriate content, wrong information, or strangers who try to get information from our students. Rather, we can be happy knowing our students can have access to resources such as interactives, educational games, articles, real time data, simulations, collaboration tools, calendars, publishings, research, and countless other tools. The technology is here and so informative, so why not take advantage of it in school? Our students are already surrounded by all kinds of technology everywhere they go, so we need to adapt to the times! They will need to know how to use it in their future schooling and careers, so now is a perfect time to start.
As teachers and parents, we need to critically evaluate the sites we chose to guide our students to. There are wonderful sites out there, but some can be quite deceiving, which means we need to stay on our toes. We don't want to lead students to wrong or outdated information, sites that require them to give any personal information, any place that may contain inappropriate material or places that could be dangerous.
The five W's are a good place to start when evaluating a website. These are WHO is the author and are they an expert? WHAT is the purpose of this site and what information is here? WHEN was it created and last updated? WHERE does the information come from and where can I find out more about it? WHY is this useful and why should I use it over any other site? Along with the five W's, it is good to look over the site to see if it is easy to use, if it is pertinent, if it is done professionally, if there is any bias, how you can contact the author, and if it is reviewed at all.
Though we do our absolute best to lead our students to educationally accurate and safe places online, it is still crucial to educate them on how to use the Internet wisely. It will help them not only in learning and school settings, but in every aspect of their lives. It is important to educate them on things such as keeping their personal information personal, chat room dangers, warnings for social networking, and what to do if something inappropriate or uncomfortable happens to appear. We can make Internet safety education fun by incorporating good Internet safety games and interactives, having class discussions, giving them specific web activities, and other hands-on and engaging activities. The purpose is not to scare students away from using the web, but to inform them on how to make their Internet experience the best possible. Monitoring their use of the Internet and using special software can always add to the level of protection in the classroom and home as well.
Video: We Didn't Start the Fire
This was such a fun video to watch! I thought it was brilliant because it incorporated a catchy song, which is likely to catch many students' attention- especially those who are "music smart." Music is such a large part of many of their lives, and it is a good method of reaching those students who learn best from listening. It was great to be able to watch the historical events as they were mentioned in the song. The real footage was good to see, and I think it is beneficial to put a picture to the words because those visual learners in the class will gain more from the video. This would be a wonderful clip to show before a history lesson because it would get the students' attention.
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