There is no question that the internet has completely changed how we live. From the comfort of our computers we can tag along as Sam Jackson not only chronicals his college admission process but follow him through graducation and his hunt for an apartment in the Murray Hill section of New York City. I wish you luck Sam! From this, I can glean how I can put this tool known as the blog to good use in my classroom. Having my students blog about their school day as compared to a school in day Venezuela will allow them to experience the culture as well as the language complete with hyperlinks. These students will be utilizing technological tools that will become a requirement as they continue their educational career.
Mr. Richardson has pointed out that many of these students have been in front of a computer screen before they could hold a crayon. We as teachers are mearly utilizing their untapped strengths.
However beneficial it may be to have students arrive with unsolicited technological skills and capabilities, this benefit brings with it a new wave of preoccupations and concerns for the safety and well-being of the students. As reported in the New York Times, students, instructors and parents need to be more concerned with the probability of cyberbulling. The recent exponential increase in the number of on-line social media forms now accessible to minors has created a need for parents and instructors to become ever more vigilent of the students safety and privacy
I love your idea of having students blog about their day here as compared to a day in Venezuela or some place else. I would have loved to do something like that when I took Spanish.
ReplyDeleteWe as teachers do need to monitor students closely when they are on the computers, but I would not worry about cyber-bullying while students are on our blogs. We will be monitoring comments, and their purpose will be clear. Cyber-bullying happens when students are on the computer at home with no directions, supervision, or guidance. Cyber-bullying is common on phone text messages, and on Facebook as well as instant messenging. I think that the school needs to create fewer blocks so that we can teach them better. They don't have blocks at home, so we need to teach them how to behave online.
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