http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_M_336pDWoM

Students have changed in the ways they communicate with the world and we should adapt to this as educators.

Watch the link!!!!

Safety and the Internet

Safety and the Internet

 

            When looking at the positive aspects of the internet it is not hard to forget about the safety concerns that may come with its use.  The internet provides a widow for students into the real world.  It hold an immeasurable mass of information and opportunities.  However the internet can also be dangerous if not respected.

             Information can be found in an instant and can also be passed in an instant.  Students need to be educated on what is safe and what is not safe. From discussion I have had in my own class I find that students think that only their friends are looking at the posts the create in the various forums that they belong too.  When I asked students in my class how many of them had facebook account there was only one student that didn’t put up there hand.  I proceeded to ask students what kind of information they had about themselves on the website.  Most of the students had everything imaginable on their facebook page from phone numbers, addresses, pictures, and full names.  Most of the students also didn’t mind that there information was in open forums which meant that anyone had access to that information.

            I feel that students in my class are extremely naive.  They do not realizes the dangers of having their information public for all to see. I think that it is important to share the dangers of posting too much information on the internet. 

Over the last couple of years I’ve found that there are more and more internet related problems in my classroom.  Cyber bullying has become a problem at my school and we’ve had to get the help of the police to help show students the implications of it.  Last year there were some students in my class who created a hate page for another student.  This hate page provided an opportunity for students to communicate some hurtful things about another individual.  The students who created the web page although understood the impacts that the page may have had on the individual student the page was directed towards did not have a clue of the consequences that could have came to the individuals that created the page.  Students did not know that they could have been charged for harassment.  Somehow students felt that because they were not directly talking to the individuals they could not get into trouble for what they were saying.

Our school now has the police come into our school at the beginning of each year to talk about cyber bullying the consequences that may result from it. We also have a link on our school web page that will direct students to a online help and report page for cyber bullying.

I think that as a educator it is really important to talk about the specific things that are not acceptable with students regarding the internet.  Students need clear guidelines indicating what is and is not appropriate.  We can’t assume that they understand nor can we assume that they understand the consequences of posting too much information or of acting in inappropriate ways with the internet. 

Edublogging: What's out there?

            After searching the Internet in hopes of finding fantastic teaching ideas I immediately found that hunt would overturn much more then expected.  Beginning the search with the key word “edublogging” found more then half a million google hits.  I had no idea of the numbers of educational blogs or education related blogs on the internet.  There are thousands upon thousands of excellent blogs featuring information on everything classroom and education related.  I found the amount of information completely overwhelming.  There was so much information that I could not manage it.  One great idea would lead me to another fantastic find.  The more I read the more I was bombarded with new ideas and new searches.  I had uncovered so much information that I could not contain my search. 

            Due to the vastness and variety of educational blogs I found a couple websites very important for categorizing and ranking the educational blogs.  The first site I found useful was http://oedb.org.  The online education database has several categories that rank blog sites according to subjects. Some of the categories include E-Learning, Educational News, Educational Policy, Internet Culture, Learning, Library and Research, Specialty, Teaching and Technology.

            The second site I found was a blog that had ranked educational blogs. http://www.socialmediaexplorer.com/2009/01/13/determining-the-top-education-blogs/  I found that Jason Falls, the site host, put together an excellent list of 50 fantastic blogs that educators, parents, administrators and even students would enjoy and learn from. 

            Before I starting the edublogging assignment I had never really spent any amount of time on a blog.  I had relied on websites for information and ideas only. I know see the huge amounts of information I was dismissing. 

            Each year in my classroom I have always wanted to put together a classroom website to list homework, assignments, important dates and create another communication link to parents.  After exploring blogs I think that they will do a better job with even more features. 

Blogs offer some many positive things for a classroom.  They offer a medium to post materials and resources.  Each year our school spends a huge amount of it’s budget on paper.  If using a blog to post things will eliminate some of the paper use we can use some of that budget money for better things.

A blog offers an excellent host for discussions.  Not all students are comfortable with talking in front of a classroom.  I know when I was a child I didn’t like to ask questions and speak my mind sharing my ideas in front of other students.  I was worried that my ideas were not equal to others or that maybe I would say the wrong things and look silly in front of my friends.  I was always more comfortable writing my ideas on paper and sharing them that way because I could think longer on the words and ideas I had and make sure it was just right before I handed them in.  I think that blogs offer this unique opportunities for students to choose the right words and expand their ideas before posting them on a website.

I think that blogs are an excellent way to create a classroom publication.  Who needs a newsletter when you have an easily adaptable online newsletter that everyone can contribute to.  Parents want to know what goes on in the classroom.  Why not share with them then ins and outs of the classroom through a blog.  Video clips, photographs, examples of work, calendars, and homework boards can all be created and easily posted on a blog.  If a student is away, why not provide them with the resources they missed on the blog.  They can print notes and worksheets while finding readings and day plans to get caught up on.

I think that there are a infinite number of functions that a classroom blog can be used for.  I think with good supervision, clear expectations, and some creativity a student run classroom blog will only add to the educational classroom community. 

Edublogging

After reading about “Edublogging” I thought I would get started in creating a blog for my students to ask, respond and answer question about the novel study we are currently working on. The students in my class were very excited when I explained that our first period would be spent working on a classroom blog. The night before class I spent about an hour setting up a blog and providing students with stimulating questions to trigger some opinions and discussion. I think that creating a class blog is a fantastic idea to motivate students into immersing themselves in subjects that are being studied. I think blogs provide a unique opportunity for students to participate in a non-threatening way. They don’t feel the pressure of being put on the spot because they have an opportunity to think and edit what they want to say in the comfort of their home. I know in school I was always less likely to ask or answer questions amongst my peers. That didn’t mean that I hadn’t anything to say. Given the opportunity I would have loved to get involved in blogging when I was in school.

Unfortunately for me when I had the students try to log onto my blog site we all found that the site was blocked. My school board happens to have a policy of blocking everything and only unblocking certain sites. We can request to unblock sites however this is a process that can take up to a month. I defiantly think the wait is worth it. The last couple of year I’ve been trying to get a website up to house all the daily things in my classroom I think my parents may be interesting in seeing. I think a daily blog might be an excellent alternative. It’s easy to set up and all the students in my class can update it from their homes.

I think that blogs are a gateway to a whole lot of information. I think that we need to be careful as to teach students to be critical of a lot of this information. I think the biggest problem with wiki’s and blog is the fact that it holds more opinion then fact. Credibility must be taught so that students can sort though the opinion and identify the fact.

Backup Education

            After reading Marc Prensky’s article “Backup Education,” I am most defiantly left with mixed feelings. On the one hand I think I have to agree that education should reflect the changing times and maybe head in the direction of a technology centered future. However, I also feel that sometimes technology can be use a crutch and depended on more then it is needed.

In my short career I have tried to harness all the technology I can to provide my classroom with spontaneity, enthusiasm and an equal playing ground for all the learning diversities that may be present. Whenever is being studied in that classroom or any question a student may have or present can be been accessed through the Internet.  Why just explain and lecture when you can show.  It has also been my finding that students perform to their best ability when they are intrinsically motivated.  When students are excited about a lesson, assignment or project, the sky is the limit. Technology can provide that excitement through, creating wiki’s, blogs, podcasts, or video’s.  I also believe that technology can be as important as a pair of glasses or hearing aide for some students with special needs.  By students utilizing programs like Kurzwell or Dragon they able to read and write at pair even when their abilities may be well below grade level.

            Each year I hear the same arguments from the students in my class.  “Why can’t we use our calculator for the first unit?”  Well I think that mental math is an important. I feel that students in my grade 8 class should know there times tables to at least 12 and be able to recite these when asked to.  I think that it’s faster to think of it off the top of your head then compute it into a calculator when the times table has been committed to memory.  Science shows us that the human brain builds new axons and dendrites when it has been stimulated.   Science also shows us that some technologies actually put the brain to sleep.  I think that in the classroom we need to stimulate the brain as much as possible and challenge our students with and without technology.

            It is my belief that we should educate students to harness technology but to learn to use it when it is best.  Will technology fail us?  Maybe sometimes but there will always be a back up. 

Me

         My name is Lucas Boluk and I am currently in my forth year of teaching.  I started my teaching career in 2006 by supplying in the Brant Haldimand Norfolk Catholic District School Board. I was fortunate enough not to have supplied for long before obtaining an LTO teaching high school Hospitality and Tourism. When that was finished I supplied for a two-week period before I was graced with another LTO teaching 5/6. I was able to finish the year with this fantastic but challenging placement. The next year, although still an LTO teacher, I was fortunate to have a 6/7 for the entire year.  Last year, still an LTO, I had a grade 8 class of 36 for the entire year. This year, yet again an LTO, I have a 7/8 class at the same school.  

        

         I completed my undergraduate studies at Acadia University in Wolfville, Nova Scotia, Majoring in History.  I attended teachers college at D’Youville in Buffalo, New York. 

          

         My favorite thing about teaching is the rewards of working with children.  Motivating and inspiring students can be a frustrating and tiresome endeavor but when it happens it makes it all worthwhile.

        

         I am taking this course in order to broaden the door to possible teaching opportunities.  As this is my forth year as an LTO teacher I am hoping that the more qualifications I have the more likely I’ll be to obtain a full time job. 

        

I have also always been a keen advocate of technology.  My father was a computer consultant in our school board and so I’ve always had computers and other technology around as I grew up.  I had the privilege of having a smart board in my classroom for he last 3 years of teaching and have become fluent in it’s day to day operations.  I believe technology creates opportunity, provides a gateway from the classroom to the world and is as important as literacy and numeracy for the future.

        

In my spare time I enjoy a multitude of athletics including rugby, skiing, wakeboarding, and working out.  I’m a lover of the outdoors and worldly adventures.