March+Journals

March Journals
[|The Web 2.0 Classroom] The author of the the article "The Web 2.0 Classroom," Victoria Davis, begins by giving us a great definition of Web 2.0, " Web 2.0 encompasses any type of new content creation technology: blogs, wikis, podcasts, video sharing, photo sharing, web page creation, social bookmarking, cell phones, iPods and a wealth of other technologies that will soon be invented." With this definition we are able to lead students into the great abise of the internet. I enjoyed Davis' connection with the internet as the ocean. If our students are used to being in a fishbowl of our schools but we allow them into the ocean of the internet without guidlines and tools, they could easily get caught by a shark. It is our job to fully prepare our student to be wise about thier internet use. To protect our students and use the internet successfully, she states six pillars of an effective Web 2.0 classroom: internet safety and privacy, information literacy, internet citizenship, internet teamwork, intentional internet activities, and an engaged teacher.

One area that I think would work really well in my art classroom but does not get used very often is teaching my students how to edit or critique one another's work with sensitivity and wisdom. It is had for even middle school students to understand constructive critisim. Many people online to not follow the rule of sensitivity and wisdom when commenting on the internet. That is a skill that I think everyone should have whether they are behind a screen or not.

Lastly, Victoria Davis presented that the teacher must be engaged to in turn engage the students. She presented a othe that teachers should live by to stay engaged. My favorite and most alarming part of the othe states, "We will do what it takes to reach the most disconnected and connected generation in history." Our students may think that they are good at communicating through text, facebook, blogging, and a multitude of other means but when they can't properly descibe an opinion or engage in a group project or discussion, then there is something seriously wrong with this generation. If teachers can teach these students how to use these tools to learn and form converations for learning through these tools, then the link will be made. [|Dispelling Myths About Blocked Websites in Schools] In the article, "Dispelling Myths About Blocked Websites in Schools," the author features statements made by Department of Education’s Director of Education Technology, Karen Cator. Karen Cator begins the discussion about the requirements and limitations to Childrens Internet Protection Act. Several myths discussed are lays out include accessing YouTube is not violating CIPA rules, websites don’t have to be blocked for teachers, broad filters are not helpful, schools will not lose E-rate funding by unblocking appropriate sites, kids need to be taught how to be responsible digital citizens, and teachers should be trusted.

Many of the myths Cator discribes are myths that are believed in my school district. I believe that YouTube definitely has a place in education. At my school, I have access to YouTube but my students do not. On several occasions, we have been working on class projects were students would find it incrediblly useful to use YouTube. Another myth that effects my classroom is websites don't have to be blocked for teachers. The guidelines and restriction of CIPA only apply to minors and not adults working within the school. As adults adn professional, our school districts and administration should acknolgage that we have the appropriate judgement for the websites used in our classrooms. As teachers and school districts, we should have a plan in place to unblock useful sites.