In the Technology for Education class that I've been in for the past semester we briefly touched upon the subject of "Digital Citzenship". We learned to use the website Prezi in order to share with other classmates what digital citizenship means to us within our classroom. So, what is digital citizenship? As stated on the American School in London, the definition of digital citizenship is : teaching users the rules of good citizenship online; this usually includes email ettiquette, protecting private information, staying safe online, and how to deal with bullying, whether you're a target or a bystander. Well...what might that mean in the early childhood classroom? It means that the children in my class would learn about internet safety, how to present yourself on the internet, and talking about cyber bullying. I find it important to teach these things in my classroom for the following reasons: a) Teaching our children digital citizenship early on can prevent cyber bullying in the later years. b) Teaching our children digital citizenship early on can show students how to properly present themselves online to peers, adults, and other citizens in the community. If taught early on, your students can learn that using the internet in certain ways can really help in the future. c) Teaching our children digital citizenship early on can show children the safe way to browse online, and what information is safe and not safe, etc. The main idea of digital citizenship in the Early Childhood Classroom would be mainly cyber bullying, protecting yourself online, and what information to use online, since I will be focussing on Pre - Kindergarten up to 2nd grade. Here is my Prezi explaining Digital Citizenship a little better:
And here is my works cited page for all the awesome sources that helped me make this Prezi!
After reading Chapter 3, and finding this image on google, it really put what I had just read into perspective. I would like to think of learning to unlearn as a skill that is difficult to achieve. Soooo. let's put this into context. In middle/high school I was always told Wikipedia was a terrible source. Never use it for ANYTHING! Once I got to college, and was writing my first research paper, my professor said go to Wikipedia and see what they have to say about the topic, and scroll down and get some sources that are on there. Never did I think that anyone would say to use Wikipedia. But, if I wasn't willing to get on board with Wiki, I would have never found such good sources or wrote such a factual research paper.
In my opinion, as teachers, it is important to always be up on current research, teaching procedures, and general information. Different ways of teaching are always being developed, and most importantly technology in the classroom is always changing. Just because you know powerpoint or simple windows programs doesn't cut it anymore. To be able to make the most of your classroom you need to learn many different technology methods and possibly unlearn the same old powerpoint lesson. I found an awesome website/blog called The School of Unlearning. It gives a lot of different ideas to kind of test your brain, and also information on Learning to Unlearn. As younger teachers something we need to think about is the fact that we may be the ones trying to get our older co workers to unlearn and relearn with new technology, and if we're not even open to new things, how do we expect others to as well? Thats why, we must be open to Learn, Unlearn, and Relearn, because that is not an easy trait everyone has. It is something not only yourself can benefit from but your co-workers and students too. Every new school year you should be unlearning and relearning with students, and easing the transition so they are able to share this trait as well.
I was introduced to "Flipped Lessons" in my Intro to Technology class, and I have to say I love the concept of flipped learning. It will only work if every student has a computer at home though, which is not something very common in Lawrence County. Although Flipped Learning seems to be more targeted for Middle - High school, I do feel as though it can be used in the Early Childhood Classroom setting. My flipped lesson was on finding the main idea, a simple concept that could be learned at home from watching this video. I enjoyed making my boards. I added a little "psychedelic" touch to mine :). My video needed two takes due to built up tension and screaming a not so "classroom appropriate" word at the end of my first video because I couldn't think of an ending. So, make sure you have your video planned out. I enjoyed doing this lesson, and this is definitely something I could see myself doing in my classroom as long as my students have the appropriate equipment. What I like about flipped learning is the fact that learning quick lessons = more in class time to actually apply what you have learned.
This is my first flipped learning lesson. It is on finding the "Main Idea" of a passage. This lesson is targeted towards a Third Grade class. Enjoy! Peace, Love, and Happy Teachings - Miss Caitlin
In my Math For Elementary Education class on Thursday nights we connect with BC3 main campus by using Interactive TV. You can learn about IT here.
The class is taught by Matthew Barker and in my opinion, he does a good job in making sure both parties have the same amount of interaction throughout the class.
This is a good way to bring people together that are trying to accomplish somewhat of the same cause. Although we have not talked about this specific type of technology in Tech for Ed, we have talked about ways to bring Connected Educators together and this is certainly a way to do so.
After doing some thinking I came up with ways you could use Interactive TV's in the elementary classroom
Pen Pals
Group activities with other schools in area
Talking to college students about why they chose their major
Talking to Important City Officials in the comfort of your own classroom (Being able to talk to a Mayor, City Council, even Governor of state)
But why is IT different than skype?
Although IT is still run off of the internet, it is actually built into the TV so it is easier for the children to see. The TV is special, so the chance of a glitch, shutdown, or lagging is very slim. It comes with a huge microphone to put on desk which makes it easy to hear what everyone in the class is saying. The speakers on the TV are also great. They are loud, and this also helps the "other side" hear what everyone is saying.
Having an IT in your classroom is definitely something to think about when you have a classroom of your own one day. Finding other classrooms that have them, and connecting could be something very valuable in your Early Childhood Class.
(Click on the Picture to open it up bigger in Wordle!)
I made this in Wordle. It's from my favorite Anmial Collective song Bluish. If you've never heard it, take a listen, it's a beautiful song. I always listen to their album "Merriweather Post Pavillion" when writing lesson plans. It's an awesome album.
On Twitter Tonight, I found what I believe is to be of the most moving videos I have ever watched in my life. I follow a woman named Sabrina Stevens. She is a fourth grade teacher and I really enjoy what she has to say. I follow her twitter, her blog on here, and also her personal writings on my personal tumblr. Today, she posted a video about bullying that has seriously changed me.
My personal take on bullying:
My classroom will absolutely be a No Tolerance Zone. As an early childhood teacher, I want my classroom to be a safe haven to express yourself however you want. I've always been a little different growing up. And, most of my life I've struggled with being bullied. Up until I switched schools in 11th grade, I dealt with everything from name calling to vandalization of my house and parent's car. In elementary school I was bullied a lot because of my physical appearance, and this was something that haunted me even in Jr. High/High school. I've been called every name in the book, and it has taken a toll on me. Only recently have I made mends and came to terms that I am happy with the person I am today, and it is something that I work on everyday. I don't think that people understand just how much getting bullied effects a person. This, is why it is so important for me to make sure that from an early age my classroom understands that bullying is not okay. Being different is great, and everyone is beautiful in their own way.
After coming across this tweet, I stumbled upon this video. It sums up the effects of bullying and shares stories of people who were bullied as children
If you do anything with my blog, I hope it is to watch this video and share it with someone. I am so glad that I have this professional twitter account and follow such awesome educators to share things like this. I am glad this Bully awareness video was made. As Early Childhood Educators, It is our job to make sure that our classroom is a safe haven for our children. I will do whatever I can to put an end to bullying and make sure that every child in my class knows they are very special no matter who they are and what they look like.
By the way if you want to follow my teacher twitter it is - crazycatteacher
