More on Questions 1 and 2

I checked my Blackboard email and saw the link to the other article about cyber-bullying and I just wanted to add a couple of thoughts that relate to both of the questions. I have not seen it personally, but it is in the news (usually on Good Morning America). I can see how cyber-bullying can be such a problem an why schools would block social networking sites, such as Facebook. It is such a gray area: was this said on the site during school hours? Do Mom and Dad know? Do they care? Will the parents tell the school to back off? There are so many issues to consider. I think that blogging, since it can be monitored a little easier by the teacher (if they are the one who set up the blog), is a better alternative to using internet communication. I beleive with the right "rules" and "guidelines" established it can be safe and useful in a classroom setting.

Question 2

I am not sure if my school blocks blogs, but I am pretty sure they don't allow social networking sites. The social networking sites are not allowed, but I don't know if they are blocked. (I just got my job this summer and haven't even been into the school to get my books yet) I definitely would like to make a case for blogging. I could easily use blogging for either of the subjects I am going to be teaching.

For math, I think it would be a great way to stay connected on concerns the parents might have. Sometimes parents have questions about what the homework is or how to help their child to study for a test. If they can ask me through a blog, then all the other parents who have the same issue or question can see the answer, too. I read about creating a team blog and thought it'd be great to add parents for math so everyone can see what is being said back and forth.

For Literature, blogging would be a great way to get my students involved when they are all reading the same thing. They can ask each other quesitons and voice ideas about their books that we can then discuss in class after everyone has had time to think about each other's posts. Again, this would be very easy and safe for the students by creating a team blog so that only my students and other teachers could read it. Since you can control who reads and who posts comments I think that it would be not only safe, but useful in the classroom.

Question 1

After reading through the article on internet safety (I couldn't get to the second article), I feel that it is very important to teach children to be cautious and to set boundaries when they are blogging. I have not run into it as an issue before, but you see it a lot in the news. You hear of cyber-bullying and such, which is really scarey to me. As an adult, I think it is easier to distance myself from a situation like that that my arise, but a child may not be able to. I'll be teaching sixth, seventh, and eighth graders and they are at a very impressionable age. I think that children at that age take a lot of what is said to them to heart and things can really upset them. Also, they seem to be a prime target for sexual preditors on the web. You hear a lot in the news about the things that have happened because a child has given too much information, maybe to fit in or to get someone to like them. They don't realize that someone could be "stalking" them or trying to hurt them.

I like the idea in the article that you should ask your child (or student) if they would feel comfortable sharing the information or picture with a stranger. If they don't feel comfortable sharing with a stranger, then they shouldn't post it online. Even though this is not an issue that I have run into before, I feel that internet safety should be addressed with all children as soon as they are beginning to use the internet.

I have set up this blog, I think to serve as my Personal Learning Diary. I hope that I have done it right!