Google’s “Be Internet Awesome” was my favorite resource that we explored this week. The gaming component is something I know my students would love. The game I played taught students about phishing schemes, and how to be safe when interacting on the internet. Answering the questions in a gaming format it made it fun and engaging, while also teaching students vital lessons for internet safety. This is something I definitely plan on incorporating in my classroom with my fourth graders. Whether it is Fortnight, or game-based education programs like Prodigy, students love to play games. I know this will be a popular lesson with my kids.
Another component I really liked on Google’s site was the, “Be Internet Awesome Pledge.” I thought this could be cool to have students sign as a “contract.” The district I teach in has parents and students sign an internet agreement at the beginning of the year before the students can have access to digital technology in the classroom. What I liked about this pledge was that the content was very similar to what they sign, but written in a more kid-friendly and relatable tone. I love the idea of beginning my year with teaching about digital citizenship via Google’s “Be Internet Awesome,” and then follow it up with student signing a “contract” based off of the norms. If an infraction occurs later in the year, I can pull out that contract and we can review it together. I could even reassign the “game” based on the infraction they broke. The Video lessons on Common Sense Education for grades 3-5 had a lot of interesting information. The Common Sense Census did a national survey in 2015 about the media habits and preferences of American kids. “Tweens”, ages 8-12, spend an average of six hours per day using media, excluding time spent using media for school or homework! This includes TV, texting, music and social media. This truly shows the importance of teaching digital citizenship in our classrooms. What we are teaching them at school can, and will, benefit them at home. The video talked about embedding digital citizenship into social-emotional lessons. For example, we discuss empathy and kindness often in fourth grade. This can be integrated into digital citizenship by talking about applying those traits to how they portray themselves on the internet. There are free lessons on Common Sense Education for each grade level. There is one called, “A Creator’s Rights and Responsibilities” that I thought would be great to go over for my fourth graders in order to teach them about copyright, what images they can/should use, and how to cite those sources. This site also discusses the importance of having students understands that citizenship means that we are part of a community where we have a role. This includes self, friends and family, and the larger community. Another important point the video series made was that media and technology can support children’s growth when used wisely and thoughtfully. One way to ensure this is to focus on the, “4 Cs”: Communication, Collaboration, Creativity, and Critical Thinking. This is also something our district requires. As I work on incorporating more technology into the classroom, it is important to always keep these “4 Cs “in mind.
8 Comments
Jona Sandau
2/9/2019 09:27:37 pm
Hi Jennifer! I also really liked the Be Internet Awesome games! I thought they would be great as a follow up to some of the lessons. I love the tie in you gave with the stats on average time kids spend on media. It's a little surprising! So important that we are all learning how best to help our students navigate this world and starting with the youngest students. We know that little toddlers can navigate iPads and phones to play games and videos already! But like you said, when used wisely, digital media can be an important tool to support learning.
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Rafael Garcia Ávila
2/9/2019 11:20:40 pm
Jen,
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Scott Marsden
2/10/2019 08:30:59 am
Jennifer,
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Jennifer Perkins
2/10/2019 06:47:01 pm
Thank you for your comment! I think that it would be a great idea to incorporate the Common Sense Curriculum on a school-wide basis. At my site, I think it would require providing the teachers with a brief introduction to the Common Sense Curriculum, and how to access it, before breaking into K-2 and 3-5 groups to discuss which lessons would benefit our age groups the most effectively. We have a wonderful part time academic specialist at our school who could possibly provide in-class assistance with teachers who need additional support implementing this with their students.
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Monica Knecht
2/10/2019 11:31:32 am
Jennifer,
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Caitlin Mitchell
2/11/2019 04:00:33 pm
I totally agree with you Monica! I mean, I know that teachers already have a lot on their plates already as far as curriculum is concerned but teaching students about digital citizenship just seems like it such a no brainer! It should be like a prerequisite to even being allowed to use a NVUSD device!
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Brandon DeJesus
2/10/2019 08:44:34 pm
Jennifer,
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2/11/2019 11:17:35 pm
Great blogpost Jennifer! I too thought the Interland game looked great - I think my students are too old for that (being high schoolers) but I think my 11 year old would love it! If I taught younger students I would definitely use it - it was so accessible and hands on. Good point about the 4 C's - I hadn't really been considering that so much, and I know it's really important.
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