Google Cultural Institute & Takeaway Notes

Oh my gosh! This is my new obsession, no joke. BUT it is making me sad and making me really want to travel again. :( I will soon.

For a class, I was thinking of having a lesson on the seven continents, so I think the World Wonders section of the Google Cultural Institute would be a great way to introduce the students to our amazing earth. We would discover the website and then I would have the students do a report on any World Wonder that they choose.

Today was a great class, can't wait to get started on the video! It seems like it will be a fun project.

Chapters 5 and 6

In Chapter 5, the most important section that really resonated with me was the discussion on cyberbullying. I firmly believe that kids in our society are never too young to learn about respecting other people both in person and behind a screen. Cyberbullying is such a scary thing, as I assume that most parents are unaware of their childrens' outrageous behavior online. A child can LOOK like a complete angel, but can be terrorizing someone online so much that they tragically choose to end their life. I am extremely passionate about this issue because I think it is entirely inexcusable and horrific. It sickens me when I hear that another young person has committed suicide because of ongoing taunts and mean teasing behind a screen. Bullying of all kinds is terrible and cowardly, and if done behind a computer screen the perpetrator should be tried in the same way as if they actually came into physical contact with their victim. I really can't stress it enough: a true, serious discussion on cyberbullying and its effects should definitely be had in any and EVERY classroom. To me, this is a crucial component of being a digital citizen. Technology is all fair and well until we hear of another online victim. It happens far too often to be dismissed or deemed unimportant. We need to hold our students and kids to extremely high standards when it comes to behavior on the internet.
I enjoyed reading Chapter 6 and found particular use in the different educational websites and apps that the authors listed for use. Sometimes it is hard to think about the internet as more than just Google, CNN, Facebook, Yahoo, etc! These online educational resources are great, and an awesome way to use technology in a safe and fun way.

Take Away Message October 8

So today in class we were able to see some of the AMAZING lesson trailers! Good job to everyone, seriously. I also quite enjoyed our discussion on digital citizenship, as this is such an important and topical issue. I am excited to begin my WebQuest project, as I had a great time completing the lesson trailer. These tools are helping me see the excitement and benefits of interactive learning.