Avoiding Adverse Adventures

There are many things that a teacher has to worry about in a regular day but probably the greatest is to keep every child in his/ her class safe. Acting in loco parentis is a very intimidating role, when dealing with technology it gets even harder. We are required to protect children from invisible threats. it is not enough any more to make sure that Billy doesn't get pushed off of the swing and Suzy doesn't stick her finger into an electrical outlet now we must be on guard for cyber-bullies that may be anonymously attacking Billy on the class blog or Suzy accidentally stumbling upon a pornography site.

I believe that the way to handle these types of problems is with communication. Before
any student logs on they should have participated in a class discussion about the rules and responsibilities that come with internet use. Many students feel safe in front of the computer. I think that we must ask them what rules they have to keep them safe at home and then work together to identify ways that the same rules apply online. If a student is not supposed to talk to strangers while walking to school than they should follow that rule while perusing the web. Students usually are required to inform their parents of their whereabouts, this can apply on line as well, if students are done their work early they should be provided with a list of safe places that they can go, and they should tell the teacher where they are going.

Adventure my Axis!

In the Grade Two class that I am working in the daily predict and track the weather on a daily weekly and monthly basis. This would be a great opportunity to integrate technology. students could graph use one worksheet to record both their predictions and the actual temperature and then convert the information to a line graph to see how the two correspond. They could use another worksheet to record the weather, and then use a bar or pie graph to represent the number of days that it was windy, cloudy, sunny, etc.

Overall this lesson would prepare them for their later social studies and science curriculum while making them familiar with the technology.

ambling on the internet

On line discussion boards are a great way to add technology to the classroom. There is no end to the way that on line discussions can be used to expand on in class assignments. Discussion boards can be used to trace learning throughout the year as students explore a topic. They can be used to hold debates that a regular class time does not allow. Students in smaller rural schools could team up with other schools to discuss assignments and peer tutor beyond the confines of their small classes. Discussion boards can be used for students to respond to current media events, for example in secondary social studies classes students could respond to the political debates as they are being televised. Discussion boards also will allow teachers to respond in a meaningful way to more students and monitor common misconceptions or class wide problems.

Problems may arise with the use of discussion boards if all students do not have equal access to the technology. Teachers also must be aware of safety regulations and FOIP laws which control what students are allowed to post. There have been recent problems with cyber bullying which may cause problems because postings can be anonymous and can be read by all.

Over all I believe that the pros out weigh the cons so long as the teachers take responsibility
for the discussions and teach their students about the proper usage of discussion boards. Just like any new classroom technique teachers need to set rules and consequences from the beginning.

Absolutely Awsome Concept Maps

The Nose from Jupiter: An Interactive Novel Study
Grade Six Language Arts

I would use this concept map for an in-depth novel study. The students are required to read the novel for detail, refer back to specific portions of the text, and respond to the text. The students would also have to navigate the web mapping tools as some of the activities require them to change colours or add information. I have also included some hyperlinks which will help the students practice their research and inquiry skills.

This assignment to use writing skills, reading skills, reflecting skills, math skills, categorization, memory, research, visual representation, as well as a number of computer skills. This activity meets the ICT learner outcomes C1 2.1 and 2.2, C4 2.2, C6 2.3 and 2.5, F4 2.1, P1 2.1, and P2 2.2. This extensive type of study would span a large block of time and could be incorporated into a few different subjects.

Online Adventures with Jules Verne

Response to Jules Verne’s Around the World in Eighty Days

Verne, Jules. Around the World in Eighty Days Jr. Ed. Classic Literature Library online. http://www.jules-verne.co.uk/

Grade Six Language Arts

GLO: Students will listen, speak, read, write, view and represent to enhance clarity and artistry of communication.

SLO: Present and Share

• Present Information – use various styles and forms of presentation, depending on content, audience and purpose
• Enhance Presentation – emphasize key ideas and information to enhance audience understanding and enjoyment

Activity: In groups, students will read and discuss Jules Verne’s Around the World in Eighty Days. The class will discuss the purpose of online texts and novels. The students will then respond by writing an alternative chapter about one of a place that Phileas Fogg did not visit on his adventures. These adventures will then be posted online in a blog format which is similar to that of the novel. The students will add photos of the places that they are writing about.

ITC GLO: Students will become discerning consumers of mass media and electronic information.

· Recognize that graphics, video and sound enhance communication

· Describe how the use of various texts and graphics can alter perception

ITC GLO: Students will compose, revise and edit text.

• Create and revise original text to communicate and demonstrate understanding of forms and techniques
• edit and format text to clarify and enhance meaning, using such word processing features as the thesaurus, find/change, text alignment, font size and font style

I believe that an assignment like this will allow student to understand the uses of technology to share literature and to publish their own writing. It is a common type of assignment for Language Arts but there is no reason that a teacher cannot involve technology. Students will read the text online, research their chosen location on line, use a publishing program such as Microsoft Word and then post their stories on line. Over all the use of technology makes this assignment more interesting for students and meets a larger number of course learning objectives.

Absolutely Acceptable Additions

I believe, after the readings, that there is no reason or even excuse to be against technology integration in education. I was particularly struck by the excerpt from Moursund's book in which he discusses the "laptop for every child" project. Although I am normally more comfortable with traditional teaching methods this project made a lot of sense. With one initial investment in the technology an entire world of information is opened up to a child. Book, lessons, teachers, tutorials, almost anything can be provided for less online.


Technology integration is not just teaching about the technology, but teaching with it, and how to use it, why to use it and when to use it. Technology integration is successful when it enhances and adds to the learning experience. If technology is successfully integrated it will not stand apart from regular classroom activities, but will cause disruption if it is removed. For example if a SMARTboard is installed in a classroom the students should use it every day for assignments, presentations and even for the mundane activities like attendance.

Technology integration is not successful if it can be removed from the classroom without being noticed in daily lessons or if it distracts from the learning. It is a waste to see a SMARTboard used as nothing more than a glorified overhead projector. Another example of unsuccessful integration happens quite often on campus when a professor spends half of the class attempting to get the technology to work because he or she was not properly trained.


The biggest barrier to technology integration is most likely the initial financial investment. If this is not the case, one should probably look at the administration and staff; people are afraid of new technologies, especially established teachers who do not want to admit that their pupils know more about something than they do.

Amanda's Abstractions: Blogging and Teaching

I believe that there are many possibly practical applications of "blogging," especially in Language Arts. While in high school, I had the opportunity to participate in debates. These activities took place in English class, stretching across breaks, days, and sometimes even weeks. It was an enjoyable and educational experience but, on a whole, not overly cohesive or effective. The problem was time, a 45 minute class does not provide enough time to form teams, discuss arguments and defenses, and finish a debate. Often people would be present one day and absent the next, creating imbalanced teams and inconsistencies. Blogging would provide a cohesive way for all students to express themselves, even those who are not comfortable addressing the class. Students would be given the chance to think through their arguments without being inflamed by the heat of the moment. The class could then discuss the overall process of debating, what they learned, how they came to personal conclusions about the subject and their general opinion of the debating protocol.

Before a teacher would be able to involve their class in an activity like blogging, there would need to be some ground work done. The students need to be made aware of the open ended nature of blogging. Rules need to be in place about appropriate use of a class blog, limiting personal information, and respecting the atmosphere of the online classroom. Also before a teacher can begin an activity like this he or she needs to know the students. If half of the class brings their own laptops to school while a large number of the students are from disadvantaged homes, without computers, this assignment may need to be modified. Teachers also need to know all of the ins and outs of the program that they are choosing to use so they can properly instruct the students.

Although this is my first experience with blogging I do believe that it can have application in the classroom. It may not be my first intuition, but seems to be a relatively easy way to integrate technology into the regular curriculum without taking away from the basic required skills such as communication, cooperation, language and literacy.