Wednesday Webinar Part 1 a.k.a. Abiding #4

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=62yp7MtP44w

"Abide with Me"  guitar solo 

As of this day, May 22; my kitchen is taking on water... From the ceiling... Oh, and the new used van we just got two weeks ago... I got to drive it for the first time to the police station in River Forest after I bungee-corded the back bumper and taped the passenger window with plastic, so the rain wouldn't get in - Thank you Seth, (our 17 year old). Oh, and Stephen, my dearly beloved, is out of town on a camping trip since Friday of last week, with his school's seventh and eighth graders. I could complain more, but I have life; I know my children are safe and although, storms come and rock our worlds completely a-p-a-r-t, God is right along side us through every trial. He never leaves us.

I'm just thinking about the tornadoes in OK, school closing in CPS, the slants in the news, and my own proverbial "life's plate".

Okay...

Hi Nicole, (our media arts teacher), a little something just for you; but really it's for every teacher who has students using the internet:

http://educationaltechnologyguy.blogspot.com/2012/01/10-tech-skills-every-student-should.html 

Let's see what I can get done before venturing out into the storms of this night...

I participated in my first webinar. 

Wow! I know! Groovy! (See I told you EDU 560 that I'd use the word:-)

I've gone from just using the computer for typing, circa 1990, (does anyone call it that anymore - kind of like the word "stewardess"), and filing documents to email, webpages, (which I started with one of those when I taught at Triton nearly ten years ago), to blogging, to tweeting, (I've got to remember my username and password soon), and now participating in a webinar. (Can I put that in my resume'?)

The entire experience was neat. I was/am in the "comfort" of my classroom at my desk munching on spicy blue corn chips while dipping into hummus all the while participating in a presentation as if I were in an auditorium. How cool is that? The pace was smooth, the information was easily understandable, the community was very welcoming. My biggest worry was about signing on - I'm always the problem student. However, I signed on and everything went along just peachy. I thought it would be like Skype-ing, but it wasn't necessary to see anyone, just what was being presented. It was a bit like looking over someone's shoulder as they showed websites and various tools. 

...And what a great presentation. It used the "F" word often. 

FREE! 

(Now folks, you know me:-)

Please if you want to stop reading now, go ahead, but do check out this site. Anybody using the internet with students needs to visit this place. There are wonderful ideas for teaching students, (all ages) about safety and responsibility on the internet and involving parents and more.

Here's the site: http://www.commonsensemedia.org/ 

The presenter, Sue, a teacher, offered an immense amount of information about a phenomenon dictated by today's "post-modern" culture: What it means to be a "Digital Citizen".

Students as well as their parents, and this means everyone within this reading is plugged in and we all need to be responsible - there is no anonymity. People forget that although their comments, images, music, whatever; may be meant for a "selected" audience, however, once they hit the enter key or post - it has the potential to be global. If it's not fit for grandma's eyes, then should the rest of us have to see it? I know, there's a smarty pants out there saying, "But you don't know my grandma?" Well grandma needs a lesson in being respectful and responsible too. (Sounds like PBIS time:-)

The "Common Sense Media" folks assist educators, students and parents in the navigation through the important/responsible role of becoming a "digital citizen" via lesson plans, games, news, and more. VISIT THEIR SITE, (I know - I'm shouting:-)