Privileges, Privacy, and Protectionof Youth Bloggers in the Social Studies Classroom

I just read an article about blogging and how teachers are implementing blogs as a way to enhance classroom instruction. Blogging has become a popular method of online communication. Many blogs are created in a format similar to a journal and figures show that a new blog is created every second.
Using blogs in the classroom is just another way to engage students in learning. They are a great way to keep the parents up to date on what is happening in the classroom and the are an excellent tool that teachers can use to have their students reflect on their learning and practice their writing skills. They can also create a sense of community by allowing the members of the class to share their thoughts and feelings through discussion.
When submitting information online it is always important to discuss privacy and protection with your students. It is important that students learn how to use technology in a safe and appropriate manner. When using blogging as a method of classroom instruction students are not only sharing their thoughts and feelings in a discussion/journal format they are also learning the importance of cybersafety.
Privelages, Privacy, and Protection of Youth Bloggers in the Social Studies Classroom was written by Ilene R. Berson and Michael J. Berson. It can be found in Social Education (70(3) p. 124-128. 2006 National Council for the Social Studies.

My New Thoughts on Technology

I'm a college student and therefore I rely heavily on technology. This past weekend technology was not a friend of mine. I was working on assignments for this class and as I was ready to submit them in the dropbox I realized that I was unable to access D2L or my campus email. It told me to call the help desk, which I did and wouldn't you know that nobody answers on the weekends. Not that this was a big problem but it was frustrating to me because I was in the homework zone and wanted it done. So I called the help desk and they gave me the run around and asked if I changed my password when it was suggested that I do so. I told him yes and he told me to go back and use my student ID as my password. That's what I ended up doing and it got me into D2L, however, I am still unable to get into my email.
On the flipside to that I spent sometime today at work creating a video slideshow of the children in my classroom for the parents at Christmas. I'm very excited about how it looks and can't wait to show it at our Christmas program.
So in the end I have mixed feelings about technology today. Some days I love it and think that it makes my life easier and other days I want to throw my laptop out the window.

Computers & Young Children

In an article titled "Computers and Young Children" many factors are discussed such as wen to introduce computers, activities that are considered "developmentally appropriate", benefits of computer use and teacher training. The article suggests that computers are inappropriate for children under the age of 3 because it does not suit their learning. At an early age children learn primarily through their body by crawling, walking, talking and socializing with others. Therefore, the article did not support the idea of children under the age of 3 using a computer.
When it comes to whether or not computer usage is developmentally appropriate for young children the article feels that the way that 3 and 4 year old children use computers is different than the way kindergarten and elementary school children use computers. Many times young children sit down at the computer to play games when their learning should provide concrete experiences.
Some of the benefits to computer use with 3 and 4 year olds are gains in "intelligence, nonverbal skills, structural knowledge, long-term memory, manual dexterity, verbal skills, problem solving, abstraction, and conceptual skills. (Haugland, 1992)
If computers are to be an effective lea ring tool, teachers should be trained to maximize the potential of technology in the classroom. Teachers should do various things before allowing their students to explore on a computer. Some things that teachers should do are; preview software and make sure that it is age appropriate and discuss objectives with the students.
If you would like to check this article out you can find it at:
www.kidsource.com/education/computers.html