Lol...OMG! By Jessica Willem. Post #1

Jessica Willem’s 1st Blog on Lol…OMG!

As I sit here and reflect upon the book’s first chapter, I am suddenly blushing! I’m thinking about how embarrassed I am, knowing that all of you will be reading this. I am used to only our professors reading my reflections, and not all of you; so be nice! In retrospect to worrying about what other people think about what I post on line, this first chapter reports the exact opposite of college students today. Matt Iverson reports how college students are constantly documenting their lives online, including their mistakes. In colleges all over the world today students are continually posting blogs, statues, and pictures about themselves online, with no regard for how damaging this can be to their, “permanent file.” This permanent file is one that I remember clearly from high school myself. I know my classmates and I are thankful our files are probably locked away in a file cabinet in the bottom of our high school’s basement, if not shredded, after all these years. However, today’s college student’s permanent records are being documented online where information is shareable to everyone. Would you have wanted all of your mistakes made in high school and college documented online for all to see? How do you think this could have impacted your college career and/or job search?

In my classroom, I have been teaching my students about how to feel more comfortable using our student laptops. I just moved into my new classroom, which came with a student laptop.  When I first introduced using the laptop to my students I thought they would be excited, some were, some weren't.  When asking why, students reported that they wear afraid they would break it, or find inappropriate pictures, word, or sites.

I shared my story with Heather Mitchell during grad school class and she taught me how to use a web site called, www.symbaloo.com. This website allows students to only access web sites that I allow them to go on and is very easy for students to use. I think that all of you should check symbaloo out and use this website if you are also fearful of what students will access, especially while on your watch.  

I am finally happy to be incorporating more technology by allowing students to work individually and communicate in small groups to use the student laptop.  Sharing the laptop really allows students the chance to use their 21st century skill of collaborating together, showing creativity by deciding where to go and what to do on that site, how to make the sites work with our class lessons, and critical thinking about our lessons.

Currently, students are using the laptop to work together to create a power point on a given ocean animal and so far it is working great!