Week 7 Post- LOL...OMG

As I finished reading LOL...OMG, I couldn't help chuckling at the bit that mentions that professional help is available to assist in maintaining a positive online image of yourself. During my journalism class on Monday, a student actually began to write an article that was reviewing a free software that allows for you to maintain digital security, in that the software protects your information from hackers, uses pop-ups to create an interim stage before you make a post, etc. What truly amazes me about this is that it is just another example of how much my eyes have been opened since I began to take this course. Heading into this course I felt that much of what we were discussing was not-applicable to me, or to my classroom. Now, having had four or five different teachable moments and discussions (that all seemed to meld eerily with what I am reading or we are discussing) I see how incorrect I was. Technology is important, it IS impacting my students, and I DO need to be aware and to help my kids to develop a healthy respect for their online lives.

Moving forward, I feel like I have two major focuses that I need to continue to work at. First, I need to continue to use technology in the classroom in order to assist my students in developing their digital literacy. I have already had students create advertisements via video camera, and posters via Glogster and Prezi. Next, as a culminating project for my political thesis unit, I plan to have students create Podcasts in which they present their speeches to their peers. They will post their podcasts on my website (and on EdModo) and will go online and listen to and comment on each others podcasts. This type of real-world technological experience will give my students the real world technological experience they need to be successful.

My second major focus (which is closely tied to the first) is on continuing to implement the NETs standards in my classroom. For me, the NETs standard that requires students to communicate digitally fits seamlessly with the Common Core, which requires that students write and assess their own writing in a digital arena. Many of my assignments meet these standards and I want to continue to push kids to succeed and thrive both with my subject matter as well as with digital literacy and citizenship.

Overall, I enjoyed this class. It pushed me to try many new things that I otherwise would not have tried. I plan to continue on, using the things I have learned while honing my instruction and extending the learning beyond the classroom.