The Start of a New School Year

As I write this it is one day away from the first day of school. The big beginning for Kindergartners and the beginning of the end for Seniors graduating in 2011. I wish them good luck and good memories of school.

I have spent much time this past summer learning about new ways to use Web 2.0 tools or tech tools with students to enhance learning. I believe that educators need to know how to use the tools themselves before they can use them effectively with students. I have several blogs and I am a tweeter!
The push for support of our student's [digital native] use of technology in schools is everywhere. "Parents can - and should advocate for the smart use of technology in schools. Kids have to learn to live in our digitized world." as quoted by Dan Tynan in the article "Class Acts" pages 74-80 in the September 10, 2010 issue of Family Circle. Fortunately, many schools are starting to see the importance of embracing tools that help kids with learning. They are turning to student-centic platforms that let students collaborate safely and securely.

"Unfortunately many adults [digital immigrants] are overwhelmed by technology. And many are worried about the lack of safeguards to protect against cheating, cyberbullying, inappropriate content, encounters with strangers, and other abuses. Get involved with your child's use of cyberspace." notes Dan Tynan.
The following suggestions come from the Tynan article:
1. Establish an ongoing conversation about appropriate behavior online. Sites like MySecureCyberspace [mysecurecyberspace.com] and iSafe [isafe.org] offer some good pointers.
2. Be a silent friend on Facebook and other social networks. This allows you to see how your children are interacting without being in their business.
3. Use the social network's privacy settings to limit who can see what they post online. Facebook's newly revamped Safety Center [facebook.com/help/?safety] has helpful advice.
4. Try services like Online Family Norton [onlinefamilynorton.com] or software like McAfee Family Protection [mcafee.com] or Net Nanny [netnanny.com]to monitor which sites your kids visit, block the ones you don't like, and limit how much time they spend surfing.
5. Set up a Google Alert [google.com/alerts] to tell you when your children's names are mentioned on the Web. This can tell you if they are being bullied or the target of rumors.

This school year, I will be in the West Hancock school district on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I look forward to a great year!

If you have any questions or suggestions, feel free to contact me.

Mrs. Theresa Reiter
K-12 Teacher Librarian