Spring

Finally, the weather is becoming nicer and the outside jobs have begin. All winter, I have been fighting a heaing broken vertebra and a herniated disc. I have never had a constant and persistent pain before. Getting older is rough. Anyhow, I was not sure whether to look forward to the weather with the pain. Lately, I have begun to feel better and am getting back to my old self.

That's pretty much it. I have Open House this week. It is great. The computer lab gets mobbed every single year. And every single year, some teachers are like, "Oh, do people come to your room?" Umm, hi... I do teach in here, and the kids are proud of their work and eager to show off what they can do.

Looking for great (not just good) websites and lessons on internet safety for older elementary students as well as their parents. Anything?

Where is the line?

A 5th grade student of mine just caught my Principal's attention (again) when she saw heard about his video on youtube. It is of him dancing in a dark room to a song laced with profanities, wearing no shirt, pretending to smoke cigarettes and drink from a bottle. The video includes his full name in the credits. He might as well hold up a sign begging to become a topic on Dateline: To Catch a Predator. I told her I would look into it more at home since we are filtered from these sites at school. He has about 8 total videos, 4 which are somewhat benign and others which are sickening.
**edit** the above student has now been suspended for bringing bullets into school. His parents feel that he did nothing wrong. He will now be attending an alternative school.

After further investigation, there are 5 students (that I am aware of) that are posting. His is by far the worst case, but as we all know, there are only a few degrees of separation between any two people on the web. Their videos can be linked whether by comments or subscriptions to teenage sites depicting violence, promiscuity, and hatred. Each profile says they are 19, but the age descriptions range from 11-15. If one looks hard enough, many full names, maps of neighborhoods, and even a phone number can be found.

Where is the line? Do we as teachers and administrators intervene? The parents can be heard in the background of some of these, and in others they are nowhere in sight. Do they know what is going on? Do they realize what they are enabling their children to do? Many are learning all too quickly from their older siblings and relatives.

I have done sevral lessons on online safety. We have never posted videos or even discussed in depth youtube, myspace, etc. Kids cannot access these sites at school, but can talk and brag about them to their friends. Honestly, the other student's videos are not bad. Kid stuff, boy stuff... Skating, bmx, video games, role playing, dancing. Looks like Web 2.0 is alive and well in their homes. The concerning part is the access that the world now has to them.

Worst of Web 2.0

So many ideas, so many startups, so many horrible names (but it's cool if you make your own)... How does this prospector sift through the rippling mountain Web 2.0 spring in search of golden nuggets?

Horrible metaphor. Actually, I think it was an allegory. I have to be witty now that I am John Blogsalot. And I obviously need a different title for my blog. Something Web 2.0-ey. Like Barfka or maybe Snoozle. Probably taken.

I have done some reading, searching for Web 2.0, and what I came across has to do with the worst of the Web 2.0 (and no, not just the names). I know it is a matter of preference, what works and what does not. Just because the technology and applications are out there does not mean that they are something wonderful. What I want to know is how can I effectively use these applications with my elementary students? How will I get the most out of the Web 2.0? If I were their older brother or sister, the answer would probably be about how much fun it is to post party pics and add cool applications on Facebook which would compare my friends to the sandwich that best represents them (I was hoping to be some awesome burger, but I am plain cheese cut into quarters).

How can I be effective and safe?

Ideas welcome.

Time

Working in the world of technology, something better comes out every day. Sometimes 5 times a day. A new application, words from a guru, a better this or a faster that. My colleagues bring something to the table, we all think it's great, but then falls under the table either forgotten or not used to potential. How can this be streamlined? Seriously... I am asking.

We have a work email, gmail, wiki page, individual blogs (Blogging Wikis since 1975 - most hit website Tuesday, March 11 at 11:24 am), microblogs (ddsmith @ twitter), ooVoo accounts, various feeds and blogs that we each read. How does one manage to do all of this? More importantly, how do we do this with efficiency and productively?

Please respond this way:

1. write your response in a document
2. notify me over work email about this document
3. post the document to google docs
4. post it to your wikispace so that we can edit
5. twitter each step as you complete them
6. video conference with me on ooVoo so you we can discuss face to face the conversion of Web 2.0 to Web 3.12
   

Finally

Been blogging in my head for 32 years now, figured it was time to get some things down. It's really in the best interest of the entire planet that I share my thoughts.

This is me:

• elementary technology teacher
• father of a beautiful new son
• can eat 7 grilled cheese in one sitting
• enjoy working on my home
• can outrun just about anyone... still.
• mac preferred, pc enslaved
• hater of emoticons. Seriously.

That is all for now.

Fin.