 The digital world is a fast-paced world that our students often navigate more fluidly than we do. How do we keep up with our students and what they’re exploring while protecting ourselves? Here are some ideas:
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Whenever we go online, we leave a mark, a footprint. How do we control that mark and protect our privacy? How do we help our students create a positive footprint and maintain their privacy? This is a very involved topic, but we can look at some beginnings here.
InCtrl suggests the following questions to ask when working online, desktop or iPad: what’s the message you want to convey, what’s the best tool for doing it, what are the best techniques to use in creating that message, who is your audience. We explored some of these same questions in our Fall discussions exploring the “How” and how to choose a tool. Protecting privacy is important for our students and ourselves. When you sign up for a reward program or an email lists, use a separate email from your personal one. Always logout of sites. Vary your passwords; there are apps and tools to help maintain your passwords or even create random ones for you. When you use any app or site that requires a student account, send me that information. Have you googled yourself lately? Do you want to know how to affect your search results, how to have some control in what appears? Check and adjust your privacy settings on all of your personal social media accounts. On anything more public, like Twitter, LinkedIn or your website, make regular intentional posts. These regular updates will soon show up at the top of your Google search. Encourage your students to do the same and “clean up” their accounts. Colleges and employers are looking at their social media accounts! Having a positive social media presence can make a difference! Our freshmen are learning about this in our Computer Apps classes. As we continue our journey as a School of Innovative Learning and Technology, as we learn and grow in this process, these practices will become our norm and part of our best practices.  e-Hallpass is an electronic hall pass system that allows us to continually monitor our students whenever they leave our classrooms. No more writing out passes on scraps of paper or Post-It notes. "Pin" students out of class from their iPads, their phones, your iPad or your desktop. Use your normal classroom policies regarding when a student can leave the room; students may generate a pass, but it's your decision if they can leave. When it's appropriate for them to leave, they generate the pass, you pin or approve it. Their pass changes color depending on its state: waiting, approved, or complete. The visual is great! Is the student just going to the bathroom or getting a drink? Have them leave their device on the chalk rail, on your desk, or somewhere else visible - you know they're still out while it's sitting there.
Visit this link for additional information and a pass creation video.  Interested in a tool that provides for easy, instant communication with students and parents? Try Remind! Remind is a cross-platform tool designed for education. It allows you to send messages to your students or parents that can be accessed via web, iPad and phone (Android or iPhone). Use it for class or club. Remind provides for so many communication options. You can chat with students and parents. Send direct messages, images, voice files, attachments and links. Remind students of upcoming due dates. Update parents on class happenings. Send quick positive notes. Students can message you with questions regarding assignments. You can even set your availability so you don't have to answer questions at odd hours.
It’s a busy time and many of us want to focus our attention on those students that are about to walk through our classroom doors. That can make it difficult to connect with the Professional Learning that happens right before that moment. That’s understandable.
Pine Creek’s Professional Learning Program provides our community with ongoing opportunities for learning, not solely isolated ones. It provides us a shared experience to expand our skills and work collaboratively. We learn how to leverage new tools and we work together towards building and department goals. It is rooted in a belief in the value of continuous learning, growth and improvement. I encourage you to embrace your Professional Learning experience as an opportunity to work toward our building’s shared vision and not a moment away from planning. Base your session choices not only on need and expectation, but curiosity and instructional potential. We have a staff full of rich experiences that they are looking forward to sharing with you. Those experiences are designed according to feedback from you, so please continue to provide that feedback. Welcome back! |
Susan Murray-CarricoI am a Technology Integration and LMS Specialist by title, but lifelong learner in practice. An Apple Teacher, Google Certified Educator and Microsoft Innovative Educator, my goal is to assist educators in investigating and exploring resources to embed in their instruction. I also hope to be a part of their journey toward an innovative and transformative practice that empowers learners and strengthens their own craftsmanship. I spends my free time with my family, my dogs and a good cup of coffee. Archives
April 2018
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