Incorporating Internet Safety

Internet safety is extremely important for all students. I was fortunate to grow up in a home with a very involved mother and father who always emphasized the importance of internet safety. They were very strict about me using MySpace and Facebook (Ugh, I was like THE last person in the whole entire school to get a MySpace). Looking back, I appreciate my parents' concern for my safety as I used the internet. I realize that not all parents are as involved as mine were and students do not always know how to use safe internet practices. I do think that it is important for students to know how to use the internet safely and that teacher's should be responsible for addressing safety issues, especially when the internet will be used in class or for an assignment.

One way that internet safety can be incorporated into the classroom is by providing students with the school rules for computer/internet use whenever students go into the computer lab or use the computers during class for an assignment.  For example, in Science class, students may be required to create a lab report or research a specific topic. I would go over different SAFE resources to begin an internet search. I would also show students how to search for topics safely. I would also direct students to the school's online library resources or online encyclopedia's for the majority of their research. I could stress that not every resource is reliable. I could emphasize this by comparing 2 different websites that have information on a topic we have learned about. I would have an example and a non-example of good and bad resources. I would have students point out the differences and show them that the bad example has inaccurate information. In addition, I would make a point to students that they should have a bibliography. I would talk about plagiarism and proper resource citing. The bibliography and reputable sources would be part of the rubric. I think that it would also be wise to have a school librarian come in to discuss different research methods and resource citing.

I think it would be harder to incorporate internet safety into the classroom if I was teaching math. I would do something similar to science if I had students do a math research project. In addition, if students were learning to collect data, I would like to use the internet and I could incorporate safety into that project.


http://www.doe.virginia.gov/support/safety_crisis_management/internet_safety/ideas_integrating.pdf

How Would I Assess?

In a perfect world, I would assess my students on their effort, the progress they make in the classroom, and the way they treat their peers and teachers. I think that there are so many other things that are more important than just being book smart. Just because someone is book smart doesn't mean they will make a positive contribution to the community. Someone who is kind to others, gives 100% all the time, and makes progress through the year would get an A in my class. Of course, if someone is doing their best all of the time, they should be making progress. 

The SOL's are great because they provide a standard that every student must meet in order to move on to the next grade. It makes life easier for everyone involved, the student passes the test, then great they get to go to the next grade. If they don't, then we have to do remediation and possibly hold them back. The SOLs are great because they determine if a teacher is doing a good job or not. If the students all pass, then the teacher is good and can keep getting paid and not lose their job. If the students don't pass, then the teacher should not get paid as much and be watched more closely to make sure they are doing their job. 

But really, the SOL's aren't that great. I grew up going to a small Catholic school in Tennessee and I had never heard of the SOL until I moved to Virginia. We had a few standardized tests that we took toward the end of the year that ranked us nationally, but it really did not mean anything. I think the SOL's put too much pressure on teachers and take away from their ability to teach. I understand that there should be goals in place for students to reach, but when a teacher is so worried about their job or their pay based on how their students perform at the end of the year, it definitely reflects their teaching. They want to get it all done on their set schedule. And what about snow days? Shoot, that really could mess a teacher up that needs to make sure she stays on track for the SOL's. Sure they have some built in make up days, but what about when you have so many snow days that they have to tack on at the end of the year? That isn't going to help a teacher because the SOLs are at the beginning of May! 

I don't think that SOLs are the best choice for testing our students and making sure every student is on track. However, at this point, I really don't have a better suggestion or idea. I just know that I believe that you can get a lot further in life and be a more positive influence in the world by being kind, putting effort into your work, and continually making progress in everything you do.