Yesterday another administrator and I ran a staff meeting using a unconference design. This was a great process, and one I have to write about more. (and we are going to try to use the same design with the students next week)
The faculty developed 7 discussions focused on topics from "how to respond to students being rude to each other" to "what is the vision of the school."
The focus of the session I began in was focused on the question of "How do we teach and address the rise of electronic media?"
This is a question I have already been working with this year. In the groups discussion we really tried to first define the schools obligation re:SM. I firmly believe that schools cannot be the Facebook cops and that the solution to this does not rely on reacting to what students do online.
We have to teach students how to interact with their online community by crating spaces where it is safe for students and teachers to work side by side.
This year I am using Kidblog.org as this shared online workspace. The class space created by the site allows me to visit their work as they are creating it, as well as give students feedback that is either public or private.
I want to use this space as the foundation of my digital citizenship unit. I want students to see tht their work can connect with others. This has already begun, Kid Blog added a visitor map and the students can see where the site is being viewed from. We have at least one reading in Indonesia. This is a revalation to the students, someone across the world is learning about Storm Sandy because of their blog post.
I don't know what opprotunites will come out of this next, but I can say tat if we want to teach students to be better community members online, we need to get into an online space with them and guide them, and respond to how they inteact with the online community.
If you need an invitiation to blog with your kids or students, here it is: get blogging!
The faculty developed 7 discussions focused on topics from "how to respond to students being rude to each other" to "what is the vision of the school."
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| our unconference session board |
This is a question I have already been working with this year. In the groups discussion we really tried to first define the schools obligation re:SM. I firmly believe that schools cannot be the Facebook cops and that the solution to this does not rely on reacting to what students do online.
We have to teach students how to interact with their online community by crating spaces where it is safe for students and teachers to work side by side.
This year I am using Kidblog.org as this shared online workspace. The class space created by the site allows me to visit their work as they are creating it, as well as give students feedback that is either public or private.
I want to use this space as the foundation of my digital citizenship unit. I want students to see tht their work can connect with others. This has already begun, Kid Blog added a visitor map and the students can see where the site is being viewed from. We have at least one reading in Indonesia. This is a revalation to the students, someone across the world is learning about Storm Sandy because of their blog post.
I don't know what opprotunites will come out of this next, but I can say tat if we want to teach students to be better community members online, we need to get into an online space with them and guide them, and respond to how they inteact with the online community.
If you need an invitiation to blog with your kids or students, here it is: get blogging!
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