Visit Dana's biopage for more information:
http://eduscapes . . .fisher.html
This week, Dana is in the midst of presenting lessons to her students that are required by the Children's Internet Protection Act. It's a busy week with a book fair in the library, an activity that is run entirely by PTA volunteers. That means that Dana is taking her "show on the road" to the children's classrooms.
Startup question: "What is the most important issue or activity facing you in your school library this fall?"
Greetings, class members. As Larry said, I am finishing up two weeks of lessons with all of our students on Internet safety, using social media, and cyberbullying. While our corporation paid for a pre-made set of lessons and videos (from an organization called iSafe), I have had to do lots of tweaking and substituting to provide lessons that will be meaningful for grades K through 5. I also have to do training with our faculty and staff using a video created by iSafe. One of the most starting things I've learned during these classes is just how "plugged in" even the youngest of our students is. I think it may be a good service to offer to show our training video to parents at a PTA meeting. Many of our kids have computers in their rooms, their own cellphones, Facebook pages, and play interactive games online using xbox and other gaming systems with chatting and texting capabilities. I have collaborated with our computer teacher and our guidance counselor to keep these discussions going with our students.
ReplyDeleteOn the lighter side, we are finishing up our fall Scholastic book fair this week and I'm trying to catalog a cartful of books I've acquired from various sources when I get a few moments. I'm looking forward to our discussion and I promise to try to keep up with your posts.
all the best,
Dana
Here's a link to a new post on my blog:
ReplyDeletehttp://danawarnerfisher.blogspot.com/2012/10/dialoging-with-student-librarians.html
Dana
Welcome. as a parent and future school librarian I was wondering if the program includes anti-predator guidelines? Do all school librarians have to comply with the Children's Internet Protection Act by teaching lessons? My sons are definitely "plugged in" even though they are under 4 years old they already know how to use the computer, IPhone, and other technology. I will be teaching them safety and respect of the internet as they get older and can understand the concepts.
DeleteHi Lisa,
ReplyDeleteIf one's school takes advantage of the government's e-rate for Internet access, it is obliged to comply with the Children's Internet Protection Act training. And, yes, much of the training concerns not friending people one doesn't know in person, never meeting anyone face to face that one only knows from the Internet, etc. That is a big piece of the training. I've been using the little cartoons on netsmartzkids.org with 2nd through 4th graders and nsteens.org for the 5th graders. They are very hip and entertaining as well as informative. You can check them out at netsmartz.org which is a program of the Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
Thank you. I enjoyed looking at pictures of your school library on your blog. Do you get a lot of teachers signing up to use the library? Do you collaborate plan during these times?
DeleteHi again, Lisa. In the past, when teachers did research projects, they would sign up to come to the library. I do try to get together with teachers after school to plan when this happens, but that isn't always possible. With the new Common Core curriculum, many of the products students are supposed to create are digital so teachers have been signing up for the open slots in the computer lab.
DeleteSo it sounds like your schedule is both flexible and fixed is that a correct assessment? I noticed in your blog that you mention in your reference section, a five year collection development plan. Could you elaborate on that plan?
DeleteHi Lisa,
DeleteYes, I have only three classes each day rather than the six that the other specialists have. The computer teacher also has three and we switch off grades every other week.
Our corporation asked all of us media specialists to do an analysis of our collection and then create a five-year collection development plan. Because of the Common Core, our students are doing more research and are required to read texts with increasing text complexity. My reference area had been neglected for many years and it is one of the areas I am concentrating on this year. I've purchased a new set of World Book Encyclopedia in hard copy and added the online subscription database. I chose the weakest areas of my collection to work on the first year and then the next weakest the second year and so on. We have a good fiction collection in general though some of it is well-loved. My PTA pays for thirteen new books every month through Junior Library Guild. About 60% are fiction, but the rest are helping to keep our non-fiction current.
Dana,
ReplyDeleteYour work with the children on Internet safety, cyber bullying, and social media sounds interesting. Is there a particular technique or lesson that has seemed to get through to the children better than others? How do you get them to open up with you ?
Thanks
Kim Mitten
Hi Kim,
DeleteOpening up hasn't been a problem. Most of the older children are eager to share some of their experiences with interactive gaming, texting, etc. The very young children haven't really experienced much in the way of social media, so the idea of cyber bullying is a little beyond them. They "get" the stranger danger piece of talking online to people you don't know or sharing personal information. Each age group has presented a different set of challenges--this is one of the reasons that I had to make some substitutions with the pre-made lesson plans and videos.
Ms. Fisher,
ReplyDeleteI know censorship, especially when it comes to social networks on the internet is a hot topic and the mention of your lessons on cyberbullying and internet safety got me thinking; does your school system censor certain websites? do you allow access to sites like facebook and myspace to students and faculty? What is your recommendation to parents who ask for advice about computer safety/access for their kids at home?
Hello, Jamia,
DeleteYes, we do have a filter and social networking sites like FB and My Space are blocked at school. Part of the school's agreement for the e-rate is that we will filter the Internet.
Our corporation also has a policy that teachers are not to "friend" students on social networking sites.
I think very young children should not be using the Internet without a parent's guidance. I would encourage parents to have constant communication with their child about his/her experiences on the computer. If something unpleasant arises, the child will be more likely to come to the parent for help if there has been open dialogue.
Netsmartz.org has lots of really well-written information for parents as well as videos. I asked to present a short introduction of our state datebase, NC Wiseowl, at a PTA meeting last year. Our parents were really grateful to learn about this resource. I'm also planning to add some resources to our school website about Internet safety.
Dear Ms. Fisher,
ReplyDeleteInternet Safety seems to be an important topic that parents and teachers are interested. Although my son is just 11 months old, I would like to know how to help children use the Interent safely. It is also good to see you collaborate your time with the other teachers. How do you find time working with other teachers? Do you have a flexible schedule or do you have to go by a fixed schedule? THank you very much. My name is Huei-Ru Shiu.
hello Shiu,
ReplyDeleteYou ask a really great question. How do we help really small children use the Internet safely? I think we must go back to the model of helping them become good readers which begins on our laps even before 11 months old. As when we read to them, we can have them in our laps to look at ebooks, go on sights with wonderful photography of animals, and constantly be talking to them and with them about what we are doing (just the technical part of using the computer or digital device) and then, when they are old enough, asking them questions and fielding their questions about what they are seeing and doing online. One source that I consulted compared the trip into cyberspace with a vacation trip. You wouldn't send a five year old to New York City by himself, so don't send him on a trip into cyberspace alone.
What do other class members think? I have a friend who blogs at the Brainy Gamer. He started teaching his daughter to play games when she could only sit in his lap. He also put up some great video of her playing drums on the Beatles game and leaving to get a drink from her sippy cup. He's written several posts about his journey to find the "right" way to do things with a young child.
Dear Ms. Fisher,
DeleteThank you for your response. You brought up a very good point. As parents, we should never let the young children use the Interent alone. Even with the guidance of parents, I am not sure whether I feel comfortable with showing pictures to young children using a computer. I am not sure how safe it is to get exposed to such technology as a computer or an iPad for a young child.
That's certainly a decision every parent will need to make these days, but I feel that tablet technology will certainly continue to come on strongly and many school children are already using iPads on a regular basis.
Delete