Check out the article about the CYMS Hub and 1:World initiative in the York Dispatch!
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You've probably heard about etiquette, but have you ever heard of netiquette? Just as there are appropriate and inappropriate ways to behave in social situations in the "real world", there are also standards of conduct for behaving properly in cyberspace. In Mrs. Howell's class students discussed digital etiquette, like the following guidelines, which were excerpted from the book Netiquette by Virginia Shea: They also watched a fun video about digital pet peeves and talked about their own pet peeves when it comes to the world of technology. Here are a few of their responses: Erica (Grade 7): One thing that annoys me is when people are on their phones while in line for something and are ignoring the person trying to help them. Nick (Grade 7): When I get a text and I am not using my phone. If I don't notice that I got a text, they spam 'hi' so many times. Ryan (Grade 7): When girls take duck face selfies. LOL Jaanvi (Grade 8): When I am trying to talk to someone and they're just staring at their phone. Jadon (Grade 8): When I send a long message and the only response is, "K". In Miss Eaton's class, learners discussed many topics related to internet safety and appropriate use. One of the questions they discussed was, Is it fair for districts to limit access to any or all websites? Why or why not? Here are a few of our learners' thoughts on the subject: Allison (Grade 8): Yes it is fair because, during class, a student could be on a website they aren't supposed to be on such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or Tumblr. They may not be paying attention in class because of these websites. Connor (Grade 7): It's not okay because the principals should trust us as students. If someone makes a bad decision, not everyone should pay for it. Makaya (Grade 8): I think some websites are fair for schools to limit access. Some websites are inappropriate and shouldn't be viewed in schools, but not all of the websites the school blocks are inappropriate like some research websites, which limits students access to information. Maddie (Grade 7): No, because the teachers tell us to follow them on Twitter and social media, but we can’t see what they post because it is blocked. Anthony (Grade 8): I think that it is fair for schools to limit access to websites. I think that it is fair because many online sites can be very distracting, which would cause a student to not pay attention or stop whatever they were doing. And last, but not least, in Mrs. Koplitz class learners discussed the ins and outs of social media and social networking, as well as the safety and security issues that are involved with each platform. They also shared their favorite sites, and what they believe are the pros and cons of social networking, which they'll be adding to brochures they're creating on digital communication, commerce, and literacy.
Every day is full of new, exciting, and relevant topics here at the Hub - can't wait to see what discussions happen tomorrow! The library is now "officially" the Hub, thanks to our new awesome sign designed by our very own Ms. Georg and her intern from CYHS, Macy! Thanks so much ladies!!! We love it!
Our learners have graduated from their first unit in the Hub and are embarking on a new rotation. Each class will be working with one of our three lovely facilitators for six days. Miss Eaton's class will be collaborating in small groups to create a children's book about internet safety which will be shared with our elementary students. Eighth graders will be using the website Storyboard That, while the seventh graders and eighth graders with iPads will be using the Book Creator app on their devices. One of our favorite ideas so far is a group of students who decided to go with a twist on the well-loved story of Cinderella - instead of losing her glass slipper Cinderella will be leaving her iPad on the castle steps. We can't wait to see how Prince Charming solves that mystery! Mrs. Koplitz' group are working toward becoming more informed digital citizens. They'll be looking into a few specific areas including:
And last, but certainly not least, Mrs. Howell's class will be discussing the digital etiquette, access, and law, focusing on the digital divide that currently exists in our country and worldwide (learn more about the digital divide right here.) Although our district is leveling the playing field by providing all of our learners with the technology and resources needed to compete in today's world, not everyone has access to technology or the skills to utilize it (like Lynette, for example). Students will be discussing what groups are lacking digital access and why, as well as how some are trying to bridge the gap between the haves and have-nots (like Microsoft and its founder Bill Gates, who have created the Badiliko Project to provide internet access, devices, and education to Sub-Saharan Africa, or how Philadelphia is dreaming of city-wide internet access as well as working to provide free digital literacy training to its citizens.)
Exciting stuff! We can't wait to see the end result of all of our learners' hard work and collaborative efforts - stay tuned! Please remember to bring your earbuds or headphones to Skills for Digital Age Learners every day!
P.S. If you like this image that Mrs. Hufnagl created, it was inspired by one of her favorite Instagram accounts - SPIELKKIND - the brainchild of Kerstin Hiestermann. Want to try to create an image like this yourself? Pair everyday objects, like this hydrangea leaf, with your own doodles! You can do this with your iPad or laptop using your device's camera, a good old fashioned marker or pen, and the Pages program/app! Want more info? Email Mrs. Hufnagl at [email protected] or find her in the Hub! It's week three and our learners are settling in quite nicely to their new home at the CYMS Hub! Today we touched on a number of important topics including device safety and handling, proper use of social media, common symbols and icons that the students may encounter, troubleshooting issues that may (and will!) pop up with the devices, and efficiency/shortcuts. In Mrs. Howell's room learners discussed proper device safety and handling and learned to identify common symbols and icons, both of which you can check out on these pdf files:
In Mrs. Koplitz' class our learners played a fun matching game to hone their shortcut skills so that they will be able to use their devices as efficiently as possible. They also discussed some important device safety and handling tips to avoid those awful cracked screens (or worse!) Miss Eaton's class watched a short video on a very important topic - cyberbullying, and also reviewed social media safety/proper use guidelines that they learned in grades 4-6. They also talked about proper device safety and handling and collaborated to create a Google Doc to help our learners to independently troubleshoot common issues that they may encounter before going directly to a teacher or tech person. You can check out the results of their collaboration right here:
All in all it was another great day to be a Panther in the CYMS Hub! A few reminders for our learners and their parents:
Digital-age learners: don't forget to take the pre-assessment quiz! It can be found at the top of your Edmodo class page. Make sure that you give yourself 10-15 minutes to take the quiz, because once you start you must finish. If you log out it will mark any unanswered questions wrong and will not let you back in to the quiz. It will look like this in Edmodo:
Parents, all of our middle school learners will be using Edmodo in Skills for Digital Age Learners. Edmodo is the world's largest K-12 social learning community where teachers, students, and parents can connect safely and securely. Parent accounts are a great way for parents to observe and stay up to date with their child's Edmodo activities. Parents are able to see the following in their account (for their student only):
If you'd like to set up a parent account, you can get a code from your middle school learner and use it to set up an account that is unique to you and your child: If you still have questions, you can find more information about setting up a parent account on Edmodo's site right here.
In addition to learning digital age skills the Hub is still very much being utilized as a library, and the kids have been diving right into reading after the long summer off. They've been enjoying both the paper books and digital readers, sometimes side by side which is a fun sight to see!
Our own Mrs. Eaton has been burning the candle at both ends, fulfilling both roles as a librarian and teacher, with the help of our Hub assistant, Mrs. Crusse to make sure that all of our learners are able to find stories to spark their imaginations! We had a fantastic first week in the CYMS Hub! We handed out over a thousand devices here at the middle school and about 2800 district-wide. All things considered it went very smoothly, and the kids were thrilled to have their iPads and laptops to explore and personalize. They were able to get their devices set up, including email and Apple ID. The tech department was amazing, helping our learners to troubleshoot whenever issues cropped up. Here's a shot of our own Julia Junkin helping an eighth grader with her laptop through the new pass-through window between the Hub and the CYMS "computer hospital". We also had a photo booth for the kids filled with fun props to connect with their fellow classmates and reconnect with friends who were missed over the summer months. A few of our administators even got in on the fun! Looking ahead here at the Hub we'll be delving into:
So excited for week number two! |
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October 2017
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