Navigate 1.1.1 Delineating Between Synchronous and Asynchronous Content

When it comes to the different types of delivery methods for teaching, I, personally, I used to a traditional classroom of synchronous learning.  I currently teach high school math in a public high school.  But I am hoping to have the opportunity to begin teaching some math classes through the virtual school program.  I was unfamiliar with the synchronous and asynchronous learning until reading through some of the provided resources.  I think that some students would be better suited for a more asynchronous type environment, especially if the student likes to work along and is very self-driven.  But there are some instances where synchronous virtual learning would be very beneficial.  It is always helpful to hear what others have to say and get others' opinions on the topics.  As a math teacher, I would think I would have a lot of students that would probably show up for my synchronous sessions because it always helps student to see someone else work out problems or show a different way to work a problem out.  I believe that we will always need some level of synchronous learning, but I think that a lot of students would still benefit from having more asynchronous learning.  I feel like with asynchronous learning, it puts most of the responsibility on the student to learn and complete what needs to be done.  We need more students that are self-sufficient and self-driven.

I found the picture below that I feel gives a good description of synchronous and asynchronous learning.

Participate 4.1.3 Digital Health

Our lives are constantly filled with rings, dings, alarms, reminders, etc.  We have so much stimuli and constant access to social media, news, Internet, and the world in general that we need to make sure we block out specific times to unplug from all of those things.  I teach high school math all day.  When I am not up teaching in front of the room or helping students, I am working on checking emails, developing lessons, and entering grades.  I feel like I spend so much time in front of my computer!  But between all of my time as a teacher and having a 2 year old at home, I have to make a special effort to schedule in some time for me to take care of myself and also time to make sure we are having as a family.  I have inserted my outlook calendar here.  It shows my gym time on Saturday mornings and basketball games every other week.  We also try to dedicate Sunday to being family day!  Those days are especially fun when we have pretty weather and are able to enjoy the outdoors!

It is extremely important that we teach our students and children of our own how to take a break from technology and to be ok without it!  I have high school students that think they are completely lost if they don't have their phone for one class period!  All of our technology if great and allows us to do a lot of wonderful things, but we have to make sure we use it in moderation.

Participate 4.1.2 Digital Safety and Security

With all of the advances that we have in technology these days, you would think all of our personal information would be safer than ever because you have so many ways to monitor them.  But, in fact, it is quite the opposite.  With so many advanced in technology and everything continuing to grow and develop, we are at a greater risk all of the time for being taken advantage of.  As an adult, it is hard enough to keep up with everything I do online and keep all of my information safe and private.  But it is just as important for us to teach our students the importance of internet safety and security.  Our students need to know that everything they do digitally leaves a "footprint."  Most students are not aware of what this is or how this is true.  The attached video is a nice 2 minute explanation that students would really get a lot from.

In addition to making our students aware of the importance of digital safety and security, we also need to do what we can to help parents be aware of these things as well.  This is a great article for parents to read about helping their children stay digitally safe.  Help Your Kids Stay Safe and Secure in a 24/7 Digital Age

Participate 4.1.1 - Supporting Digital Rights & Responsibilities

As students become involved in a digital learning community, it is imperative that they learn the right and wrong ways to handle themselves.  Each DLC needs its own Acceptable Use Policy that has been reviewed by a lawyer and will be will be enforced by the community.  The AUP needs to be read thoroughly and signed by the students involved in the DLC and by the parents of students under the age of 18.  A good example of an acceptable use policy is what Cherokee county has in place for their students.  A copy of it is linked here.  The main thing that has to be kept in mind is that what some people assume to be ok and acceptable is not that way with everyone. We think that everyone understands how to handle themselves and appropriately use the Internet and its resources, but that is not the case.  The rules need to be clearly laid out for the staff, students, and parents.

Participate 3.1.2 Digital Resources and Netiquette

When working on a digital learning community or any social network site in general it is important to keep in mind the following list of dos and don'ts about Netiquette.

DOS: 

• ·         Be respectful when communicating with others.
• ·         Use correct grammar and check spelling.
• ·         Write clearly and concisely.
• ·         Respect other people's opinions, beliefs, and ideologies.
• ·         Proofread before you send or post on the internet.
• ·         Be on time to meetings.
• ·         Always adhere to using the "Golden rule".
• ·         Research information before posting.
• ·         Be Open Minded

DON'TS: 

• ·         Write in all CAPITALS!
• ·         Never say anything that you wouldn't say to someone directly..
• ·         Use sarcasm.
• ·         Copy information directly off the internet without providing a citation and reference.
• ·         Use other people's work or projects and claim them as your own.
• ·         Curse or use inappropriate language.

 I also thought the picture below was full of friendly reminders when working online in any situation.

Participate 3.1.1 Access to the Digital Community

When considering different levels of access that people have to digital resources, it is hard to imagine anything other than what i am familiar with.  I would think that almost everyone has access to wireless internet all of the time, a couple of computers at their disposal, a smart phone, and possibly even a tablet.  I am very wrong in thinking this way, but it hard to imagine something that you are not exposed to.  In the school system where I work I see evidence of how wrong my thinking is daily.  We have a "bring your learning device (BYLD)" system set up in our school system.  You would think that every kid would have a smart phone or a tablet, but they don't.  While I do see a lot of them in the classrooms and halls, I see a lot of students with no phone or an older style phone.  I also receive notes quite often from parents stating that their student doesn't have access to the internet and they will need to use a computer at school to complete assignments.

I feel like one of the biggest barriers that we must overcome to help everyone access digital resources is financial burden.  From having out of date computers to not being able to afford the fastest internet or even afford internet at all.  To me, this is the biggest hurdle that must be overcome for most that are interested in access digital resources.

In order to overcome this barrier we have to work together in the state and local school districts to help students have the tools and access to the resources that they need.  I know some schools will check out laptops to students so that they can work on assignments out of school.  If they don't have internet access they can go to a local coffee shop of business where free wi-fi is available.  Also, libraries are a good place to be able to access computers and the internet.

Participate 2.1.1 Collecting Reputable Digital Resources

As an educator it is very important that we keep up with the latest trends in technology and help our students learn to use and take advantage of these tools.  But there are so many resources that are out there, it can be hard to know what is best and what can be trusted.  In reading and working on my web walkabout, I found that sites with suffixes such as .gov, .org, and .edu would be the most likely to be trustworthy and helpful.

The first site that I found to be useful is Symbaloo.  This is a bookmarking site that allows you to bookmark anything from educational resources to social media to news websites.  It is visually appealing and is organized very nicely.  As a teacher, I have so many different sites that I need to have quick access to that I feel like this would be a great way to organize all of them.

The second site that I found to be very useful is Illuminations.  As a math teacher, I find that I have students and parents that are always wanting to know of places where they can find additional help.  This site is very well-organized and topics can easily be searched to find what you are looking for.  It has a lot of lessons and nice interactive tools.  I have actually used this site in my classroom to show how to make constructions using a compass.  It gives my students a great picture of how a compass should be used and even lists the steps for making the constructions!

The third site that I found is Braingenie.  I have never had any experience with Braingenie but from what i found on the site it seems to be very helpful in the areas of math and science.  This site has the math content organized very nicely.  It allows you to quiz yourself on almost any math topic.  These types of sites are great when it comes to studying and preparing for standardized tests and even the SAT or ACT.  I plan on linking this site to my website that is open to my students.

It is important that as we are using these resources and many others, and encouraging out students to do so, that we also teach them how to be aware of harmful sites and non-trustworthy sites.  Using the site Stop Badware is a great place to go and check sites to make sure they are safe.  I had never heard of this site either, but after learning about it and reading through it I found it to be very helpful!  Also, most education websites allow free membership, whereas sites that could be harmful want to try and charge money and fool you into giving out personal information.  These are a couple of things to be on the lookout for when searching for good, trustworthy education sites.