London's Killer Fogs
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Blogging Guidelines
Dear Students and Parents,
Since preparing students in the use of 21st Century technology has been added to our school’s educational goals graduate students Cherie and Min Ho will be starting a new computer project. Until now we have concentrated on teaching students to access information on the Internet, write papers using Microsoft Word, and log and use data on Excel. We are now beginning to teach the use of Web 2.0 tools.
It might surprise you to know that millions of students are already using Blogs to publish personal journals, their biographies, and comments about their hobbies, experiences, hopes and dreams on the Web. Some of you may already be knowledgeable or experienced in the many of the tools that our children take for granted and are already using on a daily basis. Others will benefit from future conversations and perhaps tutoring sessions by your children on the use of this tool. Educational use of Blogging to improve students’ writing skills has just begun.
How it Works
Each week we will teach a writing lesson using the 6-Trait writing model. More information on this writing model may be accessed at (http://www.google.com/search?q=6-Trait+writing+model&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a). After the lesson, each student will write an entry for their blog on a topic of their choice. They will use the skills taught in the lesson to help them with their writing. The emphasis is on quality, not quantity. Students will work on this blog during computer sessions at school and/or at home. After their draft has been approved by me they may post it to the classroom blog. All that they will need is an Internet connection and a Web browser. Students will be able to save drafts of their work as a Microsoft or MAC document, and edit them before publishing them to the classroom blog.
One of the key components of this program is to provide an audience for your child’s writing. In addition to receiving comments from their classmates, students will initially get responses from other classes at our school. You may have participated in a pen pal program at some stage of your education. The next step is similar to that program. We are planning to have students from classes around the world visit our classroom blog and respond. Parents are also invited to visit and post to our blog.
Security
Minimizing risk to your child is an important part of this project. Please read and discuss the Blogging Terms and Conditions with your child:
1. Students will practice internet safety by keeping personal information out of their posts. They may use only their first name or a nickname approved by the teacher or their parents. You agree to not post or give out your family name, password, user name, email address, home address, school name, city, country or other information that could help someone locate or contact you in person. Your may share your ideas, interests, and preferences.
2. You agree not to share your user name or password with other students. You agree never to log in as another student.
3. You are expected to treat blog spaces as classroom spaces. This means your written speech must be appropriate for a classroom. You are encouraged to participate in debate and conversation with other bloggers. Your role is as a representative of your school, so inappropriate language or topics of discussion will not be tolerated. Students are permitted to post on any school-appropriate subject.
4. Most people who respond to student blogs will also be writing under the above rules, but it is possible that you may receive an inappropriate response. If this should occur, report it to your teacher immediately and above all, do not respond to it.
5. Students using school computers are not permitted to download or install any software with out the teacher’s permission and may not click on ads or announcements of competitions.
6. Students who do not follow these rules may lose the opportunity to participate in this project.
I have read and understood these blogging terms and conditions. I agree to uphold them.
Student’s signature_____________________________________ date____________
Parent’s signature_______________________________________ date___________
(required if your student is below the age of 18)
Thank you for your kind attention to this letter. Please address questions to us by sending a note to school with a signed copy of this letter or by calling the office for an appointment to speak with us.
Sincerely, Cherie and Min Ho
Since preparing students in the use of 21st Century technology has been added to our school’s educational goals graduate students Cherie and Min Ho will be starting a new computer project. Until now we have concentrated on teaching students to access information on the Internet, write papers using Microsoft Word, and log and use data on Excel. We are now beginning to teach the use of Web 2.0 tools.
It might surprise you to know that millions of students are already using Blogs to publish personal journals, their biographies, and comments about their hobbies, experiences, hopes and dreams on the Web. Some of you may already be knowledgeable or experienced in the many of the tools that our children take for granted and are already using on a daily basis. Others will benefit from future conversations and perhaps tutoring sessions by your children on the use of this tool. Educational use of Blogging to improve students’ writing skills has just begun.
How it Works
Each week we will teach a writing lesson using the 6-Trait writing model. More information on this writing model may be accessed at (http://www.google.com/search?q=6-Trait+writing+model&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a). After the lesson, each student will write an entry for their blog on a topic of their choice. They will use the skills taught in the lesson to help them with their writing. The emphasis is on quality, not quantity. Students will work on this blog during computer sessions at school and/or at home. After their draft has been approved by me they may post it to the classroom blog. All that they will need is an Internet connection and a Web browser. Students will be able to save drafts of their work as a Microsoft or MAC document, and edit them before publishing them to the classroom blog.
One of the key components of this program is to provide an audience for your child’s writing. In addition to receiving comments from their classmates, students will initially get responses from other classes at our school. You may have participated in a pen pal program at some stage of your education. The next step is similar to that program. We are planning to have students from classes around the world visit our classroom blog and respond. Parents are also invited to visit and post to our blog.
Security
Minimizing risk to your child is an important part of this project. Please read and discuss the Blogging Terms and Conditions with your child:
1. Students will practice internet safety by keeping personal information out of their posts. They may use only their first name or a nickname approved by the teacher or their parents. You agree to not post or give out your family name, password, user name, email address, home address, school name, city, country or other information that could help someone locate or contact you in person. Your may share your ideas, interests, and preferences.
2. You agree not to share your user name or password with other students. You agree never to log in as another student.
3. You are expected to treat blog spaces as classroom spaces. This means your written speech must be appropriate for a classroom. You are encouraged to participate in debate and conversation with other bloggers. Your role is as a representative of your school, so inappropriate language or topics of discussion will not be tolerated. Students are permitted to post on any school-appropriate subject.
4. Most people who respond to student blogs will also be writing under the above rules, but it is possible that you may receive an inappropriate response. If this should occur, report it to your teacher immediately and above all, do not respond to it.
5. Students using school computers are not permitted to download or install any software with out the teacher’s permission and may not click on ads or announcements of competitions.
6. Students who do not follow these rules may lose the opportunity to participate in this project.
I have read and understood these blogging terms and conditions. I agree to uphold them.
Student’s signature_____________________________________ date____________
Parent’s signature_______________________________________ date___________
(required if your student is below the age of 18)
Thank you for your kind attention to this letter. Please address questions to us by sending a note to school with a signed copy of this letter or by calling the office for an appointment to speak with us.
Sincerely, Cherie and Min Ho
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Thursday, February 7, 2008
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