How Do We Teach Kids to be Good Digital Citizens?

Thank you so much to Margaret Simon of Reflections on the Teche for hosting DigiLit Sunday.  I am very appreciative of this space to share my thinking and experiences about digital literacy.  You can view other posts about digital literacy on her blog.

The last several weeks have given me pause to rethink how I teach digital citizenship.  I thought I had done a pretty good job.  We spent the beginning of the year learning about the importance of being a good digital citizen:

• Don't give identifying information about yourself when you are online
• Keep your password private
• Don't ask for others' passwords
• Leave a positive impression when commenting or connecting with others
• View information that is appropriate for school
• Cite evidence you find on the Internet
• Be responsible for the information you put on the Internet

I used a lot of information from Common Sense Media as I got my kids ready to venture into the digital world.  Our lessons have been reinforced by the media specialist and the technology teacher.  I sent a letter home to parents explaining our guidelines and asked students and parents to sign the letter before we started blogging and allowing kids to bring in their own technology.  I thought we had it under control and we did for awhile.

The first problem occurred after Christmas break when I received an email from a parent saying that some kids were playing inappropriate games during indoor recess.  They would quickly switch to the home screen if a teacher checked to see what they were doing.  The clincher was that a child was watching an inappropriate music video and showing it to other kids.  That was an easy one to fix.  We wouldn't use devices during indoor recess because the teacher on duty couldn't supervise every single student.  We had a long, intense chat about the importance of following the rules.

No incidents occurred until 3 weeks ago.  Two boys Googled "sex" on the iPads and left a trail.  Last week, another student guessed someone's password and got into his blog.  All three received consequences.  

To say I'm upset is an understatement.    If it had only been one occurrence, it might not have had such an impact on me.  But putting all of these instances together has me frustrated and perplexed.  

I don't write this post to be a Debbie Downer.  Instead, I am asking myself, "How do I impress upon kids the importance of being safe and respectful when using digital technology?"  I get that kids are curious.  Back in the day, kids might have looked up dirty words in the dictionary or looked at the naked pictures in National Geographic and snickered with their friends.  The amount of information that is available to us today is astronomical.  Our firewalls and filters don't always work.  Unfortunately, it's too easy for kids to be exposed to and share information that is not appropriate for their age level.  

These breaches have taught me some important lessons.  First, I understand that going over this information at the beginning of the year is not enough.  We need to revisit this topic throughout the school year and talk about the importance of being responsible.  Secondly,  I wonder if I should bring in an expert to talk to the kids.  I certainly don't want to scare them, but I do want them to understand these safety issues.  

I don't know the answers.  What I do know is that this topic is very important for my  young learners.  This is the time we build the foundation for good habits when using technology.  They need to learn it now, because as they get older, they will be exposed to so much more and their decisions may impact their dreams and goals for the future.  

What are some of your strategies for teaching digital citizenship?

Celebration Saturday

Thank you so much to Ruth Ayres for providing this space for celebrations.  I'm finding that focusing on  things to celebrate make a world of difference on my outlook on life.

Three writing celebrations this past week...

First, my after school digital writing club shared their work with their parents after school on Tuesday.  The library was filled to the max and the kids did a wonderful job of presenting their work.  This was my first attempt at a digital writing club.  I've had an after school writing club since 2007, but never one that focused solely on digital composition.  It was a great experience.  I learned a lot (like the importance of having another teacher on hand) and was excited when the fourth graders asked if we would do it again next year.  I told them they could count on it!

Second, we had our Slice of Life celebration on Tuesday afternoon.  Two cafeteria tables were laden with sliced goodies while third and fourth graders gathered to share their slices and the experience of writing every day for the month of March.  It was so fun to be part of this celebration.  The kids were proud of themselves and all they accomplished.  (Although, the principal shared with me that her son asked her if she could fire me.  He did not enjoy the experience so much.  But since his mom was participating, he had no other choice but to complete it too.) We both got a chuckle out of that one.  :)

The third celebration was a little quieter.  Cathy Mere and I wrapped up our teacher digital writing group on Thursday afternoon over iced coffee and bubble tea at the local coffee shop.  Those who were able, joined us and we talked about everything and anything that colors our world right now.  We had a great group of teachers who were all willing to take risks, share with each other, and grow.  Several blogs were born, other blogs were refined, and lots of conversation stretched our thinking to new possibilities.

A final celebration is for my own writing.  To be more precise, it's really about my attitude as I work on two big projects.  Instead of letting myself be overwhelmed and focusing on "all I have to do," I'm giving myself permission to tackle a little bit at a time and taking time for some fun in between the work.  I'm finding it's a much healthier way to be.  Why did it take me 50+ years to learn this lesson?  I'm not really sure, but I'm glad that I'm finally getting it.  :)

Here's to a week of celebrations to all of you.

Slice of Life and a Pizza

Now that the Slice of Life Challenge is over, it's back to Tuesday slicing. Thank you so much to the Two Writing Teachers for hosting.

Tonight was one of those nights.  I don't have them very often, but when I do, I'm tired and starving when I arrive home.  I had 3 commitments after school, so it was about 7:00 when I headed home. I had told Keith that I would get something and not to save dinner for me.  I was now regretting that conversation.  I decided against going through the drive-thru, just wanting to get home.

As I got closer to home, I considered what I might have.

Do we have bread?  Yep, I think we do.  I could have grilled cheese. 
Or, even quicker, I could just have cheese and crackers.
Hmm..maybe I should eat veggies and hummus.  That would be healthier.
I could eat oatmeal.  No, I probably shouldn't have carbs for dinner.
Ok...I'll just do grilled cheese.  I know, it's carbs, but it will be quick and easy.

Imagine my surprise when I opened the door to the most amazing aroma.

Keith called out to me, "It's your lucky day.  Annie made pizza."

Pizza?  Yum!!  Forget what I said about carbs.

"It's zucchini pizza."

I peeked around into the kitchen and saw hot, cheesy pizza on the stove.  The crust, made out of zucchini, boasted no carbs at all.

From Food and the City

I grabbed a plate, scooped up 2 pieces of pizza and sat down to enjoy every single bite.

It was definitely my lucky day...

• Dinner was made when I got home.
• They saved me leftovers.
• It was absolutely delicious.
• I didn't have to clean up the kitchen.
• AND, we went out for ice cream afterwards.  (I decided the carbs didn't matter after all).

If you want to try this amazingly scrumptious pizza, check out the recipe here.

Slice of Life #31 of 31

Thank you so much to The Two Writing Teachers for hosting the Slice of Life Challenge.  What a wonderful month it's been.

I always appreciate all the time and effort that goes into Slice of Life.  Hopefully, I'm back into the habit of writing every day.  I think one of the best parts of Slice of Life is the community that is built during the month of March.  Thank you for reading and commenting ~ it means a lot to me.  I'm looking forward to continuing on Tuesdays and we've now adopted Monday as our Slice of Life Day at school.  I'm glad that SOL has shown many of my students the joy in writing.  It's been a fun month of writing and sharing.

#29 of 31 Slice of Life...Slice of Pie

Thank you so much to Two Writing Teachers for hosting The Slice of Life Challenge

When you wake up from your Saturday afternoon nap at 4:30 and then read just "one more chapter" from your Spring Break read, it's hard to have time to cook dinner.  That's how my husband and I ended up at Der Dutchman tonight.  And when you go to Der Dutchman, the big question is, "Do we get pie?"

Keith has not been eating carbs this week.  He could do that because I wasn't home to bake cookies.  So, he's been pretty successful.  I have no problem eating pie by myself, so there was no pressure for him to indulge.  However, when it comes to Der Dutchman pie, the man is weak.

As we looked over the multitude of choices, we debated over cream pies, fruit pies, no sugar added pies.  Coconut cream is often my choice because it was my grandma's favorite.  But, tonight, the sign advertising the new spring pies caught my interest.

"So, which pie do you think is the least unhealthy?" he asks me.

"Hmmm...maybe the strawberry," I responded.

"Right, it has fresh fruit."  I think he was grasping at straws here.  He REALLY wanted pie.  

"Exactly.  And," I reminded him, "if you don't eat the crust, it will save a lot of calories."  

So it was decided.  He would get the fresh strawberry (with whipped cream, of course) and I would get the rhubarb crumb pie.  I wanted to try something different and I've never had rhubarb pie before.  Remember, my OLW is discover.  I was out to discover some new pie.  

Our pies arrived, looking sinfully delicious.  I tentatively took a bite of the rhubarb pie.  I wasn't sure if I would like it or not, knowing how tart those long red stalks are.  

Mmmm...it was delicious. Not one bit of tartness, which means it must have had A LOT of sugar to make it taste so good.  

As you can see, once we started, we forgot all about not eating the crust.

It was worth every single calorie.  

#27 of 31 Slice of Life Stuck

Thanks to Two Writing Teachers for hosting the Slice of Life Writing Challenge.

I'm stuck and I don't know what to write about.  I've been sitting here, ideas tumbling through my mind, and nothing strikes me as rich Slice material.

Should I write about sharing my sisters' and my photo for #throwbackthursday?  I have a lot of material here at my mom's house.  We've gotten quite a few comments, lots of LOLs,  and I'm pretty sure my sister's husband is in some hot water for a few of his FB comments. (Don't you love the hair?)

Or, as I started working on my National Board renewal, I realized how much the Columbus Area Writing Project has impacted my life both professionally and personally.  I could write about that.

Then there's the lake.  I drove to Cleveland today to visit my sister. I wanted to see Lake Erie frozen over.  My sister and I enjoyed ourselves as we spent some time there this afternoon.  I thought about writing a poem about growing up around the lake from swimming there as a little girl, strolling in the moonlight, slathering sunscreen on my babies, dreaming of the future.

Or, I could write about sitting in the car with my sister bawling our eyes out as we watched this video.  But I didn't really want to write a sad post tonight.

One more thought...Scooter's Dawg House was hopping tonight.  We like to go there after we've been to the lake.  The place exudes stories from their license plate-lined walls, long lines of hot dog enthusiasts, and the HUGE order of french fries that could feed the entire town of Mentor.  Scott, the owner,  greets each customer like they're old friends, and I bet some of them are.

Lots of nuggets, not sure where to go with them.  So, instead, I captured these fleeting thoughts, pulled them together, and voila ~ a Slice of Life post.  

#26 of 31 Slice of Life: Becoming the Happiest Girl in the World

Thank you to Two Writing Teachers for hosting the Slice of Life challenge.

"Mom, if you have jeans that fit your butt, you will be the happiest girl in the world."  Those are the words my 19 year-old Annie told me the other day.  You see, she is a "Fittologist" at Old Navy.  She wears a special apron with her title emblazoned on the front, helping those wayward, unhappy females find the jeans that fit just right.

So, now I know that must be the reason for my general malaise.  It has nothing to do with OTES, data collection, over testing kids, selling my house, etc. etc. etc.  My problem is that my jeans are saggy.  They don't fit my butt just right.

Since I was leaving for Spring Break, I decided that what I needed to make my trip to Brimfield ever so perfect, was a new pair of jeans.  I was going on Spring Break, didn't I deserve to be happy while I was there basking in the snow covered hills along Route 43?   What I needed was a new pair of jeans.

My personal fittologist and I headed out for the mall Sunday afternoon.  I knew there was nothing to worry about.  I had an expert with me.  No more "mom jeans" for me.  I was going for the gold.

I tried on jeans.
I sat on the bench so Annie could check for a "gap."
I tried on more jeans.
Annie brought back a different pair to try on.
Curvy fit
Straight fit
Boot cut
Slimming in the tummy
Who knew there were so many different kind of jeans to try on?

Annie's idea of a joke...

Well, 4 stores and 20 pairs of jeans later, my weary shopping partner and I found what we both deemed to be the perfect jeans.  They fit my butt, there is no gap, and they feel good when I put them on.  Unfortunately, I don't look like that young, slim, 20 year-old I used to be.  I still look like a mom.  But my jeans don't bag!

This morning, I put on my new jeans and I have to say that I do feel pretty happy.  I don't know if it's really because they fit my butt well.  I think it has more to do with the memories of shopping with Annie.

The lesson here?   If you are feeling a general sense of sadness, check out your jeans.  What you really might need is a new pair that fits your butt just right.  Ask Annie.

I am in love with Pharrell Williams' "Happy."  I'm especially in love with this version.  Hope it brings you a little happiness.