Super Digital Citizen (2015 – OLD VERSION)
The lesson “Super Digital Citizen” introduces the concept of being a responsible and respectful online user, personified by the character Super Digital Citizen. It emphasizes the importance of safety, kindness, smart decision-making, and responsibility while navigating the digital world, encouraging kids to recognize their own potential to positively impact the online community. By following simple guidelines, students can become their own superheroes in creating a safer and more respectful internet environment.
Did You Know the Library of Congress Has a Great Site for Teachers?
This lesson introduces educators to the Library of Congress website, highlighting its extensive collection of primary source documents that can enhance teaching and facilitate meaningful discussions on historical topics. It emphasizes the importance of navigating the site to find tailored resources, including lesson plans and multimedia, and encourages the adoption of inquiry-based learning to foster critical thinking among students. Overall, the Library of Congress serves as a vital tool for educators looking to deepen their students’ understanding of history.
Lesson in Action: College Bound
In the “College Bound” lesson, students explored the importance of preparing for college, focusing on managing their digital footprints alongside traditional academic preparations. They learned that their online presence can significantly influence college admissions decisions, prompting them to reflect on how they want to be perceived by potential colleges and employers. The lesson emphasized the need for mindfulness in social media use, encouraging students to curate a positive digital identity as they transition to higher education.
Meet the Digital Citizens: Head
In this lesson, Head encourages digital citizens to use their curiosity and critical thinking skills to ask questions and seek the truth, especially when encountering information that seems unbelievable. By sharing his experience of exploring dinosaurs at the library, Head emphasizes the importance of being inquisitive and treating learning like a detective’s quest for clues. The lesson concludes by prompting students to reflect on how they determine the truth of what they see or hear.
Is Empatico the Best Platform for Connecting Classrooms Around the World?
In this lesson, we explored Empatico, a platform designed to facilitate meaningful global connections between classrooms. Unlike traditional tools, Empatico provides comprehensive support for teachers, including resources for managing technical challenges and engaging activities focused on social-emotional learning. With its free access and positive reviews, Empatico is highly recommended for educators seeking to enhance their students’ learning experiences through international collaboration.
Creating A Snapshot of Digital Media Use
In this lesson, Emily Cook guides students at Westside Collaborative through an exploration of digital media, encouraging them to critically analyze their media usage. Students track their media activities, calculate total hours spent, and create bar graphs to visualize their findings, fostering awareness of their habits. The lesson emphasizes the importance of understanding and balancing media use to make informed choices about how to spend their time.
Dealing With Digital Distraction in the Classroom
The lesson emphasizes the importance of a balanced approach to technology use in the classroom, advocating for meaningful tasks that engage students rather than outright bans on devices. It suggests setting clear rules for technology use, accommodating diverse student needs, and planning lessons that seamlessly integrate both tech and non-tech activities. Ultimately, the goal is to help students navigate digital distractions while fostering an effective learning environment.
Creatability: Bite-Sized Interactive Toys Get Students of All Abilities Creating and Experimenting
The lesson introduces Creatability, a collection of interactive and accessible tools from Google that allows users of all abilities to engage with music and art in creative ways. Participants can experiment with various tools, such as motion tracking and sound canvases, to create music and art through movement and interaction. The lesson emphasizes the open-ended nature of these tools, making them suitable for diverse learning environments and encouraging creativity, coding exploration, and collaborative projects.
My Online Neighborhood
In the lesson “My Online Neighborhood,” a seven-year-old shares their experiences of exploring the internet, likening it to an exciting neighborhood filled with opportunities to learn, chat with family, and have fun. The child emphasizes the importance of safety online by following three key rules: always asking for permission from parents, only communicating with known individuals, and visiting age-appropriate websites. Overall, the lesson highlights the joys of online exploration while promoting responsible internet use.
Digital Bytes: Would You #YOLO?
The lesson “Digital Bytes: Would You #YOLO?” explores the meaning and implications of the phrase “YOLO,” which stands for “You Only Live Once.” While it encourages adventurous living, the lesson highlights the potential for reckless behavior that can arise from this mindset, illustrated by real-life examples of poor decisions made under the influence of YOLO. Ultimately, it emphasizes the importance of balancing fun with responsibility, urging individuals to consider the consequences of their actions before embracing the YOLO philosophy.