12- Do Not Track Plus

This was my first time using software that lets you see what sites are tracking you. I did not really realize that people were tracking what I do on certain websites and what I click on. What surprised me most was that on Facebook, only 2 sites were tracking me, even when I clicked on some games and stuff. I thought the number would be a lot higher. The software also blocked 2 sites while I was on Pinterest. This did not surprise me too much, as they do not do a lot of advertising on there. I found this software to be informational and interesting. It should be fun to see how many things are blocked on other sites!

10- Concept Map- Context Clues

Context Clues

W.4.6. With some guidance and support from adults, use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing as well as to interact and collaborate with others; demonstrate sufficient command of keyboarding skills to type a minimum of one page in a single sitting

I.       Read Story and Identify Theme

The students will have read a chapter of James and the Giant Peach in a previous class and again for homework. They will then come to school dressed as different characters and act out the chapter that they read and then tell the theme of this chapter. They will make a list of words that they did not understand to research later. This skit can be video taped and a copy sent home with each student.

A.    James and the Giant Peach

B.    Act Out Chapter

1.    Dress Like Favorite Character

2.    Video and Send a Copy Home

II.     Type 1 Page Story

The students will type a story and use some of the words they researched. The paper will be a page long. The students should be sure not to just throw the words into the story, but have context clues so that others will be able to figure out the meanings of the words.

A.    Use Previous List of Unfamiliar Words

B.    Put Clues in the Story So Others Can Identify the Meanings of Words

III.    E-mail Activity

The students will e-mail their papers to a partner on a previously made school friendly e-mail account. They will then read the one that was e-mailed to them and write a reply e-mail in which they comment on the story and identify the clues the other used. They will then get together and discuss what could have been differently and what was done well. They will combine their word lists and make a new story together to present to the class.

A.    e-mail Your Story to a Partner

B.    Make a New Story Together

1.    Present to Class

IV.    Context Clues Activity

There will be a short lesson explaining to students what context clues are and then the students will play an online game on context clues. The game is modeled after the TV game show, Who Wants to be a Millionaire? This will help the students grasp a firmer understanding of context clues.

A.    Learn About Context Clues

B.    Play the Game Context Clues Millionaire

V.     Research Activity

In this activity, the students will take the list of unknown words from James and the Giant Peach and use context clues from the chapter to define these words. They will then go to a computer lab and look up the words online to make sure they had the correct meanings. When they finish this, they will get into small groups and compare their words and definitions.

A.    Use Context Clues to Define Strange Words

B.    Get in Groups and Compare Words.

9- Safe Practices for Life Online

1. Facebook, Twitter, Google+
2. Some students have become expelled, or even arrested for what they post on social networking sites such as Facebook. Teachers or principals browsing through will see something concerning and report it to a higher authority.
3. sexting- sending sexual images or messages over text message (Google)
    cramming- adding unauthorized charges to a person's phone bill (Google)
    cookies- packets of data  that are sent over the Internet to track the user or access to the server each time the browser is accessed
     trojan horse- a program that breaches a computer's security... used by hackers (Google)
     phising-taking money from an online account by posing as a real business (Google)
     spyware- allows you to get information about another person's computer activities by secretly getting data from their hard drive (Google)
      rootkit- tools used to gain control of someone else's computer without being found (Google)
      zombie- a computer that is being used for spam and illegal activities by someone other than the owner without the owner's knowledge (Google)
4. These are bad screen names because they either give out the wrong information or give a bad impression. "Trashmouth" would seem like a person who uses obscene language, while "IHaveOnePairPants" would make it seem as if the person is either really poor, or only likes to wear one pair of pants. "BoogerDude" and "Pig" make the users seem as if they eat their boogers, or a lot of food. These are not good screen names for students to have, especially if they are using them for professional purposes.
5. Someone with these screen names would get harassed because they imply that the user is just looking for romance or sexual relations. These would be prime targets for sex offenders, especially "Lookin4Luv" and suPaFlirt".
6. Tom_Evans34 gives away the name and age of the user; Missy-13 also gives away the name and age of the user; AndyKarateKid gives away the name and a hobby of the user; ViolinGurl gives away that the user is a girl that plays the violin; restlinmatch reveals that the user cannot spell and likes wrestling
7. i8sushi2- good, it does not give away personal information or generate negative attention;
    Soccerstar- this one could go either way, all you can tell about the user is that they are good at soccer (or at least they think they are), but it does give away information
    Puppygirl1234- this one could also go either way as it doesn't give away any personal information except that the user is a girl that likes puppies. However, it would also seem to be the account of a younger girl.
     KeKe1995- BAD, gives away the user's name and birth year
     Bookworm- good, doesn't give away personal information or generate negative attention (except from people who don't like nerds)
      2BorNot2b- good, no personal info
      Choco-holic- good, no personal info
      CapitlOfens- BAD, creates negative attention and seems suspicious
      AmericanIdol2- good, no personal info
      BellaIsabella- BAD- gives away a name and a nickname
      DarkAngel666- could go either way, it is not necessarily good, but it doesn't give away personal info, it would create negative attention, though
       Karla-Love-1996- BAD, gives away a name and a birth year
       SimplyMe- good, no personal info
       gUn4hiRe- BAD, this one might get you put on the FBI or CIA watch list
       babyfaceLA- BAD, gives away a location or maybe initials and would attract attention
       Watup?- good, no personal info
8. purplepenguins777
    bandgeek101
    ilovebooks
9. My password score is 4.
10. most common- Students give their passwords to their friends, who then decide to use it or give it to others who use it
       least common- a password-cracking program is used to crack their password

   

8-Pedagogy Wheel

This pedagogy wheel has different verbs to be used when making objectives for lessons at certain levels in Bloom's Taxonomy. The different levels also have different apps that can be used to go along with each of these levels. Each level of the taxonomy has a corresponding spot on the pedagogy wheel. For instance, the lowest level of thinking is in the "remember/understand" section. The apps that go with this section are simple and easy to navigate. They are websites or apps that most people are familiar with, such as Google and Facebook, along with other social networking sites. The highest level of thinking is "creating". The apps that go with this require skills necessary to navigate harder sites. Some of the apps in this level are Fotobabble, Prezi, and iMovie. These apps also require creating different things. This wheel can be used in a classroom to integrate technology into the curriculum. It can help provide apps for the teacher to incorporate and measure the  students' understanding.

7-Amanda Ainsworth- Response to "Use Arts Integration to Enhance Common Core"

The Edutopia article, "Use Arts Integration to Enhance Common Core" describes different strategies to implement arts into the Common Core classroom. The article claims that this integration, while it may be difficult at first, will actually make it easier to teach concepts outlined in the Common Core.The author of this article says that subjects like math and reading are easy to understand when some form of the arts are integrated into the unit. Arts integration should be done to equally involve all students and their different learning styles. Some of the strategies given for integration are mirroring, which entails having students mirror each other's actions, "stepping into the painting", where each child looks at and interprets a particular painting and then the class gets together to compare their interpretations and come up with one large story, and call and response, which uses a rhythm and helps students practice fluency.

I found this article to be very informational and helpful. I am a big advocate of  keeping the arts in education so I would love to use some of these strategies to get my students more interested in the curriculum and the arts at the same time. I also think that students will become more engaged in lessons if some form of the arts is added in. Students learn many things through music, especially, which is why we teach them the ABCs in song form.  

6-John Hunter and The World Peace Game

John Hunter speaks of his idea of a world peace game. He got a job teaching gifted education when there were little to no standards so he got to teach what he wanted and rely on the students' own abilities and interests. He speaks of all of the people who inspired him throughout the years. His world peace game which consists of different layers that include outer space, space, ground levels and oceans. The ground level has 4 countries that the students have made up. Some are rich, some are poor. He gave the students a list of complex problems and crises and wanted to see how they would solve them. He also has one student disagree with things to make the others think more deeply. He just watches and the students run the game. The students have really good ideas and are able to make connections with readings they have done and real world experiences. They figure out what is right by themselves and are able to run successful and peaceful nations.

I think that this is very inspiring. A group of fourth graders got together and ruled their imaginary nations while working through and solving real world problems. I think that children should be encouraged to do things like this. John's class was a gifted class so they were able to easily make connections that others might not be able to make, but I see no reason why children that are not in a gifted program shouldn't be assigned with a task like this and modifications can be made to the game to make it appealing and accessible to all children. I also think that it could be done with students in other states and they may be able to make different insights depending on their demographics. I think that, if given the opportunity, I would be willing to do a project like this in my classroom in Mississippi, even working in critical needs areas, as these students deserve just as good of an education as everyone else. However I am not sure if something like this would be possible with the Common Core, as I am not completely certain of the Common Core fine print or even some of the standards.