DCMOOC…..What I Learned About Digital Citizenship

THINK

Photo Credit: ToGa Wanderings via Compfight cc

For the past month, I participated in a MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) on digital citizenship.  What is a MOOC you ask? A MOOC is an online course that allows unlimited participation and open access via the internet. MOOCs use traditional course materials such as videos, readings, and problem sets as well as creates a community for many people from many different places to collaborate and learn.  In this MOOC, participants had access to a focused weekly webinar focused on digital citizenship with other webinars available that focused on ways that educators could build an online presence and make connections.

What did I learn from this MOOC?  I learned that I have a whole lot to learn! 🙂 I will use our Week 5 questions to share my final thoughts and next steps.

What is one big take-away for you from #DCMOOC, and what will you do with that information?

One big take-away revolves around making sure that as a teacher I continuously stress digital citizenship with my students.  Digital Citizenship is not just a course and/or curriculum that is taken and forgotten about it, but a mindset that should pervade every part of a person’s life.

Going forward, what else do you feel you need to know about digital citizenship, and what will you do to learn about it?

As I look at my students and the community I work in, I think that finding inventive ways to educate households about digital citizenship will be a huge undertaking.  I plan to continue to connect with the people I’ve met through the MOOC to share ideas and brainstorm ways to assist with this.  I also need to work with my students on copyrighted information.  I’ve found various ways to find and access pictures in the correct way and I plan to work with them on showing them the process.

Will you continue to stay connected and engaged with the #DCMOOC community, and, if so, how do you plan to do so? What are your suggestions for continuing to learn about and discuss digital citizenship together after the course ends?

I definitely plan to stay connected with the #DCMOOC community through Twitter and Google+.  I use TweetDeck as my Twitter platform so I have tabs for DCMOOC hashtag (#dcmchat) and the DCMOOC Twitter list.  I also have a tab for the Digital Citizenship hashtag (#digcit).  The resources that are available just through Twitter are a great help, but I also continuously search for other resources and Common Source Media is a definitely an amazingly comprehensive resource.

Big shout out to my colleague, @TechRhett, who shared this MOOC with me.  It was my first, but it definitely won’t be my last!

Until the next time,

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The Teaching Tribune {Worksheet Wednesday}

Today’s theme in The Teaching Tribune’s Summer Bloggin’ series is Worksheet Wednesday.

TTT Summer Bloggin-Wednesday

 

The worksheet I’m sharing is my Differentiating Point of View worksheet.

 

In elementary school, students are taught to search for the pronouns to determine point of view.  As they get older, dialogue in text can confuse them, so I encourage them to ask the following questions:

1.  Who’s telling the story? 

  • Inside narrator (character):  first person
  • Outside narrator:  third person

2.  How much does the narrator know?

  • Thoughts and feelings of one character?  third person limited (limited-omniscient)
  • Thoughts and feelings of all characters?  third person omniscient

This seems to help them greatly and we hardly get point of view questions wrong, now!

I hope this will be helpful to you.

Until the next time,

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The Teaching Tribune {Two for Tuesday}

As I said earlier this week, I’m joining up with The Teacher Tribune for their Summer Bloggin’ Series.  Today’s post is entitled…..Two for Tuesday!

TTT Summer Bloggin- Tuesday

I’ve put two of my Interactive Student Notebook products on sale!  I decided to use ISN’s last school year and it was one of the best ideas I’ve ever had!  No more loose papers poking out everywhere.  And as long as they can keep up with the notebook, they can keep up with the notebook – they have everything they need! The students love them because it helps with their organization which is desperately needed as they transition to 6th grade.

Product #1 is Interactive Student Notebook Reading Lessons – Curriculum Vocabulary.

ISNFlocab2

This activity is connected with Flocabulary’s “On Trial” video.  The kids love it!  If you’ve never seen it, here’s the video, which can be found on YouTube:

Product #2 is Interactive Student Notebook Reading Lessons – Analyzing Story Elements.

ISNMufaropic

 

I love Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters!  The illustrations are so vivid and I tie it in with our Cinderella Unit.  I always review story elements at the beginning of the school year since its such a difficult time for our new 6th graders.

I hope that you find one (or both!) of these products useful to you!

Until the next time,

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The Teaching Tribune – Monday Meet Up! {Meet @TechRhett}

It’s Monday!  Which means it’s Monday Meet Up for The Teaching Tribune!  My first “Monday Meet Up” is my partner in crime Rhett Hughes aka @TechRhett!  Rhett and I met about a year ago as our district was in the planning stages of our District Technology plan.  This dude is so smart and so resourceful!  But don’t just listen to me…go on over and check out his blog….EdTech4U!

Monday Meet Up Rhett

The Teaching Tribute Summer Blogging Series

Summer Blogging Header

This summer I’m participating in The Teaching Tribune Summer Blogging Series.  Click here to find out more.

Every day of the week will have a different focus.  Monday’s focus will be Monday Meet Up.  

Monday Meet Up Sign

I’d love to highlight some new bloggers!  If you’re interested, leave me a message in the comment box.

Until the next time,

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