Internet Safety and week 1

 The first two weeks of school are wrapping.  Not sure how anyone is going to sustain for a 5 day week!!!

It has been a mostly great 2 weeks...my students are following routines and procedures, my own personal kids are settling into the routine, etc...

So what do we cover the first week of STEAM?  INTERNET SAFETY!!!

I cover internet safety directly twice a year - first of school and first week after Christmas break.

My goal is to plant seeds of safety, review key topics, and hope to influence their choices at home on technology.  At school, there are limitations and filters, but home is a complete different world.  Some have little technology experiences and others are on devices with few limitations.  It is an entire span of options.  

Kindergarten got to explore centers and learn what is 'STEAM'!  Some of the activities include pattern blocks, keva planks, and a coloring sheet.  

Here is a good time to re-post my favorite two quotes:

K students hard at work with creativity!

This was a car

Here is a flower

And a face - you can see eyelashes

1st grade uses Common Sense Media's lesson plans...the goal is to pause and think online then they color a work sheet to remind them to use their ARMS (to balance screen time), LEGS (to stand up to bullies online), GUT (to listen to their gut online), FEET (to make good digital footprints), HEART (to be nice and kind online), and HEAD (to think when online).  

  

2nd grade does a similar activity - we just dive deeper into the same topics

3rd grade talks about the "Rings of Responsibility" to look at how our choices online affect us and others.

Finally 4th grade works on thinking about their "Media Choices" both online and offline media (like books).  By talking about healthy and unhealthy choices, students get an idea of what is good for them.  

We use the curriculum created by Common Sense Media.  Common Sense Media

In addition, we do some non-tech topics.  

1st grade read part of Dreaming Up - to learn how play helps us as engineers

2nd grade was discussing team work by reading 

3rd and 4th grade read What Do You Do With an Idea then created light bulbs.  This took us two classes so some students are still finishing up :)

The other side of the light bulb is how they will change the world!  So many cool ideas from simple clean up the earth to designing new items to feeding the poor...very creative thinkers!

I have picked the school garden twice with some lovely cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, onions, and potatoes!

Now we are working on computer log ins...the first time is DAUNTING...but it has be done...look for more updates and hands on pictures soon.

Plus we are getting ready to launch our traveling mural project again...I wonder what ideas they will generate...I am liking the ideas from our What Do You Do with an IDEA activity...maybe mini lightbulbs and big letters in the middle?

Traveling Mural Info

Look for periodic updates as the year progresses!