The BBC offers Webwise, an informative tutorial on various aspects of the Internet, including getting hooked up, browsers, email and more. The interface is definitely oriented toward younger students, but the content is solid. Want to see how much you know? Go through the tutorials, and then take the online quizzes. There's also a comprehensive glossary. You may learn something new!
The web sure makes learning fun! One example: from Geometry to DNA to literature to ancient civilizations, the Interactives website has more than 20 practical hands-on lessons, mostly for high school and middle school students (but also fun for adults). Give it a try!
The shorthand kids use online and on their phones is going mainstream. Today I found messages written in this cryptic language on the Valentine Tootsie Rolls I brought to school! If you need help translating your valentine candy messages (or other messages!), try this helpful list from NetLingo: The List of Chat Acronyms & Text Message Shorthand.
As you browse the web, you may have noticed links like the one in the left menu on this blog: Subscribe to this blog's feed. For those who are unfamiliar with RSS, it allows you to have updates from various websites come to you in one place, saving you the time and effort of checking each of your favorite your favorite sites. This is one tool that is invaluable to me; I can quickly scan a number of sites and keep up with what's new in technology (and knitting and gardening too!).
Common Craft has published a very helpful video explaining how and why to use this tool: RSS in Plain English. Warning: using RSS can become adictive! Enjoy!
This fall we have been going through a school-wide transition to GMail and Google Apps. Most teacher and administrative accounts have now been moved, and student accounts will be migrated on November 26. What does this mean?
Look for these changes after Thanksgiving, and ask your student to show you our new program!
Students working on school projects commonly start with a Google search. Savvy students do not end there, however. Our own Library Media Center has an information-rich site full of great resources: http://www.cretin-derhamhall.org/StudentNet/references.htm. You'll find a variety of databases, references, news sites and more. Give it a look!
Online safety is an issue that is getting a lot of attention these days, and CDH is no exception. This was one of the topics of teacher inservice time before school started this year, and we will continue to address the topic throughout the year.
Yesterday's Pioneer Press had a compelling article about online safety concerns here in the Twin Cities: http://www.twincities.com/allheadlines/ci_6794265, which includes excellent suggestions for parents and schools. We all need to work together to keep our kids safe and guide them toward responsible internet use.
