Acceptable Use Policy Presented

Each year we are instructed by our district to present our Acceptable Use Policy to our students at the beginning of the year before they begin using our technology.  This year we used our newly created Instructional Technology Department Digital Citizenship Website to present the introductory Prezi presentation and a video by NetSmartz.  The video we used was Router's Birthday Surprise. Something else new this year was that our ITS, Bunny Barnard, teamed with our librarian, Catherine Jones, and presented to each grade level in the library using some of our new equipment.  We had our data projector displaying the presentation and then we used our new 70" touch screen TV to create a Wordle made from the words that were stressed in our acceptable use policy.  The Wordle image was printed and displayed in the classroom along with the students' signed contract that they will abide by the rules in our acceptable use policy.

Digital Citizenship Week

Digital Citizenship Week was the week of October 19th-25th. Digital Citizenship is really not much different than citizenship in person.  Each class has already signed their commitment to our District's Acceptable Use Policy, just like they signed their class social contract.
Remembering our behavior plan, the 3 Bees, we want to BEE Safe, BEE Respectful, annd BEE Responsible in real life, as well as in the digitable life. Always follow the rules that you have committed to:  Always get parents or teachers' permission and supervision to be on the computer.  Only go to safe sites that are for your age.  And, speak only to people you know, like your grandparents.  Be protective of yourself by never sharing your information.  One class created bookmarks as a way to remind them of their commitment.

Welcome Back! to a Great New Year at Purple Sage!

This 2014-2015 year is off to a GREAT START at Purple Sage Elementary!  So many smiling faces and students excited to learn. This week, our new counselor, Patricia Quintero, and I, Bunny Barnard, our Instructional Technology Specialist, will team up and meet with each class to start our technology world off on the right foot with our Acceptable Use Policy and learning what to do if they experience cyberbullying. The younger grades will be viewing:

http://learninglab.org  Garfield animated cartoon video

Then our 4th and 5th grade will watch

http://www.tyla.org/tyla/index.cfm/resources/educators-students/elementary-school/r-u-safe/ Young Lawyers Assoc. R U Safe?

To introduce myself, I will use a fun Google App, PowToons.