Safer Internet Day

This is the first year I have heard about Safer Internet Day, which is held on the second day of the second week of the second month each year.  February 7, 2012 is the day this year with the theme "Connecting generations and educating each other".  The focus of this international group is to promote safer and more responsible use of online resources among children.

I spent a little bit of time perusing the site.  There are quite a few videos promoting safety, kits for schools that contain logos to promote the day, informational videos, resources to use for teaching (lesson plans, posters) and links to resources by country.  The United States Safer Internet link contains activities integrating iSafe resources that help teach Internet Safety.

I am impressed to see this international effort to promote Internet safety.  Too frequently I see students get lost in content on the Internet that is clearly not for their eyes.  Unfortunately this pull to unsafe sites seems to affect the students who don't need any more chaos in their lives - students with other challenges who seek a place to belong but are doing this in an unsafe environment.

Share this site with at least one other adult and one child.  As educators we have the opportunity to change the direction of our students.  Thank you for all that you do to this end.

Just to add a little fun, here is the QR code for the site:

Happy Thoughts

Our sons like to have a "happy thought" before they go to bed at night.  Parents will understand how at times this can be a difficult task.  So, I'm going to add some "happy thoughts" to this blog to share.  Maybe you'll find one that you can share with a child, or maybe an adult, to help brighten their day (or calm their night).

Shooting Star

Here's our thought for tonight:
My oldest son recalled seeing his first shooting star at camp this past summer.  He described it with a twinkle in his eyes of a child seeing an amazing sight for the very first time.  "It shot right across the sky and then it was gone."  Imagine the look in his eyes and that look is worth more than the words he used to describe the event.

iPad2 as a Writing Tool

There is constant discussion on the role of the iPad in the classroom.  Is it simply a tool to differentiate instruction for students requiring skill development?  Is it a tool to aid students in creating text using recorded voice (Dragon Dictation)?  Can the iPad be used to create content using Pages, Numbers, and Keynote?  Can the iPad replace the computer by providing the tools a student needs to complete their educational tasks?

James Kendrick's article examines the use of the iPad as a writer's tool, simply for creating text.  His "keys for success" include having a good keyboard (Logitech keyboard case and ZAGGfolio keyboard case are mentioned in the article - both are made by ZAGG) and a good app or two that work for the writer.  Kendrick begins using an app (Reeder) for research of current news, then uses an organization tool (iThoughtsHD) for his writing to lay out thoughts and ideas.  For the actual writing he uses Evernote for its simplicity and for the auto save feature to the cloud.

If professional writers are happy using the iPad2 for creating and writing articles, our students should be able to complete their writing work on the device as well.

Resources:
Logitech Keyboard Case for iPad2: Hands-on review
ZAGGfolio iPad2 keyboard case $99.99 includes keyboard+cover+stand
Logitech Keyboard Case by ZAGG for iPad2 $99.99
Reeder app $4.99
iThoughtsHD app $9.99
Evernote app $Free