Technology News
Digital Citizenship: My Online Code
Submitted on Fri, 01/27/2012 - 08:46Grade 9 and 10 students have had a few discussions & lessons in their advisories about Digital Citizenship. The focus has been on what makes a good citizen of the digital/online world, talking about ethical behavior and what our responsibilities are.
In particular, four themes that are key to having a good ethical code of conduct online were introduced:
• Privacy: Respecting the privacy of others online
• Self-Expression and Identity: Presenting yourself in an honest and genuine way in the online world
• Connected Culture: Treating others in a kind and respectful manner, and avoiding cyberbullying
• Respecting Creative Work: Giving credit to others and/or asking their permission when you use their work as part of your own
Parents are encouraged to discuss these ideas with their children and use the same language when discussing or establishing rules for using the internet, cell phones, social networking, etc. More details are available on the Common Sense Media website, http://www.commonsensemedia.org
Digital Citizenship: Digital Life
Submitted on Mon, 01/23/2012 - 08:57This week, grades 9 and 10 will start a curriculum in Advisory about Digital Citizenship. The purpose of this is to help the students be responsible and safe participants in the online world.
The first activity looks at the place of digital media in students' lives. The students will look at some statistics, reflect on the importance of digital media in their lives, and consider the advantages and disadvantages of using digital media. Students will then reflect on their use of digital media and keep a log of their online activities.
Parents are encouraged to discuss this with their children, and ask about the program. More information is available on the Common Sense Media website, http://www.commonsensemedia.org. There is an introductory video online for parents – you can watch it online at http://www.commonsensemedia.org/video/modal/2098622 The key point is that “digital life” for our students is really just life. For them, there's no real distinction. For those of us who didn't grow up with cell phones, the
internet, etc. it's hard to understand, but for our students “digital life” is no different than “real life” - it's just a part (and a big one!) of it.
John Iglar's Blog:Essays about technology and learning
SOPA, Wikipedia, copyright, etc.
Submitted on Mon, 01/23/2012 - 08:54Wikipedia (among other sites) has shut down all its English language sites for 24 hours on 18 January to protest the planned US law, SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act). While most people in the tech world agree that piracy of movies and music and such is not a good thing, the provisions of the bill can have horrible unintended consequences and could shut down a lot of information available online.
As part of our Digital Citizenship curriculum, and in all our computer classes and research projects, we stress with our students the need to respect other people's creations online and not to use, copy, download or share works that they have no rights to. The digital age is transforming the notion of intellectual property rights – in particular, the idea of “commons” is gaining traction (check out www.creativecommons.org) – but we still emphasize with our students the need to Take Care of Others by respecting their rights of ownership to their work.
John Iglar's Blog:Essays about technology and learning
Program or Be Programmed
Submitted on Fri, 01/13/2012 - 09:21A new class at ICS starts this semester – Introduction to Computer Science. Twenty students are learning not how to use a computer, but how to make them do what they want. Programming has hit the news in recent months as being an essential skill for people who want to be more than just passive users of electronic devices.
A new startup, CodeAcademy.com, has started CodeYear2012 to promote programming to the general public. New York’s mayor, Michael Bloomberg, made news by being one of 250,000 people who made a New Year's resolution to learn programming in 2012, signing up to receive a weekly lesson on JavaScript and other programming skills throughout the year. Sign up yourself at codeyear.com
Meanwhile, Douglas Rushkoff's book, Program or Be Programmed, is selling well and gaining attention for its advocacy of learning programming skills. His main point – and many agree – is that those who learn about programming computers are the elite movers and shakers in the world, while the rest are just users of the services the elite choose to make.
We're glad to be helping our students become better prepared to be leaders of our wired world through classes such as Computer Science.
Your Digital Life
Submitted on Fri, 01/13/2012 - 10:13Starting next week, high school advisors will be conducting a carefully designed curriculum to help improve our students' skills in managing the digital world. Digital Citizenship is the idea that students need to be taught how to be responsible, safe and contributing members of the online community. The curriculum is from Common Sense Media, online at commonsense.org
Recent studies have highlighted the importance of parents' involvement in children's online activities. Parents who express interest in their children's web work help their children be more safe and responsible. Asking questions, sharing experiences, offering and asking for advice are all ways parents can help guide their children's life online. Common Sense Media is a good source of advice and info for parents.
John Iglar's Blog: Essays about technology and learning
Technology Holidays
Submitted on Thu, 12/15/2011 - 09:56Starting this weekend, teachers and students will have three weeks off from classes, and many families will spend holiday time together. It seems an appropriate time to promote a focus on technology. This can be a great time for families to pay attention to how each member uses technology tools and devices ...and take a break from them!
If your plans for the break include family time, then make it real family time. Turn off the cellphones, TV, computers and such, and spend face-to-face time instead of Facebook time. Play a board game. Tell stories. Sing songs. Play football. Tell your children that this is Mr. Iglar's homework assignment if you wish. There are plenty of technology tools that can be great devices for bringing people together – my friends and family around the world are delighted we have Skype and Facebook – but often screen time is solitary time. Online social networking also interferes with networking with those who live in the same house.
By all means use the technology tools during the holiday (I'll be using my computer and tablet to learn new skills and create some websites), but don't let the tech overwhelm or squeeze out the human interactions that holidays can bring.
If you are traveling with technology tools, please be aware of Ethiopian customs regulations. Travelers leaving the country are asked to declare electronic items they take with them in order to avoid any hassles or import fees on return.
Digital Citizenship
Submitted on Thu, 12/15/2011 - 10:07An important part of any school's educational program in this day and age is helping students be good Digital Citizens: being safe, responsible and ethical users of technology, particularly in the online realm. ICS promotes these skills in computer lessons, but as we have expanded our use of technology throughout the school these skills are increasingly becoming an important part of every area of the school. In the secondary, we will be starting a program of lessons aimed at improving students' Digital Citizenship knowledge and skills. Parents can ask their children about this program, or write to me or Sienna Burns, the advisory coordinator, for more details. We'll also be posting more information regularly in the Yezare Samint and in my blog.
John Iglar's Blog: Essays about technology and learning
Parenting Online: Myths and Recommendations
ePortfolios at ICS
Submitted on Fri, 12/09/2011 - 08:34This year, ICS is promoting the use of electronic portfolios at various grade levels for students and teachers to collect, reflect on, and display examples of their work throughout the year. This has begun in various grade levels and will expand throughout the year and beyond.
We are using a system called Mahara that is used in various schools and organizations around the world for people to collect and showcase examples of their work in a digital online portfolio. Mahara has several advantages to other systems, including the fact that each individual has ownership and control of their work. Each page can be shared publicly, within the school or to certain people only . When a student leaves ICS, he or she can export the portfolio either as an eportfolio or as a website.
Parents, ask your children about Mahara and their e-portfolios. Not all classes have begun using them (4th and 5th are the main elementary grades, middle school classes particularly 6th and 7th grades have begun, and high school students have been using it for CAS portfolios), so if your child hasn't begun yet, don't worry. We'll all be using it soon!
You can see my own eportfolio (the public parts of it, anyway!) at http://eportfolio.icsaddis.edu.et/user/view.php?id=7
John Iglar's Blog: Essays about technology and learning
Technology and Learning: Finding the right balance
Submitted on Thu, 11/03/2011 - 11:50
During the past week, a few articles have come out showing the popular press' take on technology and education. The New York Times had an article describing a Waldorf school in Silicon Valley which refuses to use technology. Meanwhile, they also ran an article about an Indiana school which is using all digital textbooks.
The response to these articles varies according to people's individual concerns, preconceived notions and personal experience with technology. Some people worry that children are getting overloaded with technology, while others are thrilled at the new opportunities for our children.
I personally always try to advocate for balance. As a parent, I love it when my daughter learns new skills using technology...but I also love it when she plays basketball or rides a horse or paints a picture. It's important or all of us to live balanced lives...and that balance can be different for different people.
We adults have to recognize that technology (cell phones, ipods, tablets, computers, the internet, Facebook, etc.) is simply part of the air our children breathe. We might try to fight it...just as people tried to fight the “horseless carriage” or automation of manufacturing or television. There's no way we're going to eliminate it...but we can help our children find a balance.
Parents, I encourage you to talk about technology in your children's lives and how they can keep balanced. Have them be part of the decision-making process: What should the time limits be? When should they be outdoors without a screen? How can they increase their face-to-face and limit their Facebook? If they are part of the discussion and decisions, it will be more successful than simply having the rules made for them. And the discussion will be illuminating for parents. (Why is Facebook so important? What value are they really getting out of all this screen time?)
ICS in the vanguard of African international schools for online learning
Submitted on Fri, 10/28/2011 - 09:04This past week, I was in Nairobi attending an institute sponsored by AISA, the Association of International Schools in Africa. A dozen international schools from Kenya, Zambia, Nigeria and more were invited to attend this institute.
The purpose was to discuss and plan a system for international schools to collaborate and plan for emergencies, using technology tools. This is part of a global effort being promoted by various school associations as well as government bodies, including the US State Department. Recent events have highlighted the importance of international schools having plans and systems in place to be able to continue providing educational services even in emergency situations such as evacuations.
The platform that schools around the world are adopting for this purpose is Moodle. Moodle is an opensource “Learning Management System” which has built-in networking abilities that allow schools to link their systems together.
ICS Addis has been using Moodle for several years, and in Nairobi it became clear that we had the most developed system with the most experienced teachers on the continent.
As the institute developed, the participants increasingly looked for ways to train their teachers and students in the use of Moodle, and ICS emerged as the regional leader for this. ICS teachers will be able to train others in the use of Moodle, not only showing technically how things are done but also good practices for educational purposes.
It's gratifying to be part of such a process that shows ICS as being a real leader in educational and technological innovation on the continent of Africa.
John Iglar's Blog: Essays about technology and learning
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More info: Technology and Education – Blogs and Writings
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