technology knowledge-   I took a course once and learned that people can basically be grouped into two groups when it comes to technology. Digital immigrants, people who weren’t raised using technology, but are trying to learn now; and digital natives, who are raised using technology. I am definitely a digital immigrant. In class if I have a technology question I ask one of my students, they usually know more than I do. Its tough supervising the use of technology, when they know more about it than I do!

Session 3

e-mail-     on line way to communicate with one or more people or groups

text messaging-  IM type messaging with a cell phone

teacher tube-  On line videos that can be posted and viewed by just about anyone.  Are supposed to be used in an educational setting.

online gaming-   games played on line, usually in real time, they usually have a message board to communicate with other people playing the game

Bebo-  a place to view and download on line music and videos

facebook-   "My Space" type of social networking site

message boards-  bullitin board type site where you can post comments, are usually linked in with a particular site,  can be anything from an educational site to a game site

Session 5

Dangers that often accompany the terms I picked in session three.  Probably the main thing to be concerned about are the following: 

-putting your information out there for anyone to see

-provides a means for kids to communicate about that they may not be ready for yet

-gives a forum for on line predators to contact you

-kids can be brave hiding behind their computer screen

-kids can get into an auto accident while texting on their phone

-kids open themselves up to cyber bullying

-once information is out there it is out there forever, whether it is true or not

-other people can add to your blog

-chance of downloading a virus

Session 6

        There are many areas that students are at risk while using the internet.  I think one of the biggest ways that students are at risk is the lack of supervision provided by adults.  I don't think that this is usually intentional.  It is tough for parents to keep up with the trends in technology, when they often know less about the internet than their kids.  Todays kids have been raised using the internet.  My kids were using computers before they could read.  It takes a dilligent parent to keep track of everything that is being visited on line.  It seems like there are too many loop holes for kids to "buck" the system.  To me it is kind of like drug testing of professional athletes.  There are always new drugs that are ahead of the tests.  Drugs that aren't detected by testing.  The filters installed in conjunction with adult supervision isn't always enough.  If a student wants to engage in risky behavior, then they usually have opportunity to do so. 

       Another reason kids are at risk is that they just don't appreciate the dangers involved.  Kids often live with an attitude of "this won't happen to me".  They live their life completely without fear of any consequence.  They often see their friends and classmates suffer consequences, and still proceed with an attitude that they are untouchable.  It isn't just the internet.  Its their lifestyle.  From the way they drive to things they put into their bodies.  As a high school teacher, I am amazed at the decisions that many of my students make.  Some of my brightest students, the ones with the most on the ball, make some of the worst decisions regarding their own personal safety.  its almost like the more self confidence they have the more they feel they can handle.

      I think the single most inportant thing we can do for our kids is to talk to them.  We need to speak with them all the time about their safety.  We need to tirelessly make them aware that they aren't safe when they put themselves out there on the internet.  Similar to the way we communicate to kids about strangers or illegal drugs, we need to warn them about the dangers of the internet.

Session 9

The biggest thing we as educators and as parents need to do is to educate our kids, and ourselves, on the risks associated with internet use.  It's important we get student's parents involved.  We need to all work together as a community to safeguard our children.  For us as educators to teach internet safty and stress the importance of being aware of dangers on line is almost useless if these ideals aren't echoed at home.  If we stress safety and talk about risks and then the student goes home and has free reign of the internet at home, then it makes what we say useless.  One thing I think we can count on is that kids will be kids.  They often make poor decisions.  They think they are mature enough to do many of the things they do, but they aren't.  If they aren't allowed to go to certain cites and are educated on not putting themselves out there on line and then they go home and are allowed to do so, then they will think it is ok.  This can't be something that we discuss with them one day and forget about it.  We need to continually remind of the dangers out there.  It needs to start at an early age, like the stranger danger talks they hear when they are little.  Then mature into age appropriate discussions as they get older.