Cyberbullying Lesson Plan
This is a lesson that I plan on implementing in my classroom the second week of school. All of the materials and lesson ideas came from Netsmartz.org/resources. I will be using two of the lessons from that website: Terrible tEXt and Bad Netiquette Stinks as the basis for this lesson.
Class Copyright Guidelines
The document below contains both classroom copyright guidelines, written in concise and plain language, as well as a form letter for students to request necessary permissions.
Bibliography
Cyberbullying
This is a reflection on Cyberbullying. I will discuss what parents and teachers can do to help alleviate this problem and protect children and teens.
Both Megan and Amanda's stories were heartbreaking. My initial thought was "why did they let this get to them?" I forget how hard it is to be a teen. How emotions run so high and it is difficult to step back from a situation and shrug it off. I applaud Megan's parents for being aware of her myspace page and for monitoring her activity. I am incredulous that another adult would be the source of bullying; truly, the blood is on that lady's hands.
Just as teens have so much more to deal with, parents also have to be aware of so much more. A parent's best defense is knowledge. Knowing what apps, programs, and websites that are out there is crucial to staying informed and being able to adequately protect our kids. Talking to our teens and giving them solutions when bullying arises is the first line of attack. Like drinking and drugs, set clear boundaries about what is acceptable. Parents should have passwords and full access to their teen's digital life, and teens should be aware that they shouldn't do or say anything they wouldn't say/do in front of their parents. I am a proponent of being "friends" with your teen on social media sights like Facebook and Instagram in order to monitor activity. Parents need to be aware of security settings on these sights and regularly check to see that they are in place.
Along with parents, teachers can also play a role in protecting teens from cyberbullying. Since the presence of technology in classrooms is rapidly increasing, teachers have a very natural opportunity to discuss this issue. Teachers can spend time talking about digital citizenship, etiquette, and strategies to handle things that make them uncomfortable. As a 5th grade teacher, I've already had to deal with some of these issues, so we can't limit the conversation to teens. We need to start this conversation early. Including digital citizenship and intelligence along with the great lessons is the best way to make sure that kids are safe.
Both Megan and Amanda's stories were heartbreaking. My initial thought was "why did they let this get to them?" I forget how hard it is to be a teen. How emotions run so high and it is difficult to step back from a situation and shrug it off. I applaud Megan's parents for being aware of her myspace page and for monitoring her activity. I am incredulous that another adult would be the source of bullying; truly, the blood is on that lady's hands.
Just as teens have so much more to deal with, parents also have to be aware of so much more. A parent's best defense is knowledge. Knowing what apps, programs, and websites that are out there is crucial to staying informed and being able to adequately protect our kids. Talking to our teens and giving them solutions when bullying arises is the first line of attack. Like drinking and drugs, set clear boundaries about what is acceptable. Parents should have passwords and full access to their teen's digital life, and teens should be aware that they shouldn't do or say anything they wouldn't say/do in front of their parents. I am a proponent of being "friends" with your teen on social media sights like Facebook and Instagram in order to monitor activity. Parents need to be aware of security settings on these sights and regularly check to see that they are in place.
Along with parents, teachers can also play a role in protecting teens from cyberbullying. Since the presence of technology in classrooms is rapidly increasing, teachers have a very natural opportunity to discuss this issue. Teachers can spend time talking about digital citizenship, etiquette, and strategies to handle things that make them uncomfortable. As a 5th grade teacher, I've already had to deal with some of these issues, so we can't limit the conversation to teens. We need to start this conversation early. Including digital citizenship and intelligence along with the great lessons is the best way to make sure that kids are safe.
Elements of Digital Citizenship
This is a reflection from the website Digital Citizenship - Using Technology Appropriately. I will discuss how these nine elements relate to me as an end user and teacher and how it can be used with the students I teach.
When I think of digital citizenship, I immediately think of digital etiquette. How we post things, who we involve in our footprints, and even how we say things is a reflection of ourselves. It is so tempting to be rude or unkind because we aren't face-to-face with someone, but that doesn't make the impact any less damaging. That anonymity puts on each of us the responsibility to behave properly, which requires integrity. This seems difficult to implement, but crucial. I think, as a teacher, I can help instill these norms as students are using and creating online. This seems to be one of the most important things that I can do when teaching 21st Century skills.
Closely related to digital etiquette are digital rights and responsibilities. Understanding your rights and responsibilities is important in any arena, not just a digital one. Knowing our limits and holding others, as well as ourselves, accountable for our online presence is just as important as how we behave in our neighborhoods and personal lives. There seems to be a distinction that people make between our real self and our digital self. There should be no distinction. In a classroom setting, it is important to emphasize that misuse can be not only be harmful, but will result in lose of privileges: similar to the idea that drunk driving results in losing your license.
Along with rights and responsibility, we are the sole creators of a secure and protected presence. I like the analogy that likened our use of locks and fire alarms to the digital world. We must put in place precautions and be deliberate about what we post, why we post, and when we post in order to ensure that our information is not being misused or abused in any way. I have personal experience with the damage that can happen when we fail to secure our information. As a teacher I need to help my students understand that, while these technologies are fun and exciting, they need to protect themselves from anything that would try to destroy their reputation or harm them in any way. This, I feel, is my most important task, as a teacher.
People may be aware that they need to protect their information, but may not be aware of protecting their physical well-being as it relates to technology. The increasing amount of screen time brings up important issues of ergonomics, eye safety, and the repetitive nature of many technologies. It is important to listen to your body and take approved precautions that help sustain prolonged uses. This can be encouraged in a classroom setting as a teacher demonstrates proper positioning and reinforces good habits.
Not only must we protect our bodies from harm, we need to learn how to distinguish between the copious amounts of information available to us. Being able to use deductive reasoning skills and knowing how to search for information becomes a difficult task. Teaching students how to evaluate different sources and uncover motivations will be key to the quality and validity of their work. As a teacher, I can encourage higher levels of thinking and model reasoning skills.
When I think of digital citizenship, I immediately think of digital etiquette. How we post things, who we involve in our footprints, and even how we say things is a reflection of ourselves. It is so tempting to be rude or unkind because we aren't face-to-face with someone, but that doesn't make the impact any less damaging. That anonymity puts on each of us the responsibility to behave properly, which requires integrity. This seems difficult to implement, but crucial. I think, as a teacher, I can help instill these norms as students are using and creating online. This seems to be one of the most important things that I can do when teaching 21st Century skills.
Closely related to digital etiquette are digital rights and responsibilities. Understanding your rights and responsibilities is important in any arena, not just a digital one. Knowing our limits and holding others, as well as ourselves, accountable for our online presence is just as important as how we behave in our neighborhoods and personal lives. There seems to be a distinction that people make between our real self and our digital self. There should be no distinction. In a classroom setting, it is important to emphasize that misuse can be not only be harmful, but will result in lose of privileges: similar to the idea that drunk driving results in losing your license.
Along with rights and responsibility, we are the sole creators of a secure and protected presence. I like the analogy that likened our use of locks and fire alarms to the digital world. We must put in place precautions and be deliberate about what we post, why we post, and when we post in order to ensure that our information is not being misused or abused in any way. I have personal experience with the damage that can happen when we fail to secure our information. As a teacher I need to help my students understand that, while these technologies are fun and exciting, they need to protect themselves from anything that would try to destroy their reputation or harm them in any way. This, I feel, is my most important task, as a teacher.
People may be aware that they need to protect their information, but may not be aware of protecting their physical well-being as it relates to technology. The increasing amount of screen time brings up important issues of ergonomics, eye safety, and the repetitive nature of many technologies. It is important to listen to your body and take approved precautions that help sustain prolonged uses. This can be encouraged in a classroom setting as a teacher demonstrates proper positioning and reinforces good habits.
Not only must we protect our bodies from harm, we need to learn how to distinguish between the copious amounts of information available to us. Being able to use deductive reasoning skills and knowing how to search for information becomes a difficult task. Teaching students how to evaluate different sources and uncover motivations will be key to the quality and validity of their work. As a teacher, I can encourage higher levels of thinking and model reasoning skills.