Nonfiction Padlet in 1st Grade

Mrs. Macken and Mrs. Bakos shared student nonfiction reading on a Padlet wall. Students were practicing fluency while sharing facts to peers. Parents were invited to visit the Padlet wall (click “wall” and enter the password: Caldwell to view). Our plan is to have students listen to the recordings and learn how to comment while sharing new information learned from listening.Screen Shot 2015-11-10 at 9.30.27 AM

Private vs Unlisted YouTube Videos

Private or Unlisted? Visit ikeepsafe.org to learn what option is best for your students

Here are more tips to keep children safe on YouTube

1) Turn on YouTube Safety Mode – YouTube Safety Mode is a kid-friendly option for filtering inappropriate or questionable content on YouTube. Parents can follow these simple steps to enable the filter. YouTube Safety Mode serves as a direct line of defense. It hides explicit content through community flagging, age-restrictions, and porn image detection, ultimately minimizing the risk that kids will stumble upon any unsavory videos or user comments.

Bear in mind that the option is both browser- and device-specific: for example, enabling it on Google Chrome will not automatically enable it on Mozilla Firefox. For a small monthly fee, some web filters and parental controls may offer the ability to enforce safe YouTube across all devices in the household.

2) Privacy Settings – Kids are at risk for more than just exposure to explicit content.  Anyone who actively posts his/her own videos on YouTube is susceptible to mean-spirited internet trolls who post crude, harmful comments.

To prevent this form of YouTube cyberbullying, parents can implement YouTube Privacy Settings.  This optional feature can block users and moderate comments (by removing specific comments or blocking anyone from commenting altogether), and can specify who is able to see a particular video. More specifically, YouTube offers the following video settings: Public, Private, and Unlisted.

In addition, parents can block advertisements and interest based ads, further filtering the content accessible to kids online.

3) For younger children, approve content in advance – Parents can research what content is age-appropriate for their child by screening or “favoriting” videos in advance of those long car rides. This way, they know exactly what their child is watching and can avoid accidental linkage to inappropriate content when they are unable to supervise them.

For parents who simply don’t have the time or are running out of ideas on what is considered “appropriate” for their child’s age group – Have no fear!  Check out sites like Common Sense Media which provide reliable, detailed suggestions and examples for age appropriate media content.

Alternatively, parents of children ages 5 and under, can make use of YouTube Kids, a free app that makes available only a subset of pre-approved, kid-safe content on YouTube.

4) Get involved!  Report inappropriate videos by ‘flagging’ -All adults can play a part in making YouTube a more kid-friendly environment!  If you find a video with inappropriate content, report it by clicking “more” and then “report” under the video window.  This process is referred to as ‘flagging’ a video for moderator review.  Fortunately, review of flagged videos occurs 24/7; YouTube makes this service a priority and is highly responsive to your report requests.

(taken from Securly Blog)

Coding in the Media Center

Mrs. Emmolo and Mrs. Berkman are at it again!  After recently attending a workshop hosted by code.org they decided to bring some coding to the Media Centers.  “Code.org is a non-profit dedicated to expanding access to computer science, and increasing participation by women and underrepresented students of color.”  Code.org has a vision that every student in every school should have the opportunity to learn computer science. Coding helps nurture problem-solving skills, logic and creativity. By starting early, students will have a foundation for success in any 21st-century career path.

Code

Lego Robotics at Wilson

Students in Ms. Fox’s class along with the help of Mrs. Emmolo are working with LEGO WeDo systems to key simple machine concepts while building teamwork and communication skills.  Students are discovering basic physical science concepts such as gears, pulleys, levers, and wheels and axles through observation, reasoning, prediction, and critical thinking. Students are also learning computer programming concepts needed to make robots move. Watch the video to see student creations tested and witness problem solving on the spot!

Virtual Publishing Party at Wilson

On Friday, October 9th, fourth grade students in Mrs. DeMarco’s class celebrated their first publishing party.  Instead of a traditional party students hosted a “digital” publishing party. Students created their own blog pages within Blogger and uploaded published pieces. Guests who were not able to physically attend were invited to visit Mrs. DeMarco’s Blog and click on published pieces.  Feel free to explore Mrs. DeMarco’s blog for project ideas and click on a student name to read personal narratives.

DeMarco Blog

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