10 Tips for Teachers to Monitor Internet Safety

The internet is a amazing tool for learning but it also comes with some downsides.  As an educator you’ll want to make sure you’re aware of what kind of trouble can lurk on the net.  Here are some to consider.

• Posting distasteful images
• Accessing distasteful images
• Engaging in distasteful online conversation
• Sharing personal information like full name, address, school, or phone numbers
• Copy write infringement fines
• Unhealthy usage habits
• Exposure to online viruses or spyware
• Online scams and spam

With these pitfalls in mind, here are 10 things a teacher can do to create a safe online learning culture.  

1. Clearly define “distasteful” images and conversation
2. Model appropriate comments and postings
3. Choose social networks intended for teachers to moderate
4. Moderate conversation
5. Demonstrate how to site resources and require it in every assignment
6. Discuss the purposes of website (advertise, fool, inform, entertain) and how to identify each one
7. Create and use class accounts to monitor all activities
8. Preview the resources you’ll be using before sharing with students
9. Choose web browsing launch pads that were created for kids
10. Keep your technology skills up-to-date

 

 

Daily Spark # 89

Diving In the Dictionary

Describe the difference between the Dictionary and the Thesaurus.

Book Smart

Where will you find the Table of Contents in a book and what will it tell you?  How about the index?

Personification

Remember from last week, personification is when nonlivign objects take on human characteristics.  Here are three examples of personification: 

1. The tree danced in the wind. 
2. The brooke babbled past the picnicing couple.
3. The watch sang as the time passed.

Happy Homophones

Homophones are words that are spelled the same or sound the same but have different meanings.  For example, to, two, and too are homophones.  “To” can be used like “to” go somewhere.  “Two” refers to the number two, and “too” means “also.” 

Can you think of the homophones for these words?  If you have time, make a sentence for each.

1. they’re
2. paws
3. weak
4. peace

Daily Spark # 88

Word of The Day

Today’s word of the day is PONDER.

In your Daily Spark include a title and today’s date.  Write the sentence and write down what kind of context clue is being used.  Also write what you think the word means.

You should take time to ponder, or think about, your response before writing it down.

Quote of the Day

Write the quote of the day and what you think it means.

“Self-conquest is the greatest of victories.”

synonyms for conquest are: take-over, occupy, capture

Personal Personification

Personification is a literary device that gives a nonliving object the characteristics of living things.  For example, a writer might say that the wind sighs, the rain laughs, and the leaves whisper.  Match the following nonliving objects with the living characteristic you might use to describe it (See the list on the board). 

 I’m Hot Stuff

Create an example of the following to show off how ready you are for the CRCT.  Later your team will turn the best ones into a poster.

Simile      Metaphor      Personification     Alliteration    onomatopoeia   Idioms   1 pair of synonyms    1 pair of antonyms    2 homophones

Daily Spark # 85

Daily Diet

Write down everything you ate yesterday.  Include the serving size (how many).

• http://tiny.cc/zzi4dw
• http://www.webmd.com/diet/healthtool-portion-size-plate

My Animal

Which Animal do you think you resemble most closely?  Consider quiet, retiring animals like mice; bold and fearless ones like lions; eager, friendly ones like dogs; and finicky secretive onces like cats.  Consider your appearance, your personality, and the way you move.  Then write about the animal with whihc you feel a kinship, explaining how you are similar in personality, characteristics, and/or physical features.

Trucker Hats and Flip-Flops

Fashion critics attend fashion shows and write reports on them for newspapers and magazines.  Choose one of the latest fashion trends you’ve seen, and write a few paragraphs about it as if you are a fashion critic.  Describe the trend, put it in a context (for example, how is it different from last year’s trend?), and give your opinion about it.

Daily Spark # 84

Silly Superstitions

Spill the salt?  Break a mirror? Let a black cat cross your path? Open an umbrella inside? Do these things and terrible bad luck will ensue, according to many people.  Sometimes, even if people scoff at superstition, they still avoid walking under ladders….just in case.  What’s your position on the matter?  Are you a superstitious person?  Explain your answer.  

Childhood Memories

Most people have vivid memories of certain events from childhood.  What sticks in your mind?  Pick one particularly strong memory and describe it in detail.

Tiny of Immense

Decisions, decisions.  They range from the tiny (should I have tuna or turkey for lunch?)  to the immense (should I accept that scholarship or follow my dreams and become a cowboy?)  If you go back in time and change one decision you’ve made, what would it be?  Why do you regret making this decision?

Daily Spark # 83

Think Fast

Make a list of EVERYTHING you ate or drank yesterday. 

You’re The BEST

As the school year winds down, it’s important for you to spend all of your hawkeyes.  Make a list of suggested rewards you would like me to consider that you could purchase with your loot.  Be sure to include a price.  Here are my 2 suggestions.

• Rolling chair for the day-$3 hawkeyes
• 15 minutes of free computer time-$ 5 hawkeyes

Five Senses, Minus One

Most people are born with five senses.  Make a list of them and then decide if you had to give up one for the rest of your life, which would you pick and why?  Be sure to include 3 specific reasons to explain your answer.

Daily Spark # 82

Sassy Science Skills

Make sure you have completed pages 2-76 in your interactive text and turned it in.

CRCT-Yah You Know Me

Create a small poster of encouragement for next week.  Your sign can include a poem about how awesome 5th grade is, motivational slogans, and/or pictures of students with test-test-test taker face!

 I’m Hot Stuff

Create an example of the following to show off how ready you are for the CRCT.  Later your team will turn the best ones into a poster.

Simile      Metaphor      Personification     Alliteration    onomatopoeia   Idioms   1 pair of synonyms    1 pair of antonyms    2 homophones

Daily Spark # 81

Quote of the Day

Write the quote of the day and what you think it means.

“Always forgive your enemies–nothing annoys them so much.”  -Oscar Wilde

The Handsome, Rude Man Violently Opened the Rusty, Squeaky Door

Adjectives (words like aborable, squishy, and rude) and adverbs (words like sleazily, quickly, impatiently) should be used only in moderation.  As an example of what not to do, add as many adverbs and adjectives as you possibly can to the following paragraph:

The man opened the door and climbed into his car.  As he drove along, he saw a woman walking with her friend.  After hours of driving, the man arrived at his house.  He got out of the car and saw a stranger. 

Now that your finished, find and underline the two complex sentences above (remember complex sentences have a dependent clause).

My Weekend–Basketball: Woosh

Write three to five verbs that describe what you did this weekend. Then write an onomatopoeia to go with it.

 

Daily Spark # 80

Comparatives

Comparatives are used to compare two things to one another.  For example, rabbits are fastER than turtles.  You can tell a comparative when two things are being compared and you see the letters “ER” at the end of and adjectives or “more” is in front of the adjective.  Compare anything of your choice using the following adjectives: wet, soft, happy, tall, large, sly, sneaky, fast, small, sweet, sour*.  (Please do not use classmates in this activity.)  

Super Superlatives

Superlatives is the form of an adjective or adverb used to show something is at the highest level.  These words usually end with “est.”  For example, rather than being great the superlative version would be “greatest.”  To remember what superlative means vote for SUPERlative classmates in each category.   

1. Most artistic	Girls	Boys
2. Best sense of humor	Girls	Boys
3. Friendliest	Girls	Boys
4. Most athletic	Girls	Boys
5. Most studious	Girls	Boys
6. Most curious	Girls	Boys
7. Mr./Ms. Math Whiz	Girls	Boys
8. Most creative	Girls	Boys
9. Best dancer	Girls	Boys
10. Most helpful	Girls	Boys
11. Most likely to be famous	Girls	Boys
12. Most school spirit	Girls	Boys
13. Most likely to be elected President	Girls	Boys
14. Most likely to record a platinum album	Girls	Boys
15. Most outgoing	Girls	Boys
16. Best laugh	Girls	Boys
17. Most changed since the beginning of the year	Girls	Boys
18. Most likely to brighten someone’s day	Girls	Boys
19. Most eco-friendly	Girls	Boys
20. Most generous	Girls	Boys
21. Most well-mannered	Girls	Boys
22. Most likely to be an author	Girls	Boys
23. Broadway bound	Girls	Boys
24. Best debater	Girls	Boys
25. Most optimistic	Girls	Boys
26. Most laid back	Girls	Boys
27. Most unique	Girls	Boys
28. Most likely to invent something spectacular	Girls	Boys
29. Most likely to become a doctor

Daily Spark # 79

Think Fast!

Brainstorm a list

1. Of all the people you spent time with over spring break.
2. Of all the activities you did–use the verb only (sleep, play, swim)

Put it all together

Create between 5-10 luscious sentences that describe what you did over spring break.  Be detailed and specific by including details like who, what, when, where, or why.  (Example:  My break started leisurely milking a goat and gardening in country at farm-house in the heart Appalachian Hills)

Your Choice

Pick one of the following activities to share with the class how you spent spring break. You’ll have 25 minutes to work before we share.

1. Make a four picture comic strip of your favorite spring break activities.  Make sure they’re in chronological order so they tell your story from start to finish.
2. Write a poem about what you loved about your break.  Make sure it’s at least between 15-20 lines.   (If your feeling witty, you can even make sure it rhymes!)
3. Use the Fun Dough to make a sculpture of one thing that reminds you of your break most.  (If you use the dough, please don’t mix the colors:)