Word of the Week: Avatar

An AVATAR is a graphical representation of an image.  It's connection to internet safety and cybebullying online is critical, for the use of an avatar can help keep your identify safe online.

EXTENSION: Want to know more about an AVATAR?  Can you identify areas in your life that you already use an avatar?  Think about your gaming experiences with technology.

Don't forget to experience building your own avatar using the NY Zoo website or through Lego!

Lesson 5: Avatars & Online Safety

WEEK 5:

BIG IDEA:  How can an avatar help you be safe online?

The past two weeks we have discussed internet safety and cyberbullying.  This week’s lesson provides an opportunity for kids to put into practice what they have learned by discovering a way to be safe online by creating an avatar to help protect their identities online.

Lesson/Discussion:              
              -What is an avatar?  A graphical representation of a user online

              -What is the connection between an avatar and internet safety?

              -How can an Avatar help protect your identity online?

VIDEO:  Making of the movie “Avatar”

Students can identify the human side of the actor while seeing the digital image of a created avatar in the making of this film.

VIDEO:  Disney’s Hall of Presidents
Students will see an attraction of avatars that look and talk like our presidents

EXTENSION: Want to build your own avatars?  Check it out online!

NY ZOO Avatars:  www.buildyourwildself.com

LEGO Avatars:  www.reasonablyclever.com [Click on "Mini-Mixer" then "Classic Kid-Safe")

DID YOU KNOW?:

Use the "PRINT SCREEN KEY" to take a picture of the Avatar you have made online.  Then open this image in Microsoft Word by pasting it into a document.  Feel free to edit this image (crop. add a border, etc.) then save on your computer!  Use this picture instead of a real picture when you are surfing online!

**If you are on a Mac, Command + Shift + 3 takes a screenshot of whatever is on your screen.  It automatically moves this image to your desktop.

Word of the Week 4: Cyberbullying

What is cyberbullying?
CYBERBULLYING is bullying through the use of technology.

RESOURCES:
NetSmartz is a great website for parents to peruse to get tons of information on cyberbullying.  It is from the program for the National Center for the Missing and Exploited Children.  They have videos that are age-appropriate, as well as handouts, discussion questions, and information related to cyberbullying for kids of all ages.

Check out NetSmartz here.

Lesson 4: Cyberbullying

This week’s technology class will explore the topic of cyberbullying and how bullying is prevalent with technology.  Students will analyze what is appropriate to post online and what is not.  Students will also view examples of cyberbullying and examine what they should do if faced with a cyberbullying situation.

ACTIVITIES:
K – 2:  Role-Models / Role-Play Kindergarten through second grade will decide who their role models are in their lives and how picturing that role model while they are on the computer will help them not cyberbully.  They will then illustrate their role models and write descriptive words to describe why they are role models and how this role model can help them not to cyberbully online.

3 – 6:  Comic Strips
Third through Sixth Grade will be presented with a bullying situation.  Students then must come up with a similar cyberbullying situation and what that situation would look like if it were cyberbullying.  Then students must illustrate the cyberbullying example, as well as correct the situation by providing a positive example to combat cyberbullying.

7 – 8:  Cyberbullying Posters

Students in 7^th and 8^th grades are encouraged to be leaders to the young kids of SMOY.  They will demonstrate their knowledge of Microsoft Word by showing me what they know how to do in Word to create posters to combat cyberbullying.  These posters will then be hung up around the school.  This activity has two purpose:  Allow the students to show me what they already know in Microsoft Word and present an opportunity to showcase what they know and have learned about cyberbullying to be leaders in getting rid of bullying in the world around them.

DID YOU KNOW?:

Your computer has a built in camera!  

• On a PC, you can hit the PRINT SCREEN button.
• On a MAC, press command + shift + 3

In order to effectively document bullying, students will learn the use of the “print Screen key”.  This is especially useful in reporting cyberbullying without the option to print or save.  This week, your students experimented with this option by taking a screen shot and pasting the image into Microsoft Word.  

Word of the Week 3: QR CODE

Ever seen one of these?  Scan this QR CODE with your Smart Phone to see where this QR will take you.  Remember, your phone needs to have an internet connection.

Once you start looking around for these cool codes, you will find that they are everywhere!  Advertisers are using QR CODES to expose the public to more information about their products.  Curious to see where you might find these QR CODES?  Check out this video!
QR CODE VIDEO

Would you like to make your own free QR CODE?  Click here!  All you need is a web address from online to link to this QR CODE.  For example, are you always visiting ESPN.com?  Go to the free QR CODE Generator and type in www. espn.com.  Once your QR CODE is generated, scan it with your smart phone.  You now have an instant link to ESPN!

BONUS:  Where does the QR CODE outside of Miss Wilmes' classroom take you?

EXTENSION:

Why do you think there might be a QR CODE on a house for sale sign? Why would someone put a QR CODE on a pancake?  a business card?  BE CREATIVE:  If you could create a QR CODE for anything you would like, what would your QR CODE lead you to?

Lesson #3: Internet Safety

This week’s technology class will explore how students should be practice online safety while on the computers inside and outside of the classroom walls. They will discover practices and policies regarding how to avoid sharing personal information over the internet.  Students will also decide what information is okay to share and what information should not be shared.

INTERNET SAFETY

Check it out online:

K-3:  BRAIN POP JR / Online Safety

4-8:  BRAIN POP / Internet Safety

In class, we discussed the information students should not post online, as well as what information is safe to put online.  We also discussed the difference between a stranger on the computer and a friend they have in their lives.  

Personal Information should not be share online, such as:

• First and Last Name
• Name of their School
• Photos/Videos of themselves
• Age
• Gender
• Location

K-6:  We created safe usernames in class that would not give away any personal information.  

Try this out with your kids!  Need some examples?  

DO: iluvschool, pizzarocks, icecreamismyfav 

DON'TS:  SMOYbball44, lovelandcomets1994

**See if you can figure out what the above usernames are okay or not okay to post online.

7-8:  Put your name into Google to see what information you can easily find about you on online.  

Check online to see what anyone can see when you search by your first and last name.  After searching, put your hometown along with your name to see what information shows up on the web.  Remember, what you are seeing, everyone with an internet connection is seeing.  

DISNEY INTERNET SAFETY WEBQUEST

Your student has completed a webquest online to test all that they know about be safe on the internet.  Have some free time?  Let them review at home.

Disney's Surf Swell Island