Journal Response--H

On the internet, many beneficial, exciting, and educational things can be found. In today's world, access to the internet is basically a requirement. However, there are also many harmful and inappropriate things that can happen on account of internet use. Because internet is so necessary in schools, teachers need to be sure to educate students on how to stay safe on the internet, both in school and at home.

First of all, when it comes to using the internet in schools, there should be clear limitations and rules set for the children. The students should be completely aware of what is expected of them. Also, there should be a clear set of consequences for when these rules are not followed.

When students disobey the rules they are given, a good consequence would be loss of certain internet privileges. In turn, students should be given some personal time on the internet where they can explore for themselves. That way, when privileges are taken away, the student really feels the loss. Once they develop some favorite websites, they will be less tempted to misuse the internet because they will not want to lose the ability to surf their favorite pages.

When a bad website or page is navigated to simply by mistake, teachers should not punish the student. They should help them get out of the situation they are in, and then use the circumstance for a learning opportunity. They should help them understand how to avoid such things in the future and what to do if it happens again. Also, teachers must set a good example for the children. When there are certain rules set forth for the kids to follow, the teachers should also be following the same set of stipulations.

Parents should definitely be aware of the rules regarding the internet. They should know what kind of precautions are being taken and what the consequences are for misusing internet privileges. This will help avoid problems that could occur between parents down the road.

No matter how hard they try, schools will never be able to be completely sure of their students' safety. However, there are many ways that can help prevent bad situations, and this article named just a few. The internet has the potential to cause many problems, but it also has an even greater potential to help kids learn, which is exactly why schools need to keep working hard to help their students use the internet effectively.

Works Cited:

Johnson, D. (2008). The online school. Keeping kids internet safe. Retrieved April 12, 2010, from http://www.educationworld.com/a_tech/columnists/johnson/johnson024.shtml.

Journal Response--G

A new type of technology that has become extremely widespread and successful is the Smart board. The article I read for this week talked about the benefits of Smart boards and how they can be utilized in the classroom.

Smart boards can be described as a mixture between a computer and a overhead projector. While these two types of technology have been used together a lot in the past, the Smart board takes this combination to a whole new level. Where teachers used to have to walk back to their computer in order to change what was being presented on the screen, teachers are now able to navigate the pages directly from the Smart board. With the touch of a finger, teachers can surf the internet, write notes or "doodle", play games, and anything else that is possible with a computer. The only difference is that everything can be done right from the board--no mouse necessary.

Smart boards have many benefits for students. They satisfy all learning types and are intriguing to children. Kids can use the Smart board themselves during class activities, or they can watch the teacher work from their place in their seat. One great benefit of using a Smart board is the ability to stay on task. Instead of walking back to the computer, teachers are able to change the screen right from their place in front. This ensures that the lesson will continue to move forward in a timely manner and kids will not be tempted to day dream or be distracting to other students. Lessons written on the Smart board can be saved directly to the computer, making it easy to look back at old discussions and ensuring that students who were missing from class will be able to receive the same teaching as those that were present.

The only challenge of Smart boards brought forth in the article was the fact that Smart boards may not help certain students with disabilities. While vision-impaired children often use devices that read aloud to them, these devices are not compatible with the Smart board. Also, kids with motor issues in their arms, for example, will have trouble working with the Smart board. Therefore, the teacher must be careful when letting the students use it.

In conclusion, I agree that the Smart board is an amazing tool that can greatly benefit the classroom. And while I understand that some schools are unable to afford Smart boards, I wish that every classroom could have one. I believe that children would be more interested in school, teachers will write lesson plans with more ease, and more learning would take place.

Works Cited:

Jackson, L. (2010). The online school. Speaking of electronic whiteboards.... Retrieved April 8, 2010, from http://www.educationworld.com/a_tech/tech/tech206.shtml.