Collaborating Safely (Students)

For the purposes of this project I went out and tried to connect with others in my field of study. I looked for different forums and found a few that interested me. I think that this is somewhat different than what I will do in my own classroom because I am an adult and if I come across something that is not safe I know to get out of that website or forum but it is different when you have a classroom full of students. One obstacle that I may face are the school wide restrictions on different websites so I think that this will partly keep them safe but also keep them out of useful information that they might need for their project. I think that I will make sure to educate my students on the importance of safety on the internet and how to spot something suspicious. I created the lesson plan on teaching Kindergarteners the safety concerns and how to avoid those safety issues but I do not think that will prepare them for everything. I think that I will have an easier time finding educational forums that will be on topic and safe for students to use. I think in my own classroom I will make sure to screen the websites and forums before students are allowed to visit and participate. I will also educate the parents of my students in the safety concerns of the internet so they are aware of them as well.

Another concern that I may face in my own classroom is the fear of collaboration. I think that this was my main concern when I was starting out. It really took courage to reach out and talk on the forums. I think that it was interesting and so useful, once I faced my fear, but I think it might be even harder for some of my students. I have always been afraid to put myself out on the internet, on my blogs, wikis etc. So I will work even harder to help my students through this fear by showing them my own work on the internet and talking to them about facing my own fears. I think that it is important to show students my weaknesses so that they can see how I overcome and how they can as well.