Internet Safety Resources - help students stay safe online

Technology Accommodations An accommodation is a change in how an assessment or instruction is given, but does not indicate a change in what is being measured or a change in the material. The accommodation should be to allow a student to participate that would otherwise not be able to. The accommodations allow the student the capability to demonstrate what they know or can do. The use of accommodations with a special needs student does not change the content of the instruction, the skill being learned, or the material being assessed. An example of an accommodation could include the use of a calculator for basic computation or giving the student extended time on a test. While there can an almost infinite number of accommodations they basically break down into five categories Instructional methods and materials Assignments and classroom assessments Time demands and scheduling Learning environment Use of special communication systems Technology Accommodations

The Digital Divide Within: Creating a Level Playing Field for All Students This is a follow-up post to "1-2-3 -- Red Light!: Let's Give the Use of Technology in Classrooms the Green Light Instead." There's still a lot of talk about the digital divide in this country. I've seen it firsthand as I've worked with schools and school districts around the country on technology-leadership issues; some student populations do lots of online and computer work at home, but other schools serve students who don't have computers and Internet access at home, so the choices for after-school technology work are limited. As stated in CNN's Virtual Villages initiative, "Technology has become the driving force of change in the modern world. Clearly, leveling the playing field outside school is a huge task. But one thing I've noticed that still strikes me as just as critical is the digital divide within school buildings. Now that the school year is winding down, I believe I've seen some students make it through one more year without a lot of exposure to technology.

6 Internet Safety Games To Help Kids Become Cyber Smart With the age of cyber savvy kids on the rise, internet safety is just as important a part of education. Parents can play a prime role as educators. But then, there are loads of resources which can play the role of motivators. A class on internet safety need not be dull and drag when you have interactive games like these six to take you through the concepts. Webonauts Internet Academy This cool online game teaches kids all about the rules of web safety and digital citizenship. Safety Land The game is courtesy AT&T. Internet Safety Hangman This is a case of the classic Hangman game reincarnated as an internet safety educational game. Iggey and Rasper’s Internet Safety Game The Kids.com Jr. internet safety game for kids is a series of questions on net etiquette for kids. Anti-Phishing Phil This game is a limited version game of the actual one but the game play is enough to educate someone about phishing on the internet. OnGuard Online Image Credit: Shutterstock

Abdication of Education: How can we Re-engage Parents? It isn’t a decision that any of us made consciously or willingly, it’s more the result of circumstances, but as a society we have abdicated the education of our children to a specialized segment of society. That segment has taken the responsibility we’ve given it and created an intricately structured system of learning as well as a system of administration of that learning. So now, here we are, dissatisfied with the cost and effectiveness of those systems and wondering what we can do about it. It didn’t happen because we didn’t want to be involved, it’s more the result of the pace of our lives and the structure of the educational system which makes it very difficult to be involved. By the time our kids are teenagers, the closest some of us come to being involved in education is dropping them off at school or a bus stop. Every parent starts out being the most important teacher in their child’s life. Thankfully, other people have realized that same thing are are doing something about it.