Instructional Video

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Being a safe Blogger

As I looked on the internet for guidelines on being a safe blogger, this is what I found to be most important.

• Privacy and Permission (http://blog.safetyclicks.com/2008/11/17/safe-blogging-tips-for-teens/) - This is important because as a teacher we may have stories we want to share about our students. We need to respect their privacy and not use their real name unless we have permission from the student. The last thing I would want to do is offend or hurt one of my students.
• Involve the Parents - ( http://blog.safetyclicks.com/2008/11/17/safe-blogging-tips-for-teens/) By having an educational blog, we can talk about what the students are doing in class and activities that are coming up. Parents can check the blog for anything, even post questions. It's a great way to get the parents involved and see what is going on in school.
• Ask yourself if you are comfortable sharing this with everyone? (http://www.microsoft.com/security/family-safety/blogging.aspx) - I know I have read blogs where the author can get carried away and tell the readers too much about their personal life. An educational blog needs to be professional, and anything I wouldn't want the world reading, I should not post it. It needs to be related to education and your classroom.
  
• Never offer any personal information (http://www.microsoft.com/security/family-safety/blogging.aspx) - Everyone knows there are creepers on the internet. Never give out a phone number or address. We need to be safe.
  

Blogging and Teaching

I was really excited when I heard about teacher's blogging. I think it is a great way to learn from others, hear their experiences, and grow from each others experiences. The first blog I found that I really liked is called, "For the Love of Teaching" (http://www.fortheloveofteaching.net/) It is about a teacher who lives in the United States. She talks about new ways to improve learning through brain based strategies and also incorporating technology in the class. One particular post I liked was one that talked about how stress impacts learning. I didn't know how serious stress is, she even gave us some tips!
The next educational blog I found that I liked is called "Peg's Plan - Upper Elementary plans for Language Arts, Math, Science and homework" (http://pegsplans.blogspot.com/) This is an excellent blog to read about especially for teachers. It gives so many ideas, lesson plans, games, and more! It is very organized and we can choose which subject we would like to read about it. It's so good to know that there are so many people willing to share their ideas and experiences on teaching on the web. I know it will help me out immensely.
The last blog I found is called, "Eh? What? Huh?" It is written by a teacher who has hearing loss problems and how it is handled in the class. From reading the posts I have already learned so much. She has hearing loss problems, but she can still speak for herself. Many times when she enters a classroom the teacher won't even let her speak to the students because they don't think she can. They aren't doing this to be rude, but they need to let her speak for herself. After reading this blog, I hope I will be able to handle situations with students and faculty with disabilities professionally and not hurt anyone.