TEACHING THROUGH TECHNOLOGY
February 2019
INSIDE CLASSROOMS AROUND THE COUNTY
Holiday Coding
Ozobot- the mini optic robot
MBES 4th graders are using color coded sequences or patterns of lines to code an Ozobot-a mini optic robot.
Unplugged coding
Kindergartner tries an "unplugged activity" to warm up for hour of code. Most of our favorite digital programs have unplugged resources.
Digital Learning can empower our students to ask questions, think critically and find solutions in different ways. Digital Learning Day began in 2012 as a way for educational leaders to highlight innovative learning through digital tools. The event now takes place nationwide as a celebration, not of technology, but of learning!
Get on the map for Digital Learning Day 2019. Add your #DLDay event to the @OfficialDLDay map: digitallearningday.org/register-your-event/
Google Tips
Dicate your Google Docs
Digital Citizenship and Wellness
In August of 2018 a new scientific statement was released by the American Heart Association stating that children under the age of 18 should limit their screen time to 2 hours. They conclude that as screen time increases the sedentary lifestyle increases which affects sleep and the individuals overall health. Some recommendations from the journal article state, “Passive consumption of screens should be avoided (eg, leaving the television on in the background) to avoid normalizing this behavior. Bedrooms and meal times should be free of televisions and other recreational screen-based devices. In addition, parents/guardians should be supported to devise and enforce appropriate screen time regulations and to model healthy screen-based behaviors. Innovative approaches that promote more face-to-face interactions and more outdoor play are encouraged, for example, by leveraging social networks or making appealing structural changes to neighborhoods. In the meantime, we advise all children to “sit less, play more.”
In Oct. 2016, the American Academy of Pediatrics released new guidelines on children’s media use. Any child under 18 months should avoid all screen media except video chatting. Children age 2-5 years, should limit screen use to 1 hour per day of high quality media and should be co-viewed with a parent to help them understand what they are seeing and apply it to the world around them. Children 6 and older should have consistent limits on time spent using media. They recommend that there should be media free times in the household (dinner, driving, etc.) and zones (bedrooms, etc.) In Nov of 2016 the AAP released an article about Media Use in School-Aged Children and Adolescents. This article shares the benefits of media and the risks of media for our children.
As technology increases in our classrooms we must always balance whether it is to enhance the learning or is it just a pacifier for the student? In this new year we suggest you challenge your parents, students, and yourself to create a Family Media Plan.
C5W Connections
Engage your students with HyperDocs
Technology Tips and Tricks
Robin Weaver
Email: weaverrv@staffordschools.net
Website: https://www.staffordschools.net/domain/803
Location: 1000 Forbes Street, Fredericksburg, VA, USA
Phone: 540-373-7458
Twitter: @FESnVA