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Teaching with the Web |
The Instructional Technology Journal
of Volume 2, Number 12 December
15, 2006 |
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VIP: Keeping Viruses Off Your Laptop Over
Winter Break 12/15/06
Some of the information in this issue is a repeat of past information, but
please do take heed because summer break was 7 months ago, and it is easy to
forget. First, if you are not taking your laptop home
for the break, please do not leave it out in your classroom; put it somewhere
safely out of sight. Two laptops were stolen
one weekend and they have not been found!
They were left out on a desk and apparently just too tempting for
someone. Next, normally your laptop
automatically gets virus definition updates from your school's server. Your laptop will not be connected to our
network during winter break, so you must keep your antivirus program
up-to-date via the "LiveUpdate" function. 1.
Be
sure you are connected to the Internet and 2.
Click
Start/Programs. Choose "Symantec
Client Security," then "Symantec Antivirus." 3.
Click
the "LiveUpdate" button. 4.
In
the “LiveUpdate” window, click the "Next" button to find and
download updates. You may need to click “Next” several times and the updates
may take a few minutes, especially if you are on a slow Internet connection. 5.
When
the updates are completed, there will be a "Finish" button that you
should click. This will return you to the "Symantec Antivirus"
window. Close this window. 6.
Complete
this process once a week during break. If you want to make sure, you can re-open the
"Symantec Antivirus" window and check the date for your “Virus Definitions.”
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Important Teacher Notes · All educators should have received
an email about BrainPOP, http://www.brainpop.com/
and login information. BrainPOP is an educational program that provides content in Science,
Math, English, Social Studies, Health and Technology. Additionally, BrainPOP is correlated to our
state standards. Teachers from K-12
have been emailing me about the way their students engage with BrainPOP. The BrainPOP free newsletter informs teachers of what is new and gives
suggestions for classroom use. You can
subscribe on BP’s home page. Contact
Cindy Hughes, hughesc@gwd.50.org, if
you have difficulty logging in or have comments or questions. · “WebQuests
are inquiry-oriented classroom activities in which some or all of the
resources students interact with are found on the internet (Bernie Dodge,
1997).” Did you think WebQuests came
and went in the 1990’s? Fortunately,
WebQuests are alive and well!
Why? They are adaptable to
learners of all proficiency levels because the activities can be easily
modified in the process section to address the students’ technology level. Check out the WebQuest information on the
ITC Resources page for instructions and examples: http://www2.gwd50.org/hughesc/WebQuestMain.htm#WebQuests. · Excel Basics
and links can be found on the ITC Resources page: http://www2.gwd50.org/hughesc/excel_basics.doc. Be sure to check the ITC site often for
new information; the site is updated regularly. ITC: http://www2.gwd50.org/hughesc/hughes1.htm.
Please note: Check the January 1,
2007 TWTW before returning to school.
The new issue will provide instructions so that you can properly
prepare your laptop for the new year. |
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Internet Safety Almost
daily, we read or hear of someone’s child who was lured into a dangerous
situation by an online predator. While
we know this happens in chat rooms and students are not supposed to visit chat rooms at school, it will not hurt to
remind your students of chat room safety.
SafeKids - http://www.safekids.com/ offers free internet safety information to
download and share with your students. What about other precautions? Are your students safe when they research? The June 2006 edition of Edutopia compares several “kid
friendly” search engines. Ask for kids.com, KidsClick.org, OneKey.com,
RedZee.com, and Yahooligans.yahoo.com
were compared. The results are very
informative. See: http://www.edutopia.org/magazine/ed1article.php?id=Art_1573&issue=jul_06
for details. Another way to
ensure classroom safety is to check out the sites your students will need to
visit when you plan their
projects. WebQuests are good tools for
this. Our goal as educators is not censorship;
it is to ensure that the children placed in our care do not accidentally
access information they are not yet mature enough to handle. |
Site Survey: Websites that Educate,
Enlighten, Entertain, and Engage · How Stuff Works ·
Pitsco's Ask an Expert ·
MATRIX - Museum |
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The Laptop-and-Projector Project Website Tech Project:
http://www2.gwd50.org/TechPlans/TechPlan2006.htm Instr. Resources: http://www2.gwd50.org/TechPlans/StaffDevResources.htm
Previous TWTW Issues: http://www2.gwd50.org/techplans/TWTW-Index.htm
Merry
Christmas!
Cindy
Hughes |
