Posted by Teacher Ria in Multimedia Center, Teaching Resources | 0 Comments

Not All Fun and Games

For the most part, people think the internet, especially for the younger generations, is all a waste of time. I would strongly disagree. Although, yes, I will readily admit that too many a time, it does end up being a distraction and a bad habit for the kids. However, the benefits behind it is so much greater. Just the other day I was discussing with a fellow teacher about how the internet and technology has totally changed the face of the learning environment. She was sharing how the kids now are making investigative projects with a review of related literature that can rival one that is made by undergraduates of our time. For example, if one were to do an investigative project behind, lets say, how insurance companies work, they can simply type in some keywords like life insurance online and then have a whole array of resources to look into. They can also type in online inquiries so they can see how costs are divided for premiums and so on and so forth. Back in the day when this was not available, they would actually have to interview insurance agents and the like to get input, and that can be a little difficult. Of course, it should be pointed out that data may be skewed and not too accurate through the information superhighway (errr…as a radio DJ said the other day: misinformation superhighway haha), so they should still be careful.

Another valuable use of the internet, in my opinion, is for teaching kids how to write essays and the like. I know of this little kiddie blogger, who is actually a daughter of a local blogger herself, who writes the cutest reviews on her blog, and she is all of six years old. She has written reviews about her favorite things, such as books, food and toys. And yes: as far as I know she is the one managing and handling the blog. I can tell because of the way it is written, which really reflects a child’s thoughts and candor. It’s entertaining to actually read her blog.

As a teacher of young kids, I can see the infinite potential of this whole blogging world for them. As children, after all, we were once encouraged to keep journals and diaries, right? Just a reminder, however, it is important to be cautious with the kind of information being shared by these kiddie bloggers. In my opinion, as long as mommy and daddy monitor the blogging behavior, it can be a good thing. In fact, for me, I would prefer that kids had blogs rather than got into Facebook or what not…which believe me, even with age restrictions, still happens a lot.

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Posted by Teacher Ria in Uncategorized | 1 Comment

BC Blogging

The Accidental Teacher is jumping in the bandwagon! Wanna come?

Calling all bloggers who want to gain friends in the blogosphere and build links at the same time – BC Bloggers 3 is now open. To join just visit Mommy Diary, read the requirements, and fill out the Application Form.