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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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Kids and Internet Safety

A few months ago, I wrote an article about keeping kids safe online. Entitled “A Keystroke Away from Danger“, the article talked about the many, many dangers lurking online, especially for children. From cyberbullying to falling prey to sexual offenders, children and adolescents, and even some adults, may find themselves in the throes of danger if they are not careful. This is why, as a teacher, I make sure to highlight the importance of being vigilant and aware about the  potential risks and dangers modern technology post. For example, when I talk to my little preschoolers (yes, they do know how to use the internet! and believe it or not, some of them even have their own Facebook pages), I tell them to stay only on the sites that their parents allow them to be on and to not just simply follow those pop-up ads or links that say “click here“.

I think the most important part of internet safety is being educated about it. In this day and age, there’s really no going around the fact that modern technology and the World Wide Web. It will and always be an integral part of our lives so all we can do is arm ourselves with the know-how to navigate safely in this world.

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Making the Most of the World Wide Web

I have been so busy these past three days because we are starting a new trimester at the university I teach in. On one hand, I am glad that the classes I am teaching now are those that I have handled in the past, thus I don’t have to start everything from scratch, but on the other, I miss the challenge of learning a new subject.

One thing that never changes, however, despite the subjects I handle, is that I always remind my students to maximize resources available for them to make learning my subject easily. For example, while I still emphasize that Wikipedia should not be used as a formal source for research and papers they write, they are free to browse it and read the articles there because it really helps simplify more complex topics.

For someone like me, who grew up hating reading books and journals, having the web sure makes things easier, and it’s not just for academic stuff. From canvassing the best prices for gadgets, to getting the best life insurance quotes, and tracking down rare items for collections, the World Wide Web makes everything more accessible. Add to this, isn’t it more fun than browsing through catalogs and dusty books in a library?!?

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Making the Most of Your Broadband Internet.

I would like to think of myself as a modern teacher. For the most part, I try not to teach in the typical, conventional ways. That’s why having a good laptop and a reliable internet connection is very important for me. When I lecture, I often try to stream in videos, download media or photos, and show websites and the like so as tobe able to hold my students attention. However, even though our school has a wireless network available, sometimes it is intermittent. Plus since it’s a school, there are sites that are blocked, such as You Tube. This is why it is important for someone like me to have a wireless broadband connection all the time.

However, using these wireless broadband dongles or usb sticks means spending my own hard-earned money. After all, I cannot ask the school to reimburse me for it because they actually provide internet access right? So I try to find ways to maximize every peso of my load.

Here are some tips for making your Globe Tattoo Broadband surf faster as well as to minimize expenditures on your part:

1. Switch your preferred network settings to 3G only. You can do this by clicking on your Globe Tattoo Connections Menu. Then, click on Tools. From there click on  Options , then Network. From there choose the settings I mentioned above.

2. Set your browsing settings to time-based over kb-based. By going time based, you are charged a set amount for the time you are browsing. This is recommended if you plan to do what I do in class, which is browse sites and download media. Here, you are charged only Php 5.00 for 15 minutes, whereas if you are using the kb-based settings, you pay Php 0.15 per kb. The latter is more recommended when you’re just checking emails but for my purposes, time-based is more practical.

3. Don’t laugh but: DO NOT LOSE YOUR USB STICK! Last week I lost one of my usb gadgets and now I have to replace it. Definitely losing your equipment will be a waste of money, right? One thing you can do to not lose or misplace your dongle is to personalize it. The Globe Tattoo Broadband New Skins, for example, will set your stick apart from the rest.

check out the Globe Tattoo Broadband Gallery and see what’s hip and new. You can even

submit your own design and get a chance to win Php 5,000!