In recognition of such growing concerns about Internet safety, the National Association of Secondary School Principals has adopted a policy statement with recommendations for educators and policymakers about Internet usage. The NASSP recommendations form the cornerstone of CTAP's work in cybersafety education. All school districts can benefit from applying these leadership directives.
NASSP recommends that school leaders:
Familiarize themselves about all aspects of computer technology, including the mechanics of the Internet, blogs, social networking Web sites, and the liability issues associated with the use of these technologies
Form a technology team that comprises staff members, parents and students to act in an advisory capacity to the larger school community
Educate staff members and students on using technology within the boundaries of the law
Guide teachers and students on how the Internet can serve as effective educational tools
Formulate clear guidelines to protect students and teachers against cyber bullying and other criminal activities
Conduct orientation sessions for parents regarding student use of the Internet
Reinforce these guidelines with parents and encourage vigilance of Internet use at home, including the elimination of derogatory statements against other students or staff.
Jeff Johnson on 30 Jun 08Comic books can be useful tools in improving literacy and teaching even reluctant readers some of the terminology typically associated with other forms of text. In this lesson, students will be introduced to onomatopoeia, which describes words that imitate the natural sound associated with an action or an object. Using comic books and strips, students will find onomatopoetic words, develop a vocabulary list from the words, and discuss why writers, especially writers of comics, use onomatopoeia. Students then use an online tool to create their own comic strips using onomatopoeia.
