Tuesday 14 July 2009

Cyber Bullying: Where to start?



I have discovered as a beginning teacher that Cyber Bullying is not just something we have to deal with once then we can forget about it till next year. I have noticed that most of the bullying that goes on in schools seems to happen away from the teachers sight. As a developing digital class I feel it it time to tackle this issue as my students are very ICT literate.

I started off this year teaching my students about Internet Safety. Using the Netsafe Hector's World programme, we watched the online animated episodes and followed the lesson plans and related activities. We also use the Hector Safety button on our PC laptops (unfortunately they haven't figured out how to create a safety button for Apple Macs yet). It is a small animated character from the series that sits on the screen, if a child comes across something 'bad' or inappropriate they click the button and a fun screen-saver pops up with advise to get an adult.

Last term I found another free resource in the form of two DVD's supplied to schools by Netsafe and produced by Childnet. Both are cyber bullying stories told from the perspective of students, along with guiding questions and further supporting resources.

'At A Distance' is aimed at primary students up to about Year 6, while 'Let's Fight It Together' is aimed at intermediate to secondary students. Both stories show technology being used to bully and resolutions that help fix the problem. The DVD's are well supported with teacher resources. The DVD's have guiding questions and further activities, and lesson plans are available online.

As I have a Year 6 class, I will be starting the new term with 'At A Distance' which we will watch and discuss the questions.
As well as being able to order your free copy, there is also downloadable (is this a real word?) advice for teachers, principals and students here.




Where to next?
The next step which ties in well with our literacy narrative focus is a website called 'Speak Up!" This is a fantastic site that allows your students to create comics that tell stories of bully situations and how they could be resolved. Although you will need to model, scaffold your students to use this part effectively, it is very easy to use, as the settings and characters are chosen with a click. Here is where it get's even better, a big thanks to Learning Media. You can download the entire programme as a zip file and install it on your non internet classroom computers!

Just to make it all a bit easier, I found this great brainstorm or mindmap from Online Professional Development which will help you guide the same exercise with your students.

So what do you do to teach your students about Cyber Bullying? Do you have any resources you can add? Please share them in the comments below.

Monday 6 July 2009

Students Assessing the Teacher

As a beginning teacher I am very aware that being an effective teacher requires constant self evaluation.

I first encountered how a teacher used Google Forms to assess his students view of his teaching, when reading the blog belonging to Larry Ferlazzo; Results From Student Evaluation Of My Class And Me. This inspired me to try it out with my own class at the end of term 2.

It is a scary prospect allowing your students to openly tell you how they feel about your class and your teaching. Still it was an eye-opening experience that has given me some
insight into my students view of my teaching and how I can improve myself.

It was an optional assessment that only 73% of my students completed. It shows they seem to enjoy my class and feel they are learning although not giving 100% effort, so I should raise my expectations.

I was concerned that 37% of my students felt I was not concerned with what was happening in their life. It tells me I need to ensure I spend more quality individual time with all students, especially those ones who hide in the corners!

The results show I need to be more patient, and use a softer voice. Although I suspect some of my students understanding 'patient' and my view my be slightly different. I do believe I must try using a more positive approach in my everyday teaching.

I have not had much art this term because 80% of my class is at kapa haka or choir for an hour every week, which takes up my arts time. My students obviously miss art, as do I, but finding time to squeeze it into our busy timetable is hard. I will be making a big effort next term to teach art by integrating it into other subject areas.

Some further student comments:

What could you (the student) have done to make this class a better learning experience?

I would make the class room listen to Mr Wood to listen more so they could learn more.

I could try to work with other people in the class. I could try to work with everyone in the class .

Be more responsible.behave better. Enspire some other people. Be good share all the ideas to the class.

I think maybe its good to more art because on Friday we have Kapa Haka and some people have Choir and we should change it to a different day so we can do more art.


What could Mr. Wood have done to make this class a better learning experience?

Mr. Wood doesn't need to do anything - hes already doing enough.

Be more patient

By disciplining the people that don't listen to him most of the time.

Give us our own laptops so we don't fight for laptops

Showed us some more good learning sites.

shout at some people lesser - talk to people more softer.


Have you ever done a self-assessment of this sort before, and do you think it would help your teaching?