Blog Post 3

Mrs. Mooney's Class Blog

Mrs. Mooney, a first grade teacher in Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin manages a blog for highlighting students work. The template of the blog is very simple but attractive. There is not a lot of color, but in a case like this, the less color, the better. Mrs. Mooney posts on the blog about every week, sometimes more. Each post is dedicated to show parents the type of work that has been done in class and to give some additional information about what they are learning. The blog is also easily accessible. There are two categories highlighting supplies needed and upcoming special events. Each category is neatly set up and easy to access. There is also a page dedicated to access her past newsletters. In my opinion, I believe Mrs. Mooney's Class Blog is a great example of how to utilize information for parents.

Room 110 Blog

Brian McLaughlin uses a blog to have his students post entries on. Although the idea is great, he doesn't do a great job on making the blog attractive or easily accessible. When entering his blog, the only colors you see are different shades of gray, which I personally think is very boring. When looking over his posts, there are often misspellings, or punctuation errors. He does a lot of posts in all caps which makes the post look very unattractive. On the front page of his blog, there is a lot of posts that are directly related to him, and nothing about his students or classroom. When trying to look around the blog, it was very confusing to navigate. Usually teachers have problems with adding too many gadgets, but McLaughlin doesn't have enough. I tried finding a search bar to search through his blog but I wasn't able to find one. In addition, when you click on the posts by the students, it takes you to a different page where it doesn't look like it belongs to the blog. Mr. McLaughlin needs to take some time to make his blog more accessible, attractive, and cohesive.

The Digital Divide

Set Two

Consider the assigned reading "Digital Divide Defined" as you craft your answers

1.) Is it important for all people to have access to the internet? Why or why not?

2.) Will eliminating the digital divide create new global, national, and/or local social problems?

3.) What might these new problems be?

Blog Post 2

1.                      In the majority of situations, I do not think it is fair to scrutinize teachers' private lives. Although, I do believe that there are some situations that cross the line. For example, I think that a teacher should be able to go out to the bar with friends and not have to worry about the possibility of losing their job. Being fired over a picture of a teacher holding a wine glass doesn't cut it for me. If you are over the legal drinking age, having a night out shouldn't be a problem for teachers. If a teacher begins to come to work hungover and is rarely prepared for class, then I think the teacher has crossed the line. When alcohol is starting to affect their teaching, then an action should be taken. When looking at a teachers’ private life, I believe the only reason a teacher should lose their job or be punished is if it affecting their teaching in the classroom. Otherwise, what a teacher does on their personal time should stay private.

2.                   I do not think teachers should have to worry about whether or not they should delete their Facebook. Teachers deserve to have a Facebook just like everyone else. They shouldn’t be restricted just because of their profession. If teachers belong to Facebook or other social networking sites, there are precautions that need to be taken. Teachers shouldn’t add their students and/or parents on Facebook unless they have a Facebook dedicated strictly to students and/or parents. They should ensure that all of their information is blocked and only friends can see their personal information. No matter what, teachers shouldn’t post any suggestive pictures that could get them in trouble. Just because they have privacy settings doesn’t mean that pictures will not end up in the wrong hands. Precautions always need to be taken with social networking sites especially because the laws and regulations are so broad, and everyone has a different opinion. Something a teacher might see as appropriate may not be to one of your student’s parents.