Fifth Grade Technology and Digital Resources: Most of the websites your child will need to use can be found on my Weebly. [email protected] Please bookmark this page and/or put it on your desktop for your child to access easily. Go Math Homework: It your have questions about the math homework, You Tube it! There are some helpful Go Math videos to get the “gist” of what your child is learning in class. Go Math~ Personal Math Trainer ( PMTs): Students are assigned PMTs as a part of our daily math curriculum. Your student will have ample time to complete these in class. If they are unable to complete in class students can finish their assignments at home. Spelling City: We complete Spelling City activities in class. If your child does not finish or if her/she wants to do additional activities at home, access Spelling City through my Weebly or go to Spelling City.comUsername:Password: Storyworks: Storyworks magazine is now available on-line as a digital version. This website features texts of all genres at various lexile levels to meet the needs of all readers. There are articles (both in written and audio versions), videos, and quizzes created for the Common Core. When chromebooks are taken home, I will be assigning digital homework using Storywork articles. Newsela: This is another fantastic site that builds reading comprehension by delivering daily news and nonfiction at the reading level that’s just right for each student. This will also be a site that is used for digital homework and it’s a wonderful way to keep up with current events that are age appropriate for 3rd graders. Xtra Math: Xtramath.org is a free website that offers additional basic math practice for students. If your child needs additional support in math, this is a wonderful website to visit. A flyer was sent home on how to log on.
Digital Citizenship
Your child is taking part in classroom lessons from the Common Sense Media Digital Literacy and Citizenship curriculum. The overall goal of this curriculum is to educate children about the basics of going online, and to help them to become safe, responsible, and respectful digital citizens. Digital media and technology are evolving at a dizzying pace, bringing with them extraordinary opportunities as well as real risks for our children. On the positive side, children are using the immense power of the Internet and mobile technology to explore, learn, connect, and create in ways never before imagined. On the negative side, harmful behaviors aided by digital technology, from cyberbullying to copying online materials without citations, are surfacing in schools and in homes across the country. Many of us – parents and teachers alike – are struggling with how to help kids thrive in this brave new world. That is why we have embarked on this digital citizenship program. Our partner in offering this curriculum is Common Sense Media, a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of kids and families by providing the trustworthy information they need to thrive in a world of media and technology. What we teach Common Sense Media’s K-5 Digital Citizenship curriculum is divided into three units based on the digital ethics research of Dr. Howard Gardner and The GoodPlay Project at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Students learn about their connections to others through the Internet, and to think critically about how they treat others given this great responsibility. The topics your child will be introduced to are: • Digital Life: Students learn that the Internet is like a neighborhood. They reflect on their responsibilities to this community and to the community members, both online and offline. • Connected Culture: Students explore what happens when children gang up on one another online, what to do if they experience cyberbullying, and also how to communicate effectively using online tools. • Respecting Creative Work: Students learn about basic concepts of copyright, and in the late elementary grades they learn to create online citations. In this context, the issue of plagiarism is framed as a matter of respect. The curriculum emphasizes a balanced approach and celebrates the positive aspects of digital life while teaching students to avoid its potential perils. The Digital Citizenship curriculum is rooted in a model of ethical thinking that starts with the self and moves outward, to encompass the entire community. Through hands-on activities, role-playing, and classroom discussion, your children will be asked to reflect on how their digital and online behaviors affect themselves, their friends and family, and the communities of which they are a part. What families can do: As we engage in these lessons in class, we will be sending home parent tip sheets, videos, and an occasional homework activity for you to do with your child. We encourage you to read and view the parent materials and to use the material together with your children. If you have access to the Internet at home or at work, you can visit the Common Sense Media website at commonsensemedia.org and take a look at the wealth of parent resources it provides on kids and media. Raising and educating young people in today’s 24/7 digital media environment is one of the most exciting and daunting challenges that parents and schools face today. Working together, we can raise a generation of kids who become smart, responsible, and respectful digital citizens. Sincerely, Mrs. Lupo http://video.commonsensemedia.org/digitalcitizenship/MyOnlineNeighborhood.mp4