And Now, It's March...

     We have been busy here at Meadowview Intermediate.  It seems like yesterday that we were celebrating Christmas, and now, it's March.  I have presented lessons on Internet safety to the 4th graders -- we called them our "CyberSmart" lessons, and they have created a little drawing or rhyme for me to share what they thought was the most important thing to remember.  Mostly, I tried to stress that a person you don't know online is still a stranger and should be treated as such.
     Digital Citizenship has been the theme for 5th grade lately.  We have talked about everything from having strong passwords to using good manners when communicating electronically.  I try to get across the idea that people don't read your words that way you want them to all the time, so take your time and be really clear.  We also stress that once you press Send or Post, you can't take it back.
     Now, we take a little break from lessons and concentrate on some reading.  Series books are the focus for 4th grade, and award-winning books are the focus for 5th grade.  Students will be reading and writing for me in the next few weeks.  To kick-start everything, all students had the opportunity to vote for their choice for the Golden Archer award last Friday at lunch.  It was a very close vote with Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Hard Luck edging out Wonder by three votes.  Our votes have been sent in to the state headquarters for this award and will be added to the votes of other schools.  This year's award winner will be announced late this month at the Wisconsin Educational Media and Technology Association conference.