Applying ICARE to our Digital Citizenship Practices Gillispie students in Grades 1-5 have spent the past two weeks of school revisiting the Gillispie ICARE Values as they apply to our digital citizenship practices. During our digital citizenship lessons, students review each of the ICARE letters, and the value they represent: I = Integrity ...
Well over two-thirds of parents say “parenting is harder today,” than it was 20 years ago – mainly because of technology (Pew Research, 2020). Screentime, social media, and the very (tumultuous) nature of tweens can combine to create the perfect storm for parenting in the digital age. But knowing what motivates our tweens, and how we can manage the Internet that surrounds all of us, may be part of the antidote. Young people, including tweens, are often...
Grade 1 students have been working on their coding skills during tech time with our Director of Technology Dr. Lisa Hasler Waters. In these photos, students are getting creative with code using Scratch Jr. to animate silly cartoon characters. These age-appropriate games make coding so much more user-friendly, fun, and approachable for children. We only wish they were around when we were young!...
During our week-long celebration of Digital Citizenship, students connected the Gillispie ICARE Values with their technology experiences. Our main focus was on the letter A for Attitude, where we recognize that we have the power within us to overcome challenges. The Second Graders helped all of us learn how to keep calm, even when technology gets frustrating. Through videos, the Second Graders helped us to understand the Emotional Zones of Regulation and shared with us techniques...
Just in time for Summer! Our new presentation entitled, “Hot Tech Tips to Keep Your Parenting Cool this Summer (and Beyond)” will provide you tips for helping your child(ren) to navigate technology wisely and safely. We also explore ways to help our children develop healthy relationships with technology and we will take a brief dive into Youtube and other enticing apps (or menacing) apps and how you can manage them. For your convenience, the presentation is a video that...
Recently, students in Sequoia explored coding using fun, programmable robots called BeeBots. The students delighted in giving the Beebots instructions (code) to get from one end of the mat to the other. They began their coding exploration with simple instructions on how to use the buttons on the backs of their Beebots to code their robots. Then, they explored challenges and tried out different ways to program the bot to reach its destination. Some students even...
This past week during our Hour of Code activities we saw a flurry of young coders diligently working to solve coding challenges. The students were engaged and focussed. They showed persistence, drive, and importantly, joy in what they were doing! The value of learning how to code extends well beyond just using a computer. Coding, more formally referred to as programming, teaches students logical reasoning, problem-solving and creative thinking. Some suggest that coding helps students to build...
“This is gonna be great!” “Minecraft coding is awesome!" “CodeCombat is the best!” These are just some of the enthusiastic comments students have made this week while participating in the Hour of Code. Throughout the week, students have been using a variety of apps and programming languages during their coding activities. Our PreK students engaged in “unplugged” activities to learn about how to give computers instructions. They played a variation of “Simon Says” where one student plays the role of the...
Save the date for Digital Citizenship Week November 9 to 13, 2020! During Digital Citizenship Week, students and teachers will engage in daily activities to learn how to be wise digital citizens. Our Gillispie ICARE Values (Integrity, Compassion, Attitude, Respect and Effort) serve as the framework for how we learn and practice digital citizenship. To support our digital citizenship practices at home we invite parents to visit our soon-to-be-launched Parent Tech Tip page that will debut during our Digital Citizenship Week festivities,...
Below you will find some of our recommendations for apps that are age-appropriate, COPPA Compliant, and meet our standards for creativity. We have carefully curated these apps based on our own experiences with them and the value for learning we believe they afford. We also recommend that before you choose an app, game, or show for your child, you visit Common Sense Media’s Parent Tips pages, where they rate shows, games, apps, and much more and...