by Jerrad Gleim | Feb 2, 2018 | Announcements |
All EVSC students in grades 3-12 are encouraged to participate in this online survey about our schools.
Schools will give students the password to access the survey website.
2018 My School Student Survey
Directions: Click on your school name to visit the survey website for your school.
* To find your school faster, type your school name in the search box directly above the table.
by Timothy Wilhelmus | Sep 15, 2017 | Digital Citizenship |
Welcome to Day 5 of Indiana Digital Citizenship Week! Each day this week we will be celebrating by exploring a different topic related to being our best selves in the digital world. Each of these five posts will include a brief discussion of the day’s topic as well as resources and ideas for discussing these topics with your friends.
Day 5 – Digital Responsibility
Today’s topic is digital responsibility. In order to be responsible citizens in the digital world, we need to behave ethically and morally as we use our technology. We must hold ourselves to high standards of action, and we must help others to do the same. Digital tools often make it easy for us to take ethical shortcuts and to forget about the human consequences of our online choices. On the other hand, digital tools also amplify our ability to make meaningful change in the world, and to use our power for good.
Being digitally responsible can take many forms. We exercise our responsibility when we refuse to download copyrighted material illegally. We are also being responsible when we don’t let our technology distract us from our work. Other examples might be asking someone’s permission before posting pictures of them on social media, taking care of technology that has been provided to us or that we share with others, obeying the terms of service agreements of web tools, and not intentionally using hacks to get around web filtering. Positive examples of digital responsibility include using social media to combat bullying, using technology to crowdsource funds for people in need, and using creative commons to license your creative work for others to use.
Here are some resources to learn more about this topic:
Here are 5 actions that you can take today:
Discussion Starters to Use with Your Friends:
- What does it mean to be responsible in a digital world?
- What are ways that we could improve our online behavior to be more responsible to others?
- What does technology enable us to do to make the world a better place?
- How can we advocate for others to be digitally responsible?
- What are 5 actions we could take today that would make us more responsible digital citizens?
- What rules, laws, and expectations govern how we behave online? And how effective are they?
- What are the consequences of not behaving responsibly with digital tools?
by Timothy Wilhelmus | Sep 14, 2017 | Digital Citizenship |
Welcome to Day 4 of Indiana Digital Citizenship Week! Each day this week we will be celebrating by exploring a different topic related to being our best selves in the digital world. Each of these five posts will include a brief discussion of the day’s topic as well as resources and ideas for discussing these topics with your friends.
Day 4 – Digital Health
Digital tools, like other parts of our world, affect us in many ways. It’s important that we be aware of the impacts that technology has on our health, and that we make healthy choices that harness the power of technology for our own wellness.
Good digital health can take many forms. Part of being “eHealthy” is maintaining a proper balance between our real lives and our virtual lives. This can mean reducing screen time, making thoughtful choices about what we are doing when we are in front our screens, and being selective about the time of day that we use our devices (for example, avoiding our screens just before bed because they can impact our sleep). Digital health can also mean avoiding digital distractions that put us at risk, such as texting and driving. Technology, can also improve our health. We can use wearable technology to track our exercise, web tools to create diet and fitness plans, and mindfulness apps to enhance our mental and emotional well-being.
Here are some resources to learn more about this topic:
Here are 5 actions that you can take today:
Discussion Starters to Use with Your Friends:
- What qualifies as good/healthy screen time versus bad/unhealthy screentime?
- How do you know when your digital and real lives are out of balance?
- What do you do when your digital and real lives are out of balance?
- What are your favorite digital tools for improving your health?
- What are the dangers of technology to your health and well-being?
- How does technology affect you physically (for good or for ill)?
- How does technology affect you mentally (for good or for ill)?
- How does technology affect you emotionally (for good or for ill)?
- Is technology bad for our health? Why or why not?
by Timothy Wilhelmus | Sep 13, 2017 | Digital Citizenship |
Welcome to Day 3 of Indiana Digital Citizenship Week! Each day this week we will be celebrating by exploring a different topic related to being our best selves in the digital world. Each of these five posts will include a brief discussion of the day’s topic as well as resources and ideas for discussing these topics with your friends.
Day 3 – Digital Reputation
Our reputations have always mattered, but in the Digital Age, how we manage our online reputation can be even more critical. The mistakes we make can be magnified and can live forever thanks to the Internet. That said, we also have a great opportunity to build an amazing online reputation that can be harnessed to our own benefit and to the benefit of others.
In order to build an online reputation that we will be proud of, we need to always be thoughtful about what we post online. The popular acronym THINK reminds us to consider if what we are putting online is True, Helpful, Inspiring, Necessary, and Kind. If that is our criteria, we have less to worry about in terms of how others see us in the digital world.
Here are some resources to learn more about this topic:
Here are 5 actions that you can take today:
Discussion Starters to Use with Your Friends:
- (After spending time Googling your names) How would you characterize your digital footprint?
- What rules do you set for yourself when considering what to share online?
- What do your “likes” and “favorites” on social media say about you?
- How much time and effort do you put into creating a positive online reputation?
- Imagine that you are a brand. What does your brand stand for? Who’s buying?
- What are the potential consequences/ benefits to your last 20 posts on social media?
- Should there be a difference between the professional and personal online “you?”
- What strategies do you use to keep your online reputation clean?
- How does the online world make it more difficult/easier to maintain a positive reputation?
- What are your worst and best online habits?
by Timothy Wilhelmus | Sep 12, 2017 | Digital Citizenship |
Welcome to Day 2 of Indiana Digital Citizenship Week! Each day this week we will be celebrating by exploring a different topic related to being our best selves in the digital world. Each of these five posts will include a brief discussion of the day’s topic as well as resources and ideas for discussing these topics with your friends.
Day 2 – Digital Literacy
Being literate in the digital age means developing several skills. We need to be able to understand how technology works, how technology affects us, how we can use technology to make our lives better, and how others use technology to control or change the information we see.
In order to become media literate, we need to spend time thinking critically about how technology changes our view of the world. We need to also learn how to use technology well, so that we don’t feel helpless in an increasingly digital world. Finally, we need to become good at recognizing technology’s potential dangers and opportunities.
Here are some resources to learn more about this topic:
Here are 5 actions that you can take today:
Discussion Starters to Use with Your Friends:
- What skills do you feel are essential in the Digital Age and why?
- What are your best strategies learn a new technology skill?
- How do our online choices affect how we see the world?
- How do we know that what we see online is true or reliable?
- How are our lives affected by social media?
- What are the coolest things we can do with technology?
- What are the worst things that people do with technology?
- Would you be okay with living in a world without smart phones or other mobile technology?
- Has technology changed childhood?
