Dear Parents,

 

 

During the 2007/2008 school year, Mr. McGroary’s students will participate in a writing/technology program designed to develop writing and technology skills and explore interests by publishing writing to a real audience.  Students will use personal weblogs, or blogs, to post writing to the Internet and extend the classroom beyond its physical walls so discussion can continue even after the school day has ended. Students will also participate in podcasting, an endeavor that will improve their application of classroom technology, oral language, reading fluency, writing, communication, and group skills all at once.

 

 

A weblog, or blog as they are commonly called, is a special type of web page that can be created and easily updated using a web browser.  Each new entry has its own date stamp.  Each entry has a comments section where visitors to the blog may leave comments for the author, even parents.

 

A podcast is an audio broadcast consisting of material such as: a student’s writing, news of the day, discussion of academic topics, reader’s theater, and much more.

 

 

Students will use a student community site created for students by the Saugus Union School District. All submissions go first to me (Mr. McGroary) and I decide if they are ready for posting. No assignment will be published to the Internet until I feel it is appropriate for the community. No outside comments will be allowed unless they are constructive and appropriate.

 

 

Students will have individual accounts and can access them from any computer linked to the Internet. This will allow them to add to projects they’ve already started. When an individual student creates a “post” or edits a previous post, that post automatically is private. The post can only be seen by the student who entered it, and the teacher.

 

 

Students will have class time to work on the computer to complete assignments, but may also work at home.  All that is required is an Internet connection and a web browser.  Each student will have an individual login and password.  It is requested that if a student chooses to work at home that the work remain their own.

 

 

Having a real audience is one of the key components to this program. The private posts that a student makes will elicit no discussion or dialogue, which is counter-productive to an online community like this one. By signing this paper, you’re indicating that you will allow your child’s work and comments to be posted to the community to see. I will not post anything that is inappropriate or that reveals personal information. Again, everything that your son or daughter does is private unless I personally make it public. Any comments left by other students, parents, or teachers will first be screened by me before being added to the site. In addition to receiving comments from their classmates and me, students will receive comments from other students in the district who visit their blogs.  Parents are also invited to visit the blogs and respond to the writing. Comments that students from other classrooms make are monitored and censored by their teacher.

 

 

Security

 

 

This blogging project is designed to minimize risk to your child. There will be no personal identifying information posted publicly and students will be referred to by first name only, or by nickname if you prefer. You can find the community at: http://students.saugususd.org/

 

 

 

 

---------------Please Sign and Return---------------
Permission

 

 

Before any of your child’s work can be publicized, I am asking for you and your child to discuss and sign the following form.  Please return the form to the classroom as soon as possible.

 

 

Blogging Terms and Conditions

 

 

1.  Students using blogs and podcasts are expected to act safely by keeping personal information out of their posts.  You agree to not post or give out your family name, password, user name, e-mail address, home address, or other information that could help someone locate or contact you in person.  You may share your interests, ideas, and preferences.

 

 

2.  Students using blogs and podcasts agree to not share their username or password with anyone besides their teachers and parents.  You agree to never log in as another student.

 

 

3.  Students using blogs and podcasts are expected to treat the Student Community as a classroom space.  Speech that is inappropriate for class is also not appropriate for your blog or podcast.  I expect you to conduct yourself in a manner befitting a representative of our school.

 

 

4.  Students blogs are to be a vehicle for sharing student work with real audiences.  Most visitors to your blog who leave comments will leave respectful, helpful messages. All comments will be screened by me (Mr. McGroary).  Any inappropriate comments will not be passed on to students.

 

 

5.  Students who do not abide by these terms and conditions may lose their opportunity to take part in this project.

 

 

*Note: internet etiquette, cyber-bullying, and internet safety are all topics that will be addressed and taught via lessons and discussion this year.

 

 

 

I have read and understood these blogging terms and conditions.

 

I agree to uphold them.

 

 

Student’s signature___________________________________ Date___________

 

 

 

Parent’s signature____________________________________ Date___________