12 minute read
Tech Talk
Building
RESPONSIBLE Digital Citizens
As more students are online, educators at all grade levels are now working to manage both teaching and safety in the online world. Below is some advice geared toward each grade level to help you create responsible digital citizens.
2ND GRADE Talk Privacy & Passwords TECH
Teach students that protecting their identity is key. Let kids know they shouldn’t use their own picture to identify themselves, instead teach them what an avatar is and let them draw one of their own to use as their digital profile.
1ST GRADE Define Digital Citizen
A digital citizen is someone who develops the skills and knowledge to effectively use the internet and other digital technology, especially in order to participate responsibly in social and civic activities. Review what being a good citizen with good behavior is in our communities and relate it to using technology. Do we look both ways when we cross the street? Of course! So, let’s make sure we are cautious when we are on the internet and only log on to age-appropriate sites. The same is true for usage-we don’t watch 10 hours of TV in a row, so let’s make sure we’re taking a break from being online too. Kids at this age level can understand basic internet safety and the idea talk of being kind in online chats and discussions. For example, express the importance of only speaking kindly to each other in an online chat. With more students at this age level using online reading and math tools, teach them about the importance of a “strong” password. Share examples of bad ones and good ones and why it’s important to protect our identity.
3RD GRADE Cyberbullying
Students have already learned about being kind online, so they need to learn what a cyberbullying is and how to deal with one. Discuss what cyberbully may look like, how this can affect a student and the concept of proper online behavior. Create some classroom “norms” for conversations online and post them for all students to see. Think of the norms you see when you join a Facebook group-no foul language, no bullying-and adapt them to be age appropriate.
4TH GRADE Rights & Responsibilities
Digital rights are the idea that you can use the internet, and digital responsibility is what you do with that right. Explain the difference to students and ask them to come up with key ideas for how they can be
KINDERGARTEN Teach the Basics
responsible online.
5TH GRADE Safety
This is a key discussion that will help students, many approaching middle school, understand the types of people that may prey on children online. First, help students understand what types of dangers could be in their neighborhood (elevated stranger danger discussion) and then discuss how this is similar online, reinforcing the idea that in real life you can see a person and know if they are who they say they are, but online that distinction isn’t always clear or truthful.
MIDDLE SCHOOL Social Media
Discuss the pros and cons of social media platforms. Make sure you are up to date with the ones students this age use- (hint-it's not Facebook). TikTok is big now, but these platforms change all the time, so ask students what they’re “on” and research these yourself. Turn this discussion into a true debate, where students take sides, prepare speeches and share with the school. Let the students decide, based on the arguments presented, if social media is “good or bad” and the best way to use each platform.
HIGH SCHOOL Review
Before students leave your school system, make sure they understand all the key issues around digital citizenship-the good, the bad and the ugly. Discussing these issues year-round is crucial to ensure students understand all the lessons and remember them every time they log on.
By Tim Walker
At NEA RA
2020, Educators Vow to Help Lead Nation Through Crisis
Of all the events and activities that ground to a halt amid the greatest public health crisis in the nation’s history, the 2020 National Education Association Representative Assembly (RA) wasn’t going to be among them. On July 2 and 3, the more than 7,000 delegates gathered remotely (of course) and the agenda was streamlined. But the show – the first all-virtual RA in NEA’s history – went on.
“We have masks, social distancing, and disinfectant,” NEA President Lily Eskelsen García said, referring to the podium at NEA headquarters she would be sharing only with NEA officers. “Because nothing, absolutely nothing, not even a global pandemic, is going to stop the National Education Association from doing its work.”
The RA theme this year was “Our Democracy; Our Responsibility; Our Time.” In 2020, the stakes are just too high for educator voices to go silent. The pandemic has brought the country to its knees, triggering an unprecedented economic crisis that is impacting millions of educators and students. The country may finally be confronting the legacy of institutionalized racism. And the destructive DeVos-Trump school privatization agenda continues to undermine our public education system.
As NEA Vice-President Becky Pringle put it in her opening remarks: “Delegates, it’s crunch time.”
This year, delegates also had to bid farewell to outgoing NEA President Lily Eskelsen García, whose second three-year term ends on August 31. Video tributes to Eskelsen García (and NEA) poured in from everyone from Michelle Obama, Hillary Clinton, Rep. James Clyburn, AFT President Randi Weingarten, and Trevor Noah, host of “The Daily Show.”
Eskelsen García is a leader who is “undaunted by naysayers,” Pringle said in her introduction of the NEA president. “Unfazed by those who believe something is impossible. You are undeterred by those who think you can’t.”
In her final RA keynote, Eskelsen García urged educators everywhere to continue doing what they have been doing for decades: to help lead the nation down a more equitable, just, and prosperous path. “We are educators and public servants. We are unionists. We are activists. We’re patriots…. We are called on to act. So, what will you do? What will you do for your colleagues; your students; the families
Celebrating Educators
Delegates also heard from three of NEA’s most celebrated members: 2020 Education Support Professional of the Year Andrea Beeman, 2020 National Teacher of the Year Tabatha Rosproy, and 2020 NEA Higher Educator of the Year Elizabeth Davenport.
NEA Teacher of the Year Tabatha Rosproy
NEA also awarded its highest honor, The Friend of Education Award, to 17-year-old climate change activist Greta Thunberg. “Greta is a rabble rouser, and she’s taking on the world for a better tomorrow,” Eskelsen García said.
Looking to the Future
Because the RA was held virtually this year, no new business items were introduced at this year’s RA. Still, the delegates did approve the NEA’s proposed budget and strategic plan for 2021, especially critical as school budgets across the nation are hammered by the severe economic downturn.
The U.S. presidential election isn’t the only important vote happening this year. The end of the Lily Eskelsen García era means RA delegates have to elect a new NEA president – and a new vice president and secretary-treasurer, along with new executive committee members. Delegates will also elect several education support professional (ESP) at-large NEA Board Directors and an alternate ESP at-large Director.
Members received ballots by mail, to ensure equity in participation and the security and integrity of the democratic process.
1
1
2
2 October 13, 2020
October 14, 2020
October 27, 2020
October 28, 2020 Introduction to MEA-Retired and a presentation by MainePERS
Introduction to MEA-Retired, a presentation by Maine Education Association Benefit Trust and the Social Security WEP/GPO program Introduction to MEA-Retired, a presentation by Maine Education Association Benefit Trust and the Social Security WEP/GPO program
Introduction to MEA-Retired and a presentation by MainePERS
3
3 November 4, 2020
November 5, 2020 Introduction to MEA-Retired and a presentation by MainePERS
Introduction to MEA-Retired, a presentation by Maine Education Association Benefit Trust and the Social Security WEP/GPO program
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the 2020 – 2021 Pre-Retirement program will have a whole new format. Where face to face meetings will not be held due to the many restrictions to keep everyone safe and free from the coronavirus, the seminars will be held on Zoom.
This season, rather than having 11 regional sessions statewide, the MEA/MEA-Retired will be sponsoring six state-wide seminars – three in the fall and three in the spring – virtually through Zoom meetings in your own home.
Each session will be held on two evenings – 5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. You will have the option to choose the individual session which will best fit your schedule.
It's hard to believe it's time to get ready for the new school year. As you prepare for returning students, you should also think about preparing for your own financial future.
Supplemental retirement plans offered in your district are one of the best places for you to set aside money for your future. Why participate?
• Earnings in the account grow tax-deferred. • You determine how much you want deducted from your paycheck – which you can change at your convenience. • The contributions you make are saved through convenient, automatic payroll deductions – you won’t even miss them. • Any contributions you make are always 100% vested –so the money you save is always yours.
Whether or not Horace Mann is an approved provider in your district's supplemental retirement plan,it’s important that you participate to help prepare for a healthy financial future. Contact your local Horace Mann representative to get more information on how to help protect what you have today and achieve a more secure financial future.
Meet Susan
She used SmartShopper to find a location for her mammogram and earned a cash reward!
In-network medical procedure costs vary by location. Susan found locations for postponed preventative care with SmartShopper and earned a share of the savings as a cash reward. Start shopping for your medical procedures today and see how much you can save!
Here’s how it works
In-network prices vary.
Compare prices and rewards by calling or shopping online.
Let SmartShopper help you�
schedule or reschedule your appointment.
Have your appointment� within the year and receive your cash reward.
Visit SmartShopper.com or call the SmartShopper Personal Assistant Team at 844-328-1582.
The Personal Assistant Team is available Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET.
The SmartShopper program is offered by Sapphire Digital, an independent company. Incentives available for select procedures only. Payments are a taxable form of income. Rewards may be delivered by check or an alternative form of payment. Members with coverage under Medicaid or Medicare are not eligible to receive incentive rewards under the SmartShopper program.
Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield is the trade name of: In Colorado: Rocky Mountain Hospital and Medical Service, Inc. HMO products underwritten by HMO Colorado, Inc. In Connecticut: Anthem Health Plans, Inc. In Georgia: Blue Cross Blue Shield Healthcare Plan of Georgia, Inc. In Indiana: Anthem Insurance Companies, Inc. In Kentucky: Anthem Health Plans of Kentucky, Inc. In Maine: Anthem Health Plans of Maine, Inc. In Missouri (excluding 30 counties in the Kansas City area): RightCHOICE® Managed Care, Inc. (RIT), Healthy Alliance® Life Insurance Company (HALIC), and HMO Missouri, Inc. RIT and certain affiliates administer non-HMO benefits underwritten by HALIC and HMO benefits underwritten by HMO Missouri, Inc. RIT and certain affiliates only provide administrative services for self-funded plans and do not underwrite benefits. In Nevada: Rocky Mountain Hospital and Medical Service, Inc. HMO products underwritten by HMO Colorado, Inc., dba HMO Nevada. In New Hampshire: Anthem Health Plans of New Hampshire, Inc. HMO plans are administered by Anthem Health Plans of New Hampshire, Inc. and underwritten by Matthew Thornton Health Plan, Inc. In Ohio: Community Insurance Company. In Virginia: Anthem Health Plans of Virginia, Inc. trades as Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Virginia, and its service area is all of Virginia except for the City of Fairfax, the Town of Vienna, and the area east of State Route 123. In Wisconsin: Blue Cross Blue Shield of Wisconsin (BCBSWI), underwrites or administers PPO and indemnity policies and underwrites the out of network benefits in POS policies offered by Compcare Health Services Insurance Corporation (Compcare) or Wisconsin Collaborative Insurance Corporation (WCIC). Compcare underwrites or administers HMO or POS policies; WCIC underwrites or administers Well Priority HMO or POS policies. Independent licensees of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. Anthem is a registered trademark of Anthem Insurance Companies, Inc
Graduate Programs That Change Lives M.S.Ed in Educational Leadership — Enrolling a New Cohort This Summer!
Those Who Can, Teach. Those Who Teach, Advance Their Careers at Farmington.
Whether you’re seeking to earn the credentials, knowledge and skill sets to climb the ladder at your current school, to become a more valuable educator wherever you choose, or to be the kind of educator other teachers want to emulate, the University of Maine at Farmington M.S.Ed. in Educational Leadership will help you get there. M.S.Ed. in Educational Leadership is designed for professional educators who want to become leaders in their classrooms, schools, school districts or other educational settings. • Delivered in blended format: 70% online / 30% face-to-face • Emphasizes school improvement knowledge and skills grounded in research • Organized in a collaborative cohort format
Other Graduate Programs Offered at Farmington
• M.S.Ed. in Early Childhood • M.S.Ed. in Special Education • M.A. in Counseling Psychology - Emphasis in Creative Arts • Online M.Ed. in Instructional Technology • Certificate in Administration • Certificate in Assistive Technology • Certificate in Gifted and Talented Education • Certificate in Math Leadership • And more! Accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE) and the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP)
