Last week I had the opportunity to meet with a group of fifth graders to discuss the use of their new Lenovo Windows 8.1 PC. They are very excited about the possibilities as well as the touch enabled screen that other grades do not get to experience quite yet. We discussed the need for updates as well as the dangers of downloading.
When discussing these issues with fifth and sixth graders, I love comparing downloading as the same idea as accepting "snacks" from someone. (I can't take credit for the idea as it came from Google.) Students understand that it is important that they know where their "snacks" are coming from because it may contain something undesirable. We even discuss that sometimes "snacks" coming from safe sources (Java and Adobe) often times have extras in them that you do not want to download. So they need to be watchful with all downloads to make sure nothing else is being downloaded onto their machine. Lastly, we discuss that the real purpose of their device is to be a learning tool. It cannot be an effective learning tool if they have downloaded something on it that causes it to be ineffective.
Here is the presentation I use to have this discussion:
When discussing these issues with fifth and sixth graders, I love comparing downloading as the same idea as accepting "snacks" from someone. (I can't take credit for the idea as it came from Google.) Students understand that it is important that they know where their "snacks" are coming from because it may contain something undesirable. We even discuss that sometimes "snacks" coming from safe sources (Java and Adobe) often times have extras in them that you do not want to download. So they need to be watchful with all downloads to make sure nothing else is being downloaded onto their machine. Lastly, we discuss that the real purpose of their device is to be a learning tool. It cannot be an effective learning tool if they have downloaded something on it that causes it to be ineffective.
Here is the presentation I use to have this discussion:
Downloading is serious business as it is difficult for users that are not experienced with the Internet and using a PC. Our students have become very accustomed to using iPads and Android devices where downloading is much safer as it works within the "App Store" or "Google Play Store."
To further educate the students as to how to be more Internet savvy, I used the Kahoot.it game, Spot the Spyware, at the end of the presentation. Apparently it was a big success and Mrs. Scherer's fifth graders beg to play it constantly. So to further their knowledge of the Internet, I created a "Spot the Spyware 2" game.
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