November Principal's Podcast

Updates

Benchmark testing is going well this week.

We are looking forward to our next PTA meeting on Nov. 1 at 2:30pm.  We will be voting in the new officers.

The new marking period begins Monday.

BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) is going well in many classrooms.

Welcome to the 2013-2014 school year!

I am looking forward to a wonderful new school year.

Welcome to the 2nd annual KGCS Technology Mini-Conference 2013

Welcome to my session on Voki, Blabberize, and No Red Ink.

Evaluating Internet Resources

Evaluating Internet Resource

(information from http://eduscapes.com/tap/topic32.htm)

Misleading Websites:

Some websites were designed to be intentionally misleading. These websites may be parodies, satire, hoaxes, or designed to show students the importance of questioning information found on the web. 

Use the following websites to explore the issue of Internet content. Some are real and some are fake or silly. How will you teach students to question EVERYTHING they read? Select one to use as an example.

• Aluminum Foil Deflector Beanie
• California's Velcro Crop under Challenge
• Dehydrated Water
• Did the Holocaust happen?
• Dog Island
• Facts About from Idiotica
• The Faked Apollo Landings

Criteria for Evaluation

Students need to learn to evaluate the quality of information they find on the web as well as other information resources such as books, magazines, CD-ROM, and television. Ask students to be skeptical of everything they find. Encourage them to compare and contrast different information resources. Consider the following ideas:

Authority. Who says? Know the author.

• Who created this information and why?
• Do you recognize this author or their work?
• What knowledge or skills do they have in the area?
• Is he or she stating fact or opinion?
• What else has this author written?
• Does the author acknowledge other viewpoints and theories?

Objectivity. Is the information biased? Think about perspective.

• Is the information objective or subjective?
• Is it full of fact or opinion?
• Does it reflect bias? How?
• How does the sponsorship impact the perspective of the information?
• Are a balance of perspectives represented?
• Could the information be meant as humorous, a parody, or satire?

Authenticity. Is the information authentic? Know the source.

• Where does the information originate?
• Is the information from an established organization?
• Has the information been reviewed by others to insure accuracy?
• Is this a primary source or secondary source of information?
• Are original sources clear and documented?
• Is a bibliography provided citing the sources used?

Reliability. Is this information accurate? Consider the origin of the information.

• Are the sources truth worthy? How do you know?
• Who is sponsoring this publication?
• Does the information come from a school, business, or company site?
• What's the purpose of the information resource: to inform, instruct, persuade, sell? Does this matter?
• What's their motive?

Timeliness. Is the information current? Consider the currency and timeliness of the information.

• Does the page provide information about timeliness such as specific dates of information?
• Does currency of information matter with your particular topic?
• How current are the sources or links?

Relevance. Is the information helpful? Think about whether you need this information.

• Does the information contain the breadth and depth needed?
• Is the information written in a form that is useable (i.e. reading level, technical level)?
• Is the information in a form that is useful such as words, pictures, charts, sounds, or video?
• Do the facts contribute something new or add to your knowledge of the subject?
• Will this information be useful to your project?

Efficiency. Is this information worth the effort? Think about the organization and speed of information access.

• Is the information well-organized including a table of contents, index, menu, and other easy-to-follow tools for navigation?
• Is the information presented in a way that is easy to use (i.e., fonts, graphics, headings)?
• Is the information quick to access?

Web Evaluation Tools

• Critical Evaluation Tools from Kathy Schrock
• Website Evaluation Form (PPT), Evaluation Activity (PPT), and Student Sample (PPT)

11 Serious Games Aiming to Change the World

A new class of games has sprung up in recent years, designed to create awareness and raise support for a variety of global issues.  Here are 11 such games you can play and be a better person for it.

1. Catalysts for Change:: On April 3, 2012, Catalysts for Change went live online for 48 hours. The goal of the game is to inspire people from all over the globe to come together and share ideas about easing the poverty that over 1 billion people live in. The game involves playing cards with words like "momentum" or "adaptation" on them to spark possible poverty solution ideas. When players build on your card (idea), you earn points.
2. Spent: Designed by Urban Ministries of Durham, a faith-based provider of food and shelter for North Carolinians in need, Spent asks players to consider what life would be like as a homeless person. The game puts you in the shoes of someone who has lost their life savings, and has you choose one of three low-paying jobs to see for yourself how quickly your money runs out.
3. World Without Oil: If you’ve ever wondered what life would look like without crude oil, this game was for you. With the tagline "play it before you live it," WWO simulated the first eight months of a world oil crisis. The game ended on June 1, 2007, after 1,500 players had sent in fictional "personal accounts" of their life during the crisis, which were viewed by 110,000 people. Players also worked together to develop solutions that still provide insight into potential real-life answers for the future.
4. 3rd World Farmer: This game was originally created by students at the IT-University in Copenhagen in 2005. The player is put in control of an African farm and must struggle to keep family, crops, and livestock alive while conflict and a lack of resources work against them. The designers’ hope is that people will play and realize how precarious survival is for many in Africa, and then do what they can to improve the lives of poor people there.
5. Free Rice: The United Nations World Food Program operates this game, which seeks to educate the public while addressing the problem of world hunger by offering rice to hungry people free of charge. Players simply go to the website, pick a subject like world capitals or English grammar, and then start answering questions. For each correct answer, the program donates 10 grains of rice to someone in need.
6. Citizen Science: Back to the Future meets the EPA in this game, where players travel back in time to investigate what led to the local lake’s pollution and what they can do to prevent it in the future. Developed by the National Science Foundation in partnership with the University of Wisconsin, the game is meant to illustrate the social factors that contribute to environmental harm.
7. Garbage Dreams: Cairo’s Zaballeen people may have the answer to the world’s trash problem. They recycle 80% of their trash (Zaballeen means "garbage people" in Arabic). Now you can test your mettle and see if you too can be as enterprising as they are. You have one goat, one factory, and 8 months to build a recycling system for the city. Can you make it happen?
8. WeTopia: Such big names as Mattel, Clorox, and DeGeneres have lent their support to this game that’s like Farmville for a cause. Players build communities and accumulate "Joy" as a form of currency, which they can then donate in-game to real-life causes. When those causes reach 100% joy, the game’s developer donates real cash to the organization that was earned through player purchases and advertising revenue.
9. Sweatshop: Sweatshop takes things one step further by incorporating humor, albeit black, into its message. The game begins by showing you a factory floor filled with crying or injured children who make high-end sneakers. Then it guides you through a series of choices you must make as the factory manager. As you decide whether to give your workers a safe working environment or focus on your bottom line, hopefully you will begin to wonder what kind of conditions the clothes you’re wearing came from.
10.  Fate of the World: The whole world is in your hands. This award-winning game forces you to deal with crises like natural disasters and a growing global population. By playing through the different scenarios, players get a sense of the real challenges the world could face in the next few generations. It is based on the research of an Oxford professor and was made with the help of a veteran game producer.
11. Karma Tycoon: JPMorgan Chase Foundation was the unlikely backer of this game, where players try to move their "karmameter" to 100%. They do this by helping people through homeless shelters, youth centers, and other community help centers. A grant from Chase Bank starts the game off, but players must budget their money and earn more grants to help more people and solve more problems as the game progresses. So kids learn social and fiscal responsibility while playing.

Save the date:

Cyber Safety Night

The King George Technology Department is sponsoring an Internet Cyber-Safety Night, Tuesday evening, March 5, 2013 from 5:00-8:00 p.m. at King George Middle School. Cyber Safety Night will have safety information for adults, teens, and children! The cost is FREE.

Cyber Safety Night Dinner

Dinner will be served from 5:00-5:45. The cost is FREE! Informational sessions for children, teens and adults will follow from 5:45-8:00 p.m. Babysitting for children under 5 will also be provided.