You have seen my comments about the importance of keeping communication going between parents and kids about their online lives. Teachers have a crucial role to play as well. Often a teacher's rapport with students allows them to discuss topics that parents feel uncomfortable with or the parents simple lack the knowledge to know how to begin. For this reason, I created a simple model called "The Talk", 5 easy questions to kickstart that understanding. Now a teaching magazine has created a lesson plan for it!
An innovative publication, Interface Magazine, is published in Auckland, New Zealand for K-12 teachers who are learning to use technology in their classroom. I had the pleasure of a sit down interview with them several months ago and they've published a lengthy article with those thoughts in the current edition. They also took the concept for "The Talk" and produced a nifty lesson plan for teachers to adopt into their classroom environment.
I'm so impressed by teachers who keep things lively by incorporating technology into their classroom. From expensive but dazzling "smart boards" to inexpensive efforts like classroom wikis and blogs, teachers and students are using technology to collaborate and express themselves in ways we could only dream of when I was a child. And from the parent's perspective the classroom reporting tools like Edline or other efforts where parents can keep up with their child's progress in the classroom via the internet are so valuable. It takes an extra effort on the teacher's part so be sure to say "Thank You!" at your next Parent/Teacher conference.
Have an innovative teacher in your community? Let me know and I'll write about them!