Comments on: Responsible use of avatars and widgets

By: Adding A ClustrMaps to Your Blog Sidebar Using The ClustrMaps Widget | The Edublogger

Mon, 09 Feb 2009 04:46:15 +0000

[...] love to hear your thoughts on Miss Wyatt’s Responsible use of avatars and widgets in terms of age [...]

By: Mrs. Monroe

Mrs. Monroe — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 17:15:41 +0000

Does anybody use any certain websites for under 13 creation of avatars?

I have used http://www.buildyourwildself.com. Create a picture then do a screen print, copy in paste into another program, then save as picture. The kids really like this, but I’m looking for other options too.

Thanks!

By: leewin

leewin — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 04:32:24 +0000

Thanks for the great post! I will certainly be using some of the ideas discussed her for safer blogging practices in my classroom. Also if anyone has some advice for a new blogger, that would be greatly appreciated.

By: Alex

Alex — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 15:00:46 +0000

Very interesting to read. It is the parents and the teachers’ responsibility to see that their wards do not get strayed by the technology. http://www.K5Stars.com has a few ideas.

By: inpi

inpi — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 20:03:56 +0000

Thank you for this very useful post that I would like to translate as soon as I have a little spare time. Unhappily, I have had some trouble with my computer and my new internet connection and all my school work is late.
As in my school we are just begining to become aware of such internet safety issues, we haven’t clear criteria yet.
Meanwhile, I’ll follow Miss W. for I trust her and she knows the international law concerning internet safety much better than I do.
I must confess I felt relieved to know that my young students can actually have clustr maps in their blogs, for, as both Britt Watwood and Sue Waters said in http://theedublogger.edublogs.org clustr maps show the whole world in a glimpse, thus making us all feel like neighbours. I just don’t know why clustr maps are safer than, for instance, the flags counter, so I can’t explain it to my students, but they have already understood that we will follow Miss W.
Last June, when I have created a few blogs for the students that spent most of their recreation time with me in the computers room, I’ve told them,ingenuously, that as edublogs was a safe place, therefore they could rule freely over everything that was given to them with their blog. Now, since classes began again I have been explaining to them that there are safety rules set up to protect them and that we must respect.
Ines

By: gkat

gkat — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 12:47:31 +0000

I agree with AngelaC. I think it’s good digital citizenship for students to know and follow the rules of internet use, even at 8 years old.

Those widgets can be something special to look forward to when they turn 13. In any case, it’s the posts and their work that makes their blogs interesting, not their widgets. My students’ individual blogs only have a clustr map widget but they are beginning to ask for a voki. (They like the one I have put on the main class blog and I am thinking of removing it so they don’t feel left out.)

My students’ avatars come from microsoft clipart and each student chose their own.

GraceK

By: helenotway

helenotway — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 12:36:24 +0000

This is an interesting observation. I wonder how carefully teachers look at the age restrictions for use of widgets and avatars.

By: AngelaC

AngelaC — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 10:11:23 +0000

I believe that selecting tools and sites may go beyond just leaving some things for students to gain access to when they do turn 13. I would expect the reality may be that there will always be something new for them to add or access.

Using all that is available though depends on a range of factors – can younger students use and still be safe, is the tool or site appropriate for their age group – why was the age restriction applied in the first place?

I also believe that teachers probably should not support or allow students to access sites and tools outside their age range. Safe not sorry still has to be the strategy for having students working on the web. If anything happens rule breaking may be an instant reason and target for blame for the teachers involved.