The Importance of Digital Citizenship - Common Sense Media Digital Citizenship

"Every student at MSD of Martinsville will strive to become a responsible digital citizen who knows how to harness the learning potential of digital media in a 24/7 connected world, safely, effectively, ethically, and respectfully. "

This is our district's motto. This is something we take very seriously. Why? Our students will be exposed to all that the world has to offer through digital media. While students are in school, we can restrict and somewhat control what they are able to see and do online. However, once they are out of a filtered environment, what happens?

If our students have been trained to be digitally aware and to be resilient, this will better help them safely navigate the world of the internet. This is precisely why teaching Digital Citizenship is so crucial to the safety and welfare of our students.

At MSD of Martinsville on August 30, 2016, two to three representatives from each school in the district met after school hours to prepare for Indiana's Digital Citizenship week on September 12 - 16, 2016. We planned what units we were going to teach to our students and how to collect the artifacts. Everyone left very excited because they really found the curriculum of Common Sense Education very detailed and helpful.

At Martinsville High School, all 1,575 students saw a video, did activities, and discussed the importance of being good digital citizens with their teachers and peers. In some of the elementary schools, students were giving short presentations, talking about their experiences, and thinking about ways to make sure they were safe while online.

As the week ended, I received phone calls from teachers who were really excited about using the Common Sense curriculum, and will definitely add it to their class curriculum. As our school representatives push the importance of digital citizenship to their students, our overall involvement will continue to grow.

If our educators exhibit good digital citizenship qualities, this will help enable our students to navigate and prepare for a future in the digital age. They will be able to access the wealth of information they need while knowing they are protecting themselves and others from anything that might prove harmful.

Our district received its Digital Citizenship Certification on Friday, October 14, 2016. We are honored, but we also recognize that our job to educate and inform our students is only beginning. We must continue to regularly have conversations about our digital footprints. We accept the challenge.

Empire of Storms - Throne of Glass Series #5

I am worn out.  I am literally worn out.  Reading the Empire of Storms exhausted me because it was so packed full of action that I had to mentally prepare myself each time I picked up the book to read.

Don't get me wrong, I love the Throne of Glass series.  Aelin Galathynius is my hero.  She meets her foes head on and for the most part, uses her intuition and wit to figure out her most difficult problems.  But, this poor girl can't catch a break.  There are so many people who would like to kill her, and others who just want to take advantage of her power that Aelin never knows who is safe, and who is her enemy.  Thankfully, she has a small group of trusted friends and advisors who love her enough to die for her.  They also believe in her cause enough to die for it as well.

But what is the history of the fracturing of Erilea, and what does that all have to do with Aelin who was born 1,000 years after the world starting going mad?

If you haven't read book 1 of the series, then you really need to start at the beginning.  Be sure to read the novellas as well.  One needs to know all of the background before one can get an understanding of who Aelin is, and why she is so important to the future - a future that is full of peace.  

I think you will like her as much as I do.

The First Time She Drowned by Kerry Kletter

Cassie nearly drowned once - her family was busy arguing, and no one saw Cassie jump into the deep end of the pool.  She knew she couldn't swim, but in her child's mind, she thought she would take the attention away from the argument.  Even before that, Cassie has been trying to keep her head above water.  When she was sixteen, her mother, brother, and father tied her with ropes and forcibly took her to a mental institution.  Cassie's life had never been easy, but now with her entire family against her, she must struggle to find herself and her worth.  

Cassie continues her education while at the mental institution, and when she is eighteen, her mother decides that she is ready to attend college, her alma mater.  In a series of events, Cassie nearly drowns again, nearly dies from an illness, and is forced to come face to face with long buried issues she has hidden within herself.  

This book is geared toward young adults, but every person who has a dysfunctional family (most of us) would benefit from Cassie's story of learning to love herself and realizing that our parents are not perfect humans, and never will be.  You will cry with her and cheer for her.  This was a great read, and I will definitely read more from this author.  

The Good Girl by Mary Kubica

Mia Dennett is an art teacher in a small impoverished school in Chicago.  She dates irregularly, and has never had a serious boyfriend.  One night, Mia is waiting for her on again/off again friend when she catches the eye of another man in the bar.  The two start a conversation and before Mia knows it, she is drunk.  She makes the decision to leave the bar with the stranger and follows him to his apartment.  This decision will haunt her forever.

Colin Thatcher needs money.  He works two jobs, but he can never get caught up.  He has found ways to supplement his income, and these ways aren't always legal.  The latest job: Find the daughter of a prominent judge, grab her, and bring her to a man who is heavily involved in crime.

Colin has been following Mia for weeks.  He knows her schedule, her friends, and her habits.  He will grab her, deliver her to his boss, and be $5,000.00 richer.  Once Mia is in his bosses' hands, she is no longer his problem.  He follows her to the bar, then makes his move.

Mia has no idea what is about to happen to her, and Colin realizes that his bosses' men will do whatever they want to her while they are waiting for the ransom money.  So....he makes a change in plans.

Gabe Hoffman is the detective assigned to Mia' kidnapping case.  He knows his career rests on getting Judge Dennett's daughter back alive and well.  The trail is fairly cold, but then he gets a lead...

If there is one thing I don't like about a book, it is figuring out the ending before I finish the book.  I like to be surprised and shocked -if you will.  This book did deliver.  I was shocked at the ending.  The characters are well developed, and Kubica kept me guessing.

I would absolutely recommend this book!  Enjoy the twists and turns!