Batoul Baydoun

EDT 502 Tier 2 assignment 3

Emails

Action Plan:

The use of emails has been very popular for many years now. Many students come to school with the required skills and knowledge of sending out or opening up a sent email. Email communication is quick and convenient. An email is easily accessed and tracked for later records. In my 5th grade classroom my students will use emails to communicate with each other using a safe and monitored communication tool.

  • The students will stay in touch with me as their teacher and each other for questions and comments.
  • The use of emails will give the students many opportunities, and experience of online communications and its etiquette.
  • The students will practice writing and reading electronic mail along with its functions and structure.
  • The students will be able to join relevant online tools that may require an email account.

As an educator it is my responsibility to model safe and respectful communication. Students will be aware that the teacher monitors all communication in order to maintain safe interaction. The students will be taught how to use the email tool (epals). They will each be assigned a username and a password and be reminded of the importance of maintaining them in a safe and secure place. Through the use of epals, the students will be able to communicate with their classmates and teacher easily and quickly. They may share information, notes, ask questions or even events. Since the technology is teacher and parent monitored the students will be safe and all inappropriate emails will be filtered.

The email accounts created here will be helpful to join the wiki activities designed as well. Since wiki requires an email account, the students will be able to participate in editing and maintaining the wiki space through PBworks. I also plan to use the epals account to locate topics of interests being discussed with an appropriate grade level and guide my students into participating and getting involved with the project. Here is an example of a global warming lesson.

E-mail/E-pal Tool

I have chosen to use e-pals with my students instead of their own personal created emails because it is monitored, safe, and school friendly. Students will be able to communicate with various students of their age group throughout the e-pal world. They may communicate and discuss school and subject specific topics. They may engage in learning programs in various schools. They may also share what they’ve learned with various other schools. Another important reason for having an email account ready and available for students is the access it allows to many online tools that require an email.

Because e-pals offer the filtering option it is easy for me as the teacher to screen emails and keep records of communication between the students. This feature may allow me to invite a parent to monitor the communication among students. The filtering option was the main reason I decided to create the account and give my students the access to communicating to students throughout other nations. It is easy for me to control who can receive and send messages. I can also monitor all messages that are sent and received. This makes it a very secure environment for students to learn about safe and respectful ways to communicate with others online. E-pals is a free communication tool where students are given free and easy access to sharing their knowledge, experience and skills with students from all over the world. Because the tool is safe and free, it was the most logical to choose for my classroom use. Parents may also be given the option to monitor their child’s account by giving them access to their own children’s e-pals.

Throughout the use of emails, students are not graded but they may lose access to their emails if any offensive behavior occurred. I plan to be flexible with that option depending on the offense and the language within. I believe though that it would be most appropriate for me to set up a disciplinary plan for any misuse of the e-pal. My plan must be approved and signed by the parents as well.

Action / 1st offense / 2nd offense / 3rd offense
Inappropriate language / One week loss access to epal. One paragraph written apology to other party. / 2 weeks loss of access to epal and a 1 page written apology to student offended. / 2 weeks loss of access to epal and a 1 page written apology to student, teacher and parents.
Offensive, vulgar language / Referred to the office for school discipline plan.
Discriminatory, racist language / Referred to school office for discipline plan.