Glogster

February 17, 2010

A new issue has been raised. You did such a good job with responding to the last issue about the use of tasers that Mrs. Fleming, Mrs. Carruth, Mrs. Thompson, and I have decided to extend the opportunity for you students to once again share your opinions on another important issue. The issue is texting while driving. **The question that we** want to increase and share our knowledge about is: Is Texting While Driving Dangerous? Using **YOUR** own wiki, we would like for you to:

1. Using the Google Doc with the research links, utilize atleast one online resource for your research. If you have not been invited to the Google doc, please email me ("To avoid complications she always kept the same address" - name that tune!) your email address at: whitney_allen74826@yahoo.com and I will invite you to the Google Doc with these research links. You will write atleast 3 paragraphs on the topic and include (as I just mentioned) at least one online resource citing your resource using one of the APA approved citation methods (according to, direct quotes, or parethentical citation). For example:

According to an online article located at [], "Text messaging while driving has been found to increase the odds of a crash by 23 times."

2. Next, using a new web application called Glogster, you will create a Glog depicting your view point on this issue and will LINK it to your wiki just like I have done. Please follow the link below for an example.

The link to the Glogster is as follows:

[]

YOU **MUST BE GIVEN AN ACCOUNT** FOR THIS. I WILL GIVE THIS TO YOU.

3. Finally, you will **design** a field trial where the effect of texting while driving can be examined. You must plan your field trial out step by step and must include this within your wiki and the results of your field study. I am going to suggest using the basketball court, orange cones, and maybe even tricycles for this all, of course, while your field study participant is texting. We will probably assign groups/partners for this task.

4. After researching the topic, creating a Glogster, I would like for you to design a public service video to share with a global audience, as well as, your own peers, i.e. classmates. The goal is that by increasing your knowledge and sharing your knowledge, you will increase awareness about this very dangerous and real situation that, if not already, could become epidemic in proportion. We will collaborate with Mr. Arnold's class in Brownsburg, Indiana via Skype and Mrs. Love's class in Spokane, Washington. Maybe this is going a little far, but even presenting this information via public service announcement to our local legislator(s) might be a possibility even if we facilitate this via the Internet and/or our new webpage @ www.asher.k12.ok.us (re: fully functional by Friday of this week?)

5. You **MUST** invite Mrs. Fleming, Mrs. Carruth, and myself to your wiki. Mrs. Thompson will assist you in gathering your data and reporting your data. This project will be a collaborative process not only with others here at our school, but with Mr. Arnold's students in Indiana and Mrs. Love's class in Washington. They are in different Time Zones which will require planning on our part (keep in mind daylight savings time soon approaching). Mr. Arnold's school is a 1:1 laptop initiative school. As a result, they have unlimited online access. We are somewhat limited with that respect since we are not a 1:1 laptop school.

6. We will have 3 possibly 4 class periods to get this done. But, this is subject to change.

7. I want to see some **effort** on your part, the student. This is an **extremely** important issue. Formulating, building, and supporting knowledge is of the utmost importance. Get pumped up! Get involved! Become an advocate to save lives! What do you have to lose?

8. First we will view this clip from YouTube: [] or can be accessed on the wiki page entitled Wiki Videos at: http://whitswiki.wikispaces.com/Wiki+Videos and one other I have saved to my favorites **after taking a poll located on our school website on my page. This poll is located at:** [|http://asher.k12.ok.us.]We will also watch a clip from Oprah on this topic.

9. Finally, each student will be asked to make a pledge. A pledge that says you will not text while driving. Each student will be asked to get a total of 5 pledges from 5 different students and invite these students to our Ning. I have set up a Ning to act as a platform for our efforts. This Ning will be a collaborative platform for the students in Oklahoma (us) and the students in Brownsburg, Indiana to promote this issue via discussion forums, blogs, and other media tools. **The Ning** is located at: http://dontextandrive.ning.com/. Students **must** be at least 13 years of age to join our Ning network. My suggestion is to limit your invitations to high school students only. The membership requirements into our Ning is as follows: A. Create your own page. **COPYRIGHT** must be observed. Before you upload any pics ask yourself, "Do I own the rights to this picture?" Review information regarding Creative Commons Attribution on our Google Doc. B. Contribute with at least **2 Blog Posts** regarding the issue and only this issue. **All information included in this Ning must be topic specific!** Write professionally! No slang or abbreviations! Maintain an appropri- ate posture. We're not at home FBing our friends or on MySpace. This is a **SERIOUS** issue! **Your Blog posts and discussions should reflect** your research on the topic included in your **Wiki.** C. Contribute to **2 discussions within the Forum posted by Ms. Whitney.** **The first is "Murder or Manslaughter". The second will be "I Think Texting While Driving Should Be Outlawed Because...".** 10. This is for a grade. Follow your checklist.