This week, all CSAI classes took a brief detour to discuss safe and responsible use of technology.   There are two elements of this discussion:  How to keep oneself safe from the myriad of dangers on the internet and how to use technology appropriately and responsibly.

Every student at Quest signed a Responsible Use policy.  Parents, I’m hoping that you read through it with your student and discussed it before signing!  But if you didn’t, consider this a great time to review it yourself.

While there a lot of details in the document, I think the name itself speaks volumes about our philosophy regarding technology.   We don’t want to focus on all the things students can do wrong to get in trouble.  Instead, we want to focus on what Responsible Use looks like and to encourage the students to be proactive in thinking about their use.   At the end of the day, a lot of the document can be summed up with the question, “Is what I’m doing for educational purposes?”  If the answer is yes, then I think our students can be confident that they’re in safe waters!  And if the answer is no, then it means they need to pause and consider whether they should be engaging in that action.

In class this week, we’ll be discussing the Responsible Use policy, as well as talking about how the school monitors the actions of students on the internet and why we do so.   We’re talking about how internet filters assess the degree of risk of certain websites, the algorithms they may be using, and what happens when the filter is wrong!   We are also discussing various dangers students may encounter (such as phishing, social engineering scams, and malware) and how to avoid them.  And just because we’re spending so much time talking about electronic communication, we’re also discussing email etiquette (with a special emphasis on when not to use REPLY ALL).

This would be a great week to ask your students about network security, and what they’ve learned about safe and appropriate use of technology!

Greetings! My name is Steve Dembo and I have the pleasure of teaching CSAI for grades 5-8 at Quest. I joined the team at the end of February, and unfortunately only had the opportunity to spend about one month in the building before we switched to distance learning. I’m incredibly excited to be back in the building this year and to be teaching your students all about computer science and artificial intelligence.

While each grade level will have different learning experiences, they will all have opportunities to learn about robotics, circuitry, coding, AI and design thinking. My approach focuses on core experiences to ensure that every student has a firm foundation in these areas, but to do so through open ended challenges that will allow students who are ready to really stretch themselves. Students who need support will get the scaffolding they need, and students who are more experienced in an area will never be held back. I will provide ample opportunities for them to expand upon their existing knowledge and take their skills to the next level. I don’t think students should ever say to themselves, “That was too easy and I didn’t learn anything from it.”

Primary communication will flow through Google Classroom (5th grade) and Powerschool (6th-8th grades). Every week, I’ll be posting an overview of what we’ll be covering, as well as specific information for each grade level as needed. Every student will also be creating a new blog this year, and we will frequently be using that as a means for publishing our work.  Don’t forget to check on your students’ blog periodically to see what they’ve been up to!

Here’s to a fantastic year together!