September 17, 2013

Dear Parent/Guardian, We would like to inform you of several online tools we plan on using in seventh grade language arts this year. While the district technology policy allows permission for students to use sites linked to our Stoningtonschools.org domain, some of these sites will require additional permission since they lie outside the district domain. Please read the information below, sign the permission slip and contact us if you have any questions. Edmodo (https://www.edmodo.com/) Edmodo allows our class to extend our physical classroom into an online learning space. Edmodo contains no games or advertisements. Students will be able to: post messages to the teacher and ask questions about work from home, share ideas about class work from anywhere at any time, share files and resources with the teacher and other students in the grade, keep track of important due dates, events and tasks, quickly and easily catch up on handouts or work missed due to absence, receive and hand in assignments electronically, learn how to communicate effectively online. Edmodo is a private, teacher-controlled online learning space. Students need an access code to join the class and can only communicate with either the whole class or the teacher. Students cannot send messages to individual students. All student communication is monitored by the teacher. Only those with the access code can enter the class Edmodo site. Students are expected to follow the school online behavior guidelines and to use the school Edmodo class group for class-related discussion. Please note that any work assigned on Edmodo will also be available on paper for students who do not have Internet access. Most of the assignments on Edmodo will be completed during the school day. I will also have time after school for students to use computers as needed. You may also sign up for a parent account on Edmodo, which connects to your childs account. You will need a parent code to create your account, which can be found in your childs account (on the right side, below the Notifications section). Wikispaces (https://www.wikispaces.com/content/student) This site allows for students to create their own web pages. It can do many of the things listed above that Edmodo can do. As we explore these sites, we will certainly learn the advantages and disadvantages of each site and what it could best be used for.

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Other Online Tools Blogger - Students will create a blog where they will reflect on topics discussed in class, answer questions provided by the teacher and comment on posts written by other students. All posts are monitored by the teacher. Blogs can only be accessed with permission from each student and are linked to school Google accounts provided to each student. Google+ and Google Communities - These sites can be used to create groups for online discussion. Students will learn skills for effective online communication. These sites are also linked to the students Stonington Google accounts. Diigo - Students may choose to create an account on this social bookmarking site. This is a place to save important websites while researching a topic. Pocket, Evernote - These are also useful sites for saving information online, taking notes and annotating documents. They will not be required, but I will share strategies for using these sites should students choose to create an account. Clearly, the list of online tools for students will continue to grow. Please know that we will not require students to register for a site without parent permission, but will continue to share useful sites with students. Please sign and return the slip below. Thank you for your support. Sincerely,

Cindy Cassidy Seventh Grade Social Studies

Tim Flanagan Seventh Grade Language Arts

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STUDENT Student Name: _______________________________________________________ I agree to communicate and collaborate with teachers and peers on websites according to the conditions: 1. I must treat websites required in school (such as Edmodo, Wikispaces) as an extension of the normal classroom. Everything posted online should relate to a school assignment. Any comments posted online should be something I would feel comfortable saying to the entire class. 2. I will abide by the districts Acceptable Use Policy regarding technology. 3. Failure to follow the guidelines above will result in loss of technology privileges and may lead to further disciplinary action. Student Signature: _____________________________________________________________ PARENT/GUARDIAN I give consent for my child to access and use the online learning websites Edmodo and Wikispaces to participate in learning activities as guided by the teacher. Parent/Guardian ________________ Signature: ____________________________________________Date: