Dear Class:

I have decided to interview each of  you on  digital citizenship this Sunday and create a Digital Citizenship Constitution.

This will be a fun activity for us since we are all active technology users.

Please come to class Sunday and be prepared for some brainstorming.

Again, thank you for your help.

HRISTOS ANESTI.

Mike H

To my Sunday School Students as well as my classmates at Saint Joseph College:  I want to thank dearly those who participated in my Saint George Greek Orthodox Cathedral Sunday School Blog this semester.  It was a great help for my course. 

To my students who participated, I hope you had fun with this activity.  It was a real challenge; however, I enjoyed reading all your posts. 

I really enjoyed having you all this year and hope you learned a few things about our Orthodox Christian faith as well as youselves.

We will finish with my course requirments with some interviews relating to Digital Citizenship.  So, please, all of you be in Church this coming Sunday.  Spread the word to all you know from our class.

And finally, our last two Sundays we will view my video that I took in 1995 in the Holy Land.  You will really enjoy it.  Bishop Nikiforos of Constantine was our tour leader.  He was an amazing Bishop and man.  I hope you enjoy it as I did actually filming it those 10 days.

HRISTOS ANESTI!

With Love in Our Lord,
Mike Hazikostantis
7th/8th grade Sunday School

After completing these three posts, do you now have a better understanding of what is "Digital Citizenship"? 

If not, please explain why?

If so, what do you think it means now?

If you had to create a list of rules/regulations or "Constitution" if you would like, what would those rules be?

How does the GOLDEN RULE apply to digital citizenship?

We could have done much more with this, however, we do not have wireless at Church and we do not have a full class either. 

Please take some time and reply to one another to get each others views on this serious issue.

Mike H
Sunday School
7th/8th Grade

You walk into school and overhear John arguing with Eric.  Eric emailed John the night before a harassing email.  John replied with a "flaming email" upon receiving Eric's email.

Was John right to reply to Eric in the first place or was it wrong?  What do you think?

Would John have done better remembering the phrase, "Say it and forget it, Write it and regret it"?

What does this phrase mean to you?

George and his friend, Maria, both have camera phones.  George sits in the back of the class and uses his phone to photograph the test for Maria, who is taking the etst that afternoon.  George then emails the photgraph of the test to Maria's phone.

1) Are the two individuals using technology appropriately or inappropriately?
2) What actions make the scenario appropriate or inappropriate?
3) What could or should the two individuals have done differerntly?

Have you done this or know of someone who has done this? 

If you were George & Maria's parents, what would you do?  Remember, this is CHEATING!


adapted from Ribble, M. & Bailey, G. (2007) Digital citizenship in the classroom.  p. 83-84

I will post some scenarios now.  This will require all of you to work together posting and replying to each other as if we were in class.  I think this will be fun.

Scenario 1. "During word processing class, Mr. Iliades notices Georgios typiing in  an IM window.  As his teacher comes near his station, Georgios hides the IM window, knowing that Mr. Iliades does not allow the use of IM during class.  Mr. Iliades asks Georgos to clse the IM window and see him after class.  After class, Mr. Iliades asks Georgios why he was sending instant messages during class.  Georgios responds that he was already done with his assignment and that he was bored."

1) Was Georgios using technology inappropriately?
2) What actions make the scenario appropriate or inappropriate?
3) What could or should Georgios have done differently?


How many of you are guilty of this?
Now that you worked through this exercise, will you think twice about using technology inappropriately?
How many of you IM while your parents are speaking with you?




Adapted from Ribble,M. & Bailey, G (2007). Digital Citzenship in Schools. DC: Washington, ISTE  p. 83-84

Hello all.  How are you all doing?  Easter is quickly approaching.  We are going to switch gears now on this blog.  My project for Saint Joseph College now requires "Teaching" Digital Citizenship.  I need your help with this as well.

Today we are surrounded by all sorts of technological gadgets such as cell phones, iPads, iMacs, iPods, laptops, desktops, internet, tablets,etc.  The list and their uses grows by the day. 

What is digital citizenship?  Who knows what this means?

Have you ever thought about the ethical use of these technologies?

Have you ever thought about the cost of technology to Americans?  I do not mean only how much they cost; but rather, the cost to society?

Plesase think about these questions and answer them to the best of your abilities.  This will help you with the next postings.

Thank you.

Mike Hatzikostantis
7th/8th grade Sunday School

First, I want to apologize that Dionysia had to pull me out of class early today.  She had to me a classmate at the library to work on their research paper.  Let's hope this does not happen again.

Second, I want to congratulate Costas and Maria from our class as well as the rest of the Division 2 team for a wonderful Basketball season.  They worked so hard this season.  The season is over and we are all looking forward to you playing again next season.

Third, today was the Sunday of Orthodoxy.  For those who were in class today, what is the significance of this special day?  Please write what you remember about today's class.

For those who were not in class, please let me know what the Sunday of Orthodoxy is and where it originated.

This is one of the "History" lessons for the year. 

Remember, today is the first Sunday of the Great Lent.

I really hope you all come more often until the end of the school year in May.  Always remember how important our Faith is in our daily lives and how much God has given us and continues to give us even in these very troubled times.

Is there anything you would like to learn about the key events during the Iconoclastic period?

Thank you for coming today.

Mike

On Sunday we had a great class where we discussed the dangers of words.  Words can be worse than a sword.  How many of us have said things to friends by mistake and hurt someone's feelings?

Can you post a situation where that has happened?  What was the result?  How did you resolve the situation?

If the conflict has not resolved itself yet, what have you tried to do to resolve it?

This Sunday is Meatfare Sunday.  I am sure we are all aware of the luncheon after Church in our social hall.  Lent is around the corner.  The following Sunday will be Cheesefare Sunday followed by Kathari Deftera and the Great Lent. 

How many of you actually fast for the 40 days?  When I say, "Fast," I mean no meat, dairy, and oils.  This means basically fruits, vegitables, and penut butter and jelly.  Please be honest.

If you have not in the past, are you going to try this year?

We can have a nice discussion about this as well.

Mike

Approximately, three years ago, I read an essay written by R. Monk Hilarion regardng both European and American football.  I received a phone call because a parent thought I was attacking the sport.  Let's try this again ONLY AS AN EXERCISE IN CRITICAL THINKING.  I am a big NASCAR fan as well as Basketball.  I AM NOT SAYING TO AVOID WATCHING SPORTS.  PLEASE UNDERSTAND THIS POINT!  By the way, congratulations to the New York Giants on their narrow victory.  I believe this was an evenly matched Super Bowl 46.  We can discuss this on Sunday if you wish! ! !

How many of you know people who are obsessed or adicted with anything that lead them astray?  If you do, what sort of effect does that person have on his/her family as well as those around him/her?

The monk who wrote this artical, "On Football" made an argument that seems to have relevance today as it did when he wrote it.

"Herein lies the demonic element in football-be it American football or soccer.  The hypnotic effect of these games is seen in the consequences it has for the psyche of its devotees.  They become obseed with the game.  They are mesmerised not only while watching the matches on television or in the stadium but also at other times.  Their lives and their thoughts become focused on soccer or football...they hypnosis that the devil casts over football's devotees makes them incapable of anything spiritual.  When the matches are on, such people are willing to give up the most important things in their lives in order to see them.  And when the games are over, they continue to live their obsession [through the] magazines, newspapers, and television...while the cult surrounding the lives of the game's heroes approaches that of pagan worship. 

This essay is longer and it contains statistics of how many people died during riots at these games.  If you are ever interested, I can make a copy of the monk's essay.

What is the point the monk is making?  Do you agree with it?  Do you know anyone who is consumed by sports?  What do you say to him/her/them? 

What was the monk's goal in wriring this essay?  Do you see the same effect in our own Cathedral in Hartford?   Look at yesterday's numbers to help answer this. 

Did they really have an excuse not to show up in Church?  What time is Church over?  What time was the game last night?

To the five in my class yesterday, THANK YOU SO MUCH!

Mike Hatzikostantis
7th/8th grade teacher

In ancient Greece, Homer once said that money can make the most sainted person into an evill person.
Matthew 6:24 says, "No onoe can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other.  You cannot serve God and mammon (money).

What does Jesus mean that you cannot have two masters...God and Money?   Why not?

What does it mean to serve money as a master?

How can you tell if money is a master to you?

Why do you think that countries like the United States ignore the teachings of Jesus when it comes to money?  Think about who controls the money and the media.  Is it the top, middle, or bottom of society?   

REMEMBER, THIS BLOG IS TO BE KEPT CLEAN.

Questions taken from DARE FROM JESUS 2 by Maark Oestreicher 2003.   Page 26. Youth Specialties books published by Zondervan.

Matthew 7:7-11 states "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives; and he who seeks finds, and to him who knoxks it will be opened.  Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone?  Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent?  If you then, being evil, know how to give good things to your children, how much more will your Father who is in Heaven give good things to those who ask Him!

Father George spoke about prayer again in Church on Sunday.  How often do you pray at home?

What do you pray for?  Things that you want or need?  Please be honest.

How can God hear our prayers?  To answer, think about God's infintie nature.  What must we do as humans to have our prayers reach God?

"ιδου ερχομαι ως κλεπτης μακαριος ο γρηγορων και τηρων τα ιματια αυτου ινα μη γυμνος περιπατη και βλεπωσιν την ασχημοσυνην αυτου."  (Translation)  Behold, I am coming as a thief.  Blessed is he who watches,a nd keeps his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame." Revelation 16:15

We began discussing how the Bible describes the Afterlife in both the New Testament as well as the Old Testament. 

Please take some time and post your thoughts about the afterlife.  When you think of Heaven, what feelings and images come to mind?  When you think about the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, what thoughts, feelings, or images come to mind?

Please feel free to express yourself openly.  You can and should respond to your classmates as well. 

Byzantine Greek copied from http://biblos.com/revelation/16-15.htm.