Google has developed an interactive curriculum on YouTube to support teachers in educating students on how to be safe, engaged and confident model netizens. The initiative is aimed at students aged 13 to 17 and will help them to develop digital literacy skills on YouTube that would be applicable across the web. A list of 10 lessons has been devised, in which students can learn about YouTube's policies, how to report content, how to protect their own privacy, and how to be responsible YouTube community members and, in the broader picture, digital citizens. Each lesson comes with guidelines for teachers and ready-made slides for presentation. There's also a YouTube Curriculum channel where videos related to the project will be posted.

A read through most online privacy policies is enough to make your stomach acid curdle. And social media companies have more access to personal data than most. Some collect information you expressly give them, like your credit card and telephone numbers. Others gather data based on how and where you use their services. This might include anything from device and browser information to location intel. And some of it gets really specific - think about your last search query or ad click. It's probably all "fair" game. Depending on the type gathered, social networks use data to enhance location services and target advertising (now you know why that sunglasses website you visited three months ago follows you all over the web). A few social sites even share certain information with marketers and/or third-party partners - in that case, you are responsible for familiarizing yourself with those other companies' policies as they apply to you and your information.

Founded in 2004, Games for Change facilitates the creation and distribution of social impact games that serve as critical tools in humanitarian and educational efforts. Unlike the commercial gaming industry, we aim to leverage entertainment and engagement for social good. To further grow the field, Games for Change convenes multiple stakeholders, highlights best practices, incubates games, and helps create and direct investment into new projects.

SCAMwatch is a website run by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC). SCAMwatch provides information to consumers and small businesses about how to recognise, avoid and report scams.

Evernote is designed to work the way your brain does and a few months ago, a neuroscientist named Maureen Ritchey came by our offices to explain exactly why that's the case. We didn't want to keep the fascinating information to ourselves, so we asked Maureen to stop by our blog and share some of her knowledge with our users. Thanks, Maureen!

A new Creative Commons license chooser launched this week.  The very simple interface presents four boxes that update dynamically as users select options and complete attribution metadata. After completing the form, users are presented with a suggested license, a choice of regular or compact size icons, and embed code for inserting their license on a web page.

"Over the last 12 months both Facebook and Twitter have quietly removed RSS links from their webpages, eliminating an easy way to receive notifications without the need to interact with the services directly. Meanwhile Google+ has never offered RSS feeds. Of course it's clear that these social media services have an interest in killing off RSS. They all want to usurp its role as the web's universal subscription platform and become the de facto gatekeepers of the web."

A really interesting scavenger hunt video collection curated with Mentormob

One of the features I have always liked about Edmodo that provides students with a way to organize their cornucopia of uploaded digital goodness (i.e. files and links attached to assignments and posts) is the Edmodo library.  If you're already an Edmodo user, you know how fabulous the library is, with its ability to upload all types of files to it, shareable folders (for teachers), Google Docs integration, and sorting by anything attached to posts. 

Instructions on how to setup an Unblock Us account on your computer

"I was in a meeting with a prospective PhD candidate today and the conversation inevitably led to learning. He pointed out that in his lterature reviews he had uncovered a bewildering number of different, and often opposing learning theories. He was clearly impressed if not a little phased by the huge array of concepts and ideas that theorists had developed to try to explain what it means when we learn something. My response was that this was to be expected, because asking someone how they learn is similar to asking them what their favourite food is. "

"Many great websites stream video and audio as an alternative to a traditional TV/Cable/SAT service. Some are subscription based, like Netflix and Hulu Plus. Others are pay per view, like Vudu. And some are free, such as Hulu, ABC, CBS, NBC, and the BBC. There's only one catch. They're generally only available in one country. National broadcasting websites are only available in their country of origin. While some services are expanding internationally, like the recent arrival of Netflix to Canada, the expansion is slow and it's difficult due to the content deals that are made for each country. Another burdensome restriction on freedom is the blocking of social media sites by some countries and by many businesses. Thankfully, there's now an immediate and easy answer. And you just discovered it!"

When people say that I'm an ed-tech leader, I am always shocked. I don't think of myself as a leader in this area - just someone who really likes what he does. So, what makes someone an educational-technology leader? Are there certain qualities that make such people stand out from everyone else? Do they have fancy degrees that make them special?

Just about everyone is a blogger these days whether they realize it or not................ I have discovered that blogging has many side benefits that are not apparent from an outsider looking in. This is what I have found to be the bonus benefits to blogging that you may find empowering and maybe enlightening.

Apparently many kids are using this to get around school proxies - this knowledge has helped a few teachers connect today. Tweeted by @courosa

I took a look at some of the leading online file storage and sharing services. I didn't try to pick a winner, since they all worked fine for me. And I didn't do an in-depth review of them. Instead, my aim here is just to explain the category and highlight some of the key competitors. I compared their main features and costs. Overall, this type of service is useful for anyone with many computers and devices, either for personal or group use.

Filelab web applications offer an online video and audio editor though both only work on windows OS

Welcome to the Integrating Edmodo into your Classroom Lesson Plan Activity.  Edmodo is an amazing place where you can collaborate with other educators or students anytime anywhere.  As you progress through this activity, keep thinking about how you could use Edmodo in your everyday job whether it be a teacher, administrator, professional developer, or something else. 

Smartphones and tablet computers are radically transforming how we access our shared knowledge sources by keeping us constantly connected to near-infinite volumes of raw data and information. We enjoy unprecedented instant access to expertise, from informal cooking lessons on YouTube to online university courses. Every day people around the globe are absorbed in exciting new forms of learning, and yet traditional schools and university systems are still struggling to leverage the many opportunities for innovation in this area.

I believe that with the energy and passion we have on social networks we have the ability to transform the world and the world needs a community of passionate individuals to inspire them. Below are 10 examples of kids who are transforming their worlds and spreading their inspiration through social networks like Youtube, Twitter, and Facebook.