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A history of childhood abuse and use of a provocative online identity increase the risk that girls will be victimized by someone they meet on the Internet, according to a study appearing in the June issue of Pediatrics.

Whether we like it or not, Google or Wikipedia are our student's first ports of call when it comes to researching or undertaking independent study, not the school library. Diigo offers a fantastic way to tap into the way our students operate by allowing the annotation of web pages which can then be shared with your students and, by doing so, you facilitate the process of research for your students and you set them on the right track for further independent study.

The reported behavior improvements aren't universal, however. The study shows the biggest improvements in behavior took place among children in low-income households; experts speculate that the declines in bullying are probably confined to schools that have mounted coordinated programs to halt it.

More people have been arrested in recent years for sexually soliciting youths online, but the sharp increase comes from better enforcement, and the Internet remains a relatively safe social environment, researchers said in a new study.

David Kosslyn and two other students are in the process of developing StudyBuddy - an online academic social networking site that allows students to form study groups with others taking courses in the same subject areas, both on/off the same campus.

Social networking Web sites and other technologies enable schoolyard bullies to pack a bigger punch. Advice and concerns from Nancy Willard and other experts in the field.

Media technology is an integral part of children's lives in the twenty-first century. The world of electronic media, however, is changing dramatically. Television, until recently the dominant media source, has been joined by cell phones, iPods, video games, instant messaging, social networks on the Internet, and e-mail.This volume examines the best available evidence on whether and how exposure to different media forms is linked to child well-being. Contributors to the volume consider evidence for both children and adolescents and consider the quality of the available studies.

Results from the most extensive U.S. study on teens and their use of digital media show that America's youth are developing important social and technical skills online - often in ways adults do not understand or value.

Larry Rosen, professor of psychology at California State University, Dominguez Hills, has long studied "the Net Generation," the first to have grown up with the Internet, not to mention cellphones. In Me, MySpace and I: Parenting the Net Generation (Palgrave Macmillan), he helps parents understand social networks. His advice: Talk to your kids, learn the technology and don't panic. USA TODAY's Janet Kornblum spoke with the author. The complete interview can be found here.

Award winning author, Don Tapscott, and award winning global collaborators Julie Lindsay and Vicki Davis are excited to announce the 2010 NetGenEd Project, a global collaboration to envision the future of education and social action by inspiring today's students to study leading technology trends and create their vision for the future. The project involves over 300 students from 6 countres and 15 classrooms.

According to a study released in the Journal of Developmental Psychology (Jan 10), adolescent peer relationships and behavior problems predict young adults' communication on social networking websites.

One of eight interactive case studies for kids (GR 4-8) from Cable In the Classroom: Power to Learn.
Establishing basic guidelines for Internet use is the first step in ensuring students' online safety. Learn what information should and shouldn't be shared online and appropriate interaction with online "friends." This unit explores the concepts of privacy in social networking destinations, the importance of being honest but not revealing too much information. The graphics are Nickelodeon style. A template allows students to create class rules. For the entire series, check out: http://powertolearn.com/internet_smarts/interactive_case_studies/index.shtml

The decline in family time coincides with a rise in Internet use and the popularity of social networks, though a new study stopped just short of assigning blame. The Annenberg Center for the Digital Future at the University of Southern California is reporting this week that 28 percent of Americans it interviewed last year said they have been spending less time with members of their households. That's nearly triple the 11 percent who said that in 2006.\n\nThese people did not report spending less time with their friends, however.

Users of online social network sites such as Facebook are increasingly editing their pages and tightening their privacy settings as they seek to protect their reputations in the age of digital sharing, a Pew Research Center survey said on Friday.

How do youth use media and technology as they learn to be participants in civic and democratic practices? We share two case studies -- one from a media arts production organization and one from a school board youth group -- that revolve around youth-adult interactions in learning environments that offer youth real opportunities to be influential in their respective communities.

The average teenager spends more than three hours a day watching TV, but only 43 minutes reading, according to a study by the Kaiser Family Foundation, data which suggests that as important as English literature and composition courses are to a proper high school education, something valuable is missing from the curriculum. A number of schools are already answering that need, offering media literacy programs that teach teens to recognize and deconstruct the ways messages are made in film, television and new media.

The Family Online Safety Institute (FOSI) and the Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project have agreed to conduct a research project aimed at understanding teenagers' behavior online. The research will examine how this behavior ties to digital citizenship - the behaviors, expectations and skills teens have around interacting with others in digital spaces. The research is jointly funded by the Pew Internet Project and Cable in the Classroom. The study will begin in November 2010 and results are expected in November 2011.

This WebQuest was designed for 5th - 8th grade students. It could be used as part of a technology class, home room, or social studies class. Cyberbullying is a growing issue in schools. By helping students research the issues around cyberbullying, the process alone it will raise awareness levels. Student recommendation from this WebQuest should be taken to the School Board. Students need to know that voice will be heard. Policy or handbook changes they recommend can actually be done.

"In general, the networks connect novice teachers to others in their preparation classes, teachers who instruct in the same subject or grade level to one another, and teacher-mentors to colleagues-even when they are not located at the same schools. The sites facilitate online discussions, workshops, coaching, and collaborative study groups and work teams."

Dizzywood, a virtual world and online game for children ages 8-12, today announced that it has been selected by the YMCA of San Francisco to enhance the youth program's technology curriculum. The YMCA is using Dizzywood's virtual environment to reinforce its program emphasis on activities that promote values such as caring, honesty, respect and responsibility. Children also learn about important issues relating to virtual worlds, such as digital citizenship and online safety, as well as complete storytelling and team-building exercises that emphasize creativity, writing and reading skills, and working together to achieve goals. The YMCA program is similar to the elementary school program that Dizzywood recently completed with the Reed Union School District (Marin County, CA). The highly interactive workshop, which ran from April through June, used virtual activities to reinforce the school's character pillars, which include caring, citizenship, fairness, respect, responsibility and trustworthiness, among other core values.