Group items tagged

Excellent example of a program to promote meaningful and effective comments and communications.

The 31 day comment challenge is a program to promote effective, meaningful comments run by several amazing edubloggers -- this is an example of something that those interested in facilitating effective communications should discuss and participate in.

More parents are looking to cell phones to help keep their children safe. But mom and dad should be aware: Kids who talk on a cell phone may be more likely to step into traffic, a new study shows.

To decrease a child's risk of sexual exploitation in every environment, there are several steps parents and caregivers should take:

At issue: Should teens who send racy cell-phone pictures be branded as sex offenders?

New book by Mike Ribble (Author of Digital Citizenship in the Schools). You want your children to enjoy all the benefits a technological society has to offer, but at the same time, you want them to stay safe and act as responsible members of society. Raising a Digital Child is your guide. Inside, you will learn about many of the newest and most popular technologies, in parent-friendly language, along with discussions of the risks each might harbor and the types of behaviors that every child should learn in order to become a good citizen in this new digital world.

The Acceptable Use Policy should state that written parental consent is required before any student is given access to the Internet or to electronic mail. There needs to be a signature form for parents and students to sign indicating that they have read, understand and intend to abide by the school's Acceptable Use Policy. Sample permission forms are included for elementary, middle and high school.

Take a look at the seven YouTube videos below, all taken by student cell phone cameras in classrooms. Do we want students bringing to public attention these types of classroom incidents? Should students be punished or applauded for filming and posting these?

A rational, ethical and legally-defensible way" of how educators should change their approach to both using and teaching about intellectual property, [Doug Johnson]

A rational, ethical and legally-defensible way" of how educators should change their approach to both using and teaching about intellectual property, [Doug Johnson]

News coverage about a middle school student victimized by online and offline bullying has prompted a grassroots solidarity campaign. She's received over 1,400 letters of support so far, and it's serving as a teachable moment that no school should ignore. Olivia Gardner was just a sixth grader when the bullying began two years ago. Previously diagnosed with epilepsy, Olivia was tormented by her peers because of the disease. In school, they'd call her "retard." Online, they created an "Olivia Haters" page on MySpace and would use it to make fun of her. The school district eventually got involved, bringing in the families of the kids who were involved in the bullying, as well as holding a series of student assemblies on the problem. But it was too little, too late for Olivia, who soon transferred to another school.

MySpace is public enemy number one in many school districts. But that doesn't mean social networking tools should be banned outright.

Latest video from NS Teens. Some teens say and do terrible things to each other online because they don't see the direct effects of their actions. So what should you do if you're cyberbullied? "Terrible Text" is about a young girl who is troubled when a cyberbully sends mean text messages to her cell phone at all hours of the day and night.

Oak Forest High School's superintendent says the Facebook posting disrupted the school day, and that's why the student was suspended.

Did you know you could lose insurance benefits from putting photos online? Or that a Tweet can put you in jail? Or that the FBI might be friending you on Facebook? Or that even brand-new service Chatroulette isn't truly anonymous?

Brilliant and meaty post from Alex Couros about what "digital citizenship" encompasses and really means for pedagogy.

Higher ed requires incoming freshmen to take Composition and some form of math, and so, too, should universities require students to take a course that helps them identify reputable information in the vast expanse of the web.

Chatroulette allows people around the world to see each other and chat via text or audio. Users can click "next" to skip from person to person, never knowing what the next image will be. But this unregulated freedom presents serious safety concerns for children. Violent and sexually charged images frequently turn up on Chatroulette, according to Sam Anderson, who chronicled his experience on the site for New York Magazine.

It's a discussion parents all around the world are having: Is Chatroulette something we should be worried about?

In this lesson, students learn about and discuss the legal aspects of cyberbullying. They review a variety of hypothetical scenarios and a case study, and they consider the seriousness of the situations, who is legally responsible, what action (if any) should be taken and by whom. Lesson plan materials for GR 9-12 are also available on the same topic.

Kids should receive online safety education at home, at school, and from the vendors that provide internet products and services.