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This site is devoted to the listening of music. People in the fourth grade and older can find this site manageable and pertinent. Pandora is internet radio that allows the user to customize a "station" based on personal preferences. When a song is presented, the listener may skip it, click "I like this song" or click "I don't like this song". Based on the human input, Pandora will begin to "learn" the users preferences. The next song presented on the radio will be centered on the feedback from the previous song. Students could be presented with a new artist\composer to explore. By using this site they can be exposed to new music and be in control of the direction their tastes take them. The students can make connections between a classical composer and current pop-culture music.

I've been kicking around the idea of having teachers and/or students create and share Pandora stations around composers, favorite artists, genres, etc.

Being proactive is key in harnessing the power of emerging technologies like social media. Check out this article on the implications of social media in the workplace from an HR perspective. Try looking at the content through the eyes of an IT specialist. Directly from the article "The Bottom Line" Organizations must develop strong policies and implement them in a defensible way. If there are no internal resources with the hybrid legal and IT experience needed to execute a smart e-discovery strategy, it's advisable to hire outside expertise. Getting your e-discovery ducks in a row may be a tall order, but it can be done. Here are some guidelines: 1. Know your enemy. Find out what kinds of social media tools are being used in your organization and why. 2. Don't try to ban social media. Locking down your company's Internet access is an unrealistic goal, and it sends the wrong message to employees. 3. Establish good policies. Consider legal risks in all of the company's existing policies, including corporate communications and acceptable use policies. 4. Educate employees. Communicate why policies are important for the well-being of the organization and its staff. 5. Solicit feedback. Ask users for their input about policy changes. This will go a long way in ensuring adoption. 6. Keep it short. Make policies clear and understandable, and cut the legal jargon. Provide guidelines and examples to help employees understand the company's expectations. 7. Require employees to certify (in writing) their understanding and compliance with all corporate policies. 8. Track and audit the use of social media sites. This will provide valuable insight about policy compliance and the nature of social media use. Most importantly, learn to embrace social media for all of its benefits. Used properly, social media tools enhance your brand, foster collaboration, and help build the kinds of relationships you need to develop successful teams.

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Describes the prevalence of cyberbullying in schools. Details how one school district is being proactive in its attempt to curb cyberbullying. Some interesting sites related to this topic include H.R. 1966: Megan Meier Cyberbullying Prevention Act http://www.govtrack.us/congress/billtext.xpd?bill=h111-1966 An interesting take on H.R. 1996 as a threat to First Amendment Rights http://futurestorm.blogspot.com/2009/05/hr-1966-offend-someone-online-go-to.html

I see a lot more students using cell phones at my building than there were just a year ago. This observation and the implications was a bit sobering. What challenges does the ubiquitous use of cell phones and other smart devices create for our network safeguards? Is cyberbullying going on in your building(s)? What options do targeted students and parents have for reporting or enacting a grievance against cyberbullying? Are reported correlations of student absenteeism and cyberbulliying accurate? I'd like to post this on our blogs and ask our staffs to weigh in on the topic.

Article regarding teachers and social networks - it's worth a look to make sure you don't fall into any of the pitfalls discussed

I was looking for something to replace AtomicLearning and this is what I found. It's pretty basic (read teacher friendly). There are many offerings for self-paced online training for productivity apps (MS Word, Excel); internet and social networking tools, and more.

Andrew Church

Intersting thoughts in this article regarding 1:1. When you read the section on leadership, think of ways we can nurture our teacher tech leaders.

I should go out and tell someone :-)

This is an updated version of the Evaluating Web Sites handout you were given at the 4/27 faculty meeting. Follow the links to get more detailed tips for CONTEXT, EVALUATION CRITERIA, ONLINE SELECTION, and WEBLIOGRAPHY.