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Digital storytelling is a great way to introduce students to the power of Web 2.0. There are many teachers and teacher librarians already using digital storytelling tools. This article provides some principles as well as ideas for using digital storytelling with students.

"You may think the only people capable of snooping on your Internet activity are government intelligence agents or possibly a talented teenage hacker holed up in his parents' basement. But some simple software lets just about anyone sitting next to you at your local coffee shop watch you browse the Web and even assume your identity online. "

The concepts of digital citizenship and citizenship 2.0 are particularly relevant in the context of globalisation and the knowledge economy. The most recent technology standards for students published by ISTE enshrine a major category for digital citizenship (ISTE, 2007). "Digital citizenship" is now being dubbed as "citizen 2.0" and in the simplest terms it refers to the ability to participate in society online and to use technology appropriately. Digital citizenship represents capacity, belonging, and the potential for political and economic engagement in society in the information age (O‟Brien, 2008). Digital citizens practice conscientious use of technology, demonstrate responsible use of information, and maintain a positive attitude to learning with technology (ISTE 2007 cited in Richards, 2010). The affordances of the recent raft of web 2.0 technologies - sharing, collaborating, networking, customising and personalization enable new forms of civic participation which are changing existing social relations (Punie & Cabrera, 2006). Social communication technologies offer new channels for political engagement, contacting officials, and discussing issues. The network effects or benefits of bringing people together online exceed the satisfaction gained by individual participants - creating what economists call "positive externalities" or spill over benefits.

We're exploring BYOD at our school. Even if you're not yet at this stage, this list of applications is a useful list to explore to increase connectivity and collaboration.

Here's one for all you twitterbugs. Unfortunately, as I understand it, secondary students are not really users of Twitter.

This is a blog entry report of a webinar in which the presenters discussed using technology to transform learning. "It empowers students to use the tool to access information and engage in the creation of a new product. Fisher emphasized the need to shift to student-centered work; the student is the producer rather than consumer. To make this happen learners need ample opportunities with authentic tasks in alternative instructional contexts." There are lots of suggestions for hardware and apps, with links to the ideas and resources discussed.

Another post about letting the students access their tools of communication. The website this is attached to is well worth a look as it links to the Australian Curriculum.

Abridged literature review on best practice website evaluation.