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"Edmodo provides consistency in teaching subjects from year to year. We don't have have books for my classes, so everything is teacher created or scavenged off the internet. As a result, things "disappear," including saved documents. The solution was to save and organize my documents are always in my Edmodo Library. I am finding that my classes are MUCH more consistent and I don't lose documents."

An elementary school in our district recently got 30 iPads and asked for some advice implementing them with students and teachers. In addition to suggesting some starter apps, I recommended that we have conversations with kids around the appropriate use of these devices. While almost every child has used an iPad, iPod Touch, or iPhone, the exciting learning opportunities these mobile, Internet-connected, media creation devices create also open the door to new challenges. Cyberbullying or inappropriate web publishing happens more through the camera than regular computer use does; the mobility of the device combined with the reality that multiple users are using the device with no personalized, password-protected, network-tracked accounts makes it more challenging to keep track of who is doing what with the device or that the device itself is safe.

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"The latest social media application to stir up controversy among teens has prompted one Lincoln Park school to ask students to delete Yik Yak and parents to make sure their child doesn't reinstall it."

"Whether you realize it or not, dozens - if not hundreds - of apps and services have access to your social accounts and can see everything you're doing online. Tweets, Likes, your location, are all there for the taking. What's worse, there's a pretty good chance you unwittingly gave them permission."

Having surveyed teenagers in 30 countries, they revealed that the number of teenagers claiming to be active on Facebook (ie. doing more than just "liking" a separate page on the web) had dropped to 56% in the third quarter of 2013, from 76% in the first. The biggest decline in active usage (by 52%) was in the Netherlands; there was a 16% fall for American teens. Where are they going instead? Not surprisingly, it's mobile chat services like WeChat, and photo-sharing apps like Instagram and Snapchat. What's truly startling though, is how quickly global teenagers are taking up the services instead:

"Facebook made a startling admission in its earnings announcement this month: it was seeing a "decrease in daily users, specifically among teens". In other words, teenagers are still on Facebook; they're just not using it as much as they did. It was a landmark statement, since teens are the demographic who often point the rest of us towards the next big thing."

"Google openly collects user data from its online services but not via apps for education, but there is concern that the online activity of teenagers is being analysed for targeted advertising."

"Nowadays, kids want to use smartphones. Of course, most parents aren't willing to actually buy their kids a device, but plenty have no problem letting them play with one. Of course, when a child uses a cell phone they can potentially be exposed to all kinds of dangerous things that aren't meant for young eyes. But the risks aren't just for the children, but they can affect you, the parents, too. Kids could make unwanted in-app purchases, make calls to people you don't want to talk to, they could even share photos you don't want the world to see, and they can do plenty of other bad things. So what can you do? Check out the infographic below for the answers."

"Facebook is planning to make users' addresses and mobile phone numbers available to apps that people use on the site, although it says it would require users to give explicit permission for it to happen."

"class.io helps teachers share course resources with students in a simple way. It integrates with Google Apps, Facebook and other web services that teachers and students use."

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

"Over the last few months, Facebook has launched several initiatives and features to help you keep your account and data secure. Back in May, the company revealed it was switching over to the secure HTTPS protocol and announced details of its login approvals feature. Facebook has also teamed up with Web of Trust to help protect you from scam websites and recently added its social reporting tool to its mobile website. In addition, the company has launched a bug bounty program that rewards security researchers for finding flaws in the social network's security systems. To help you understand the social network's security features and how to protect your account, a Guide To Facebook Security has been launched. The guide, which you can download from Facebook, is 14 pages long and offers all kinds of tips on how to protect your account, including how to spot and avoid scam apps and clickjacking."

The evolution of Facebook within a world of competing apps.

"Schoolchildren are at risk of having their online activity tracked and monitored for targeted advertising by internet firms through free cloud based education services. A survey has found that many parents do not know about data mining - the process of tracking email and web browsing habits in order to target advertising - but once they do they have grave concerns for their kids' online privacy, and believe schools need to do more to protect it. The survey commissioned by American IT industry group SafeGov asked 1000 Australian parents about their knowledge of data mining."

Some of you may have seen this item discussed on the OZTL_Net. The edudemic page is about motivation but it explains how technology such as ipads can be used as an extension of Bloom's Taxonomy to provide choice and challenge for your students. The page has links to a Ted talk that explains the "padagogy" at the heart of this program.

Teaching digital citizenship and keeping students in the classroom safe online (and off of course!) is a priority for teachers when using iPads, Google Apps, and other devices & websites in the classroom. While even the best laid digital citizenship plans can lay the foundation, teachers need to continue revisiting topics and guiding students all year.