Group items tagged

"Since media is such a big presence in kids' lives today, many schools have already implemented some form of media education. What has your school done? Do you think the efforts so far have been effective? What would you change if you could? "

"At Clarence Sansom we believe that students should have access to computers, other technology and the internet to assist them in their learning. As of fall 2011, students may bring their own digital devices to school (with school permission) and may use these devices in the classroom (with teacher permission). Non-instructional and unsupervised areas such as hallways, washrooms and change rooms are designated as digital "no-zones". The library is a digital "go zone". Students will be allowed to use digital devices in this area during non-instructional time under direct supervision and with teacher permission. "

"Thanks to the continuing wave of school district communicators and administrators seeking ways to reach their communities, a common question gets asked: How do you set up a Facebook page for a school district? "

"A CYBER safety expert has slammed primary schools for letting students as young as eight use Twitter. Roxburgh Homestead Primary School is one of a number of schools to set up classroom Twitter accounts so students can share snippets of their work with the outside world. Parents have been encouraged to 'follow' the accounts for an insight into their children's school life."

Article showing both sides of the argument for letting younger students use social media (including Twitter) for learning.

"The St. Thomas Aquinas School digital pilot project has opened the door to allow students to use personal electronic devices throughout Red Deer Catholic Regional Schools." "Before we turn the switch to allow students to access the network with their devices, schools need to take that time to work with students on responsible digital citizenship," said Mason. Teachers, as well, could need more professional development to allow for incorporating the devices in the classroom."

n a recent Teacher article, two schools discussed their differing policies on mobile phone use during school hours. Here, we look at a range of studies that have explored the positives and negatives of allowing mobile phones to be used in class. As Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) programs become more widespread, questions are being raised about the benefits of allowing students to actively use mobile phones as learning devices in school. Over the past decade, several studies have taken a closer look at student and educator perspectives on the issue.

"All members of the school community should agree on a clear definition of cyberbullying and hostile online behaviour. This definition needs to be understood, accepted and shared within the whole school community, including identifying unacceptable online behaviours and the consequences of these behaviours. It should reflect the school's ethos that cyberbullying is unacceptable, harmful and will be acted upon."

Schools have significantly different needs and ideas regarding on-line safety, much of it dependent upon their experience and comfort on the spectrum of users of digital media to promote student success. It is necessary for schools and communities to work together to demystify the potential uses and abuses of digital media within and outside the school setting. Understanding the potential for cyberbullying, sexting, or other inappropriate consumption and planning for responsible reactions to such is a priority for the community that wishes to harness the potential of the tools while also keeping children safe.

The eSafety Toolkit for Schools is designed to support schools to create safer online environments.

Many professional societies, including the American Association of School Librarians (AASL), the Consortium for School Networking (CoSN), and the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE), provide standards and goals for the implementation of technology in learning. These standards include information literacy, collaboration, communication, and digital citizenship, among others. This article also focuses on digital citizenship. In additional to providing standards and behaviors, it provides a structure for addressing behaviors when they affect students and the school community.

Australia is following the trend in other countries to have students bring their own laptops and tablets to use at school but while the trend has gathered ...

An observational piece about BYOD in practice in an American high school.

An observational piece about BYOD in practice in an American high school.

Sam Gliksman writes about building a "bring your own device" plan for schools.

Sam Gliksman writes about building a "bring your own device" plan for schools.

BYOD/ BYOT case study of Forsyth County Schools in the USA. Effective implementation of a BYOD program with improved student engagement and technology integration into lessons.

BYOD/ BYOT case study of Forsyth County Schools in the USA. Effective implementation of a BYOD program with improved student engagement and technology integration into lessons.

It is recommended that schools establish a small team of interested and motivated staff to oversee a holistic approach to cybersafety within the school environment. 

"This Media 21 LibGuides chronicles the learning experiences of 10th Honors Literature/Composition who have participated in a 2009-10 learning initiative, Media 21, at Creekview High School. This program, spearheaded by school librarian Buffy Hamilton and English teacher Susan Lester, provided students a learning environment facilitated by both Hamilton and Lester in which Hamilton was "embedded" as an instructor. Media 21, rooted in connectivism, inquiry, and participatory literacy, emphasized students creating their own research "dashboards" and portals and the creation of personal learning networks to help students engage in their learning experiences and to evaluate a diverse offering of information sources more critically. This guide is also documenting the 2010-11 Cohort 2 of Media 21 and the learning experiences of both the students and the teachers."

"Following news reports that a Central Bucks School District English teacher was recently suspended for posting unflattering comments about her students in an online blog, it seems several local school districts already have policies on the books for similar situations."

"Mobile devices are now found in the hands of most children, and school leaders are using that to their advantage by incorporating devices that students already own into classroom lessons and projects. Concerns remain about students who are unable to purchase or borrow a device for use in the classroom, but districts might find creative ways-such as asking local businesses or community organizations for help-to provide devices in such instances, advocates of the trend say. With access issues in mind, allowing students to bring their own devices from home can offer educational benefits, as well as some surprisingly positive results when it comes to creative thinking and classroom behavior."

It's interesting that the school districts mentioned in this article are embracing "BYOT", while other schools around the world continue to clamp down on students' tech use, banning devices instead of educating about ethical use.

The idea for this page is to build a 'best of the web' reading / watching list for school leadership regarding using social media for school advancement. Rather than talk about how great social media is we're using social media to build this reading list.

"Imagine the look of horror on one New York school librarian's face when she returned to her middle school library to find a list of overdue books with the names of kids who had borrowed them plastered on her door. She immediately thought of all the students who'd taken out titles on sensitive topics, like puberty."