"Last week, I wrote about how the internet facilitates civic participation and encourages individuals to connect with each other. But what about those on the other side of the digital divide? Not everyone has access to the technologies that enable this new kind of participation. As Gov 2.0 becomes the norm, and digital citizenship becomes even more intertwined with "offline" citizenship, how will we ensure that everyone is included in the benefits of participatory governance - not just those already fortunate enough to have broadband access at home and the know-how to use it effectively?"

"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."

"This leads to an intriguing thought: that the young cyber-activists in Cairo are showing the rest of the world what it means to be a digital citizen. We, in the online safety community, have been promoting the idea and ideals of 21st century citizenship for a number of years. Simply put, we ask: How can we move the rights and responsibilities we take for granted in the offline world and move them into the online space? How can we encourage the equivalent of rushing to the scene of an accident or reporting a crime or getting involved in your local community when it comes to the online communities we increasingly inhabit? How can we promote new social norms of behavior in a seemingly rule-free, anything goes environment that much of the web seems to exhibit?"

"The aim of the digital citizenship program is to teach members of the school community the responsible use of technology. With iPods, laptops and smart phones becoming an everyday reality for students, the board has decided to embrace technology rather than fight against it."

"The evolution of education, particularly as filtered through the prism of emerging technology and new media, is something we're keenly interested in and something of increasing importance to society at large. Now, from authors Douglas Thomas and John Seely Brown comes a powerful and refreshing effort to approach the subject with equal parts insight, imagination and optimism, rather than the techno-dystopian views today's cultural pundits tend to throw our way." A really useful post that introduces the book New culture of Learning, and includes two good videos and links to the book website.

"Schools have had to act fast to try to manage the widespread use of Facebook and other social media by students and teachers"

"Disney has just acquired Togetherville, a social network for kids 10 years of age or younger, we've confirmed with the company. Terms of the acquisition are not being disclosed at the moment."

"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? "

Information on Digital Citizenship, Search/Research, What's Web 2.0, Plagiarism, Copyright, Safety 'Net, Cyberbullying. From 2Learn.ca Education Society, Canada

from The 2Learn.ca Education Society presents NetKnowHow.ca

Smokescreen is a game about life online. Promo: We all use Facebook, MySpace, Bebo and MSN to keep up with our mates - and we've all heard the stories about parties on Facebook being mobbed, or people getting stalked on MSN. The question is, what would you do if it happened to you? Over 13 missions, Smokescreen follows the story of Max Winston and Cal Godfrey, two mates who've set up an exclusive social network called White Smoke. After Cal's involved in a car accident and falls into a coma, White Smoke becomes huge - and starts attracting huge problems. Each mission explores the world of White Smoke, and players find out who they can trust - and who they can't.