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For the past few years educators have sought a way to utilize social networking to communicate and collaborate with other teachers, parents and students.  From Twitter to Facebook teachers have created streams to alert parents of upcoming assignments, Q&A pages and be available for students long after the school doors have closed

Security and privacy issues have run amuck with teachers ‘friending’ students on Facebook.  In fact, teachers have lost their job for placing school administratively deemed inappropriate photos on their wall. My school district has mandated that educators follow certain guidelines for teachers to adhere to when students or their parents attempt to become our social network friend. Some people may call this extreme but I view said guidelines as a form of protection for all involved.

The new Xbox LIVE Party feature extends the concept of social interaction on Xbox LIVE with 8-person voice chat. It also provides simple mechanisms for the Xbox LIVE Party group to play multiplayer games together. This session reviews the Xbox LIVE Party feature and discusses how to integrate your game to create cutting-edge social experiences. Come find out how to make your title interact seamlessly with Xbox LIVE Party, and how doing so will improve your user experience. If you are currently enabling your title for Xbox LIVE, or are just interested in learning more about the latest features, this talk is for you.

“Dr. Caudle advises that, in addition to interacting more with their children, parents should also take the necessary preventive measures to create safe places for their children to get away from cyber-bullying. “The home should be a safe place where open discussion is not only allowed, but invited,” says Dr. Caudle. Parental supervision and involvement in a child’s social interactions allows for a sense of comfort and protection from bullying. ”

“Dr. Caudle also notes that one must not forget about the bullies themselves. Often, bullying is a cry for help and can usually be traced to a time when the bully was in fact a victim of this type of behavior. Thus, creating a safe environment where one’s child feels comfortable enough to talk about being bullied can help put a stop to bullying before it ever starts.”

“According to Dr. Caudle, in order to prevent cyber-bullying, parents must be actively involved in their children’s cyber lives. “Communication with one’s children is the key to bully prevention,” says Dr. Caudle. So send them a friend request on Facebook. Play some XBOX Live—or another system with online gaming—with them. Parents who are proactively involved with their children’s interactions online are subsequently able to monitor these interactions more closely. Therefore, such parents will be exponentially more informed with regard to what bullies, if any, exist in their children’s lives, both online and off. ”

The average kid sponges in 2.5 hours of music each day, almost five hours of TV and movies, three hours of Internet and video games, and just 38 minutes of old-fashioned reading

And that doesn't even include the hour and a half spent text messaging each day, and the half hour kids talk on the cell phone.

But what about homework?

Cyberbullying

In school ... you don't want anyone to think of you as a "gossip" or someone who says things about other people. Everyone wants to be "nice." You don't have to be nice if you don't want to online. 13 year old girl, Edmonton

There is little doubt that cyberbullying, which can be the equivalent of "social death" for many young people, is traumatic. It differs from traditional, face-to-face bullying in that it is relentless and public and at the same time anonymous. Cyberbullying has turned the usual image of "the bully" on its head; it's no longer only the "tough kids" who may act aggressively – it can just as easily be the shy, quiet types, hidden behind their computers. Added to this is the potential presence of countless, invisible witnesses and/or collaborators to the cyberbullying, which creates a situation where victims are left unsure of who knows, and whom to fear.