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The director of the White House war on drugs said on Monday that Internet videos that show people getting high pose a dangerous threat to teenagers by encouraging them to use drugs and alcohol.

"Parents would be horrified to think that people are sneaking into their house to encourage their kids to build a bong or to chug on beer at age 13," Walters said. "The fact is those people are sneaking into your house through your Internet connection on your computer," he said.

the possible recording of incoming calls, a serious problem with the district's grade reporting software, and a breach of a computer containing confidential student information that was not reported to the state.

Researchers in the US have concluded that blogging also makes bloggers better thinkers. US neurologists Fernette and Brock Eide conducted a survey of the blogosphere and posted their results on their own site. The research began with the proposition that our mental activities actually cause changes in the structures of our brains -not only what we think, but how we think as well.

You sure you sure?” It turns out, we’re not sure we’re sure according to the classic 1973 study by Goethals and Reckman.In the study, researchers invited high schoolers to discuss their opinions on an issue—in this case, school segregation and whether bussing would help racial integration. Some time later, study participants returned for another discussion. This time, however, they were divided into pro and con groups. Inside each separated groups, Goethals and Reckman placed a “confederate,” a person armed with arguments for the opposing viewpoint. The goal was to reverse the groups’ outlook.In the end, both confederates successfully reversed the groups’ opinions.

groups couldn’t accurately recall their original position. Many claimed their previous beliefs were less definite than researchers originally observed.

once. 35 mins ago I become crippled when expected to rant more than 300 characters. Damn you Twitter. 36 mins ago @speters Good luck! 4 hrs ago I totally just figured out @teach42 and his secret plans to conquer the world. Nice touch. Looking forward to seeing this go public. 5 hrs ago Or "Thank you for not unsubscribing!" Whatever the case may be. 21 hrs ago More updates... Recent Comments Jen Dorman on Why We’re All Blogging Less Rick on Why We’re All Blogging Less Kate Olson on Must View Video Dan Meyer on Must View Video John Pederson on Resistance My Blogroll Alec Couros Andy Carvin Anne Davis Brian Crosby Bud Hunt Carolyn Foote Cathy Nelson Chris Betcher Chris Lehman Christian Long Christopher Craft Christopher Harris Christopher Sessums Clarance Fischer Clay Burell Connectivism Blog Dale Basler Dan Meyer Darren Draper Darren Kuropatwa David Jakes David Warlick Dean Shareski Diana Laufenberg Doug Johnson Ewan Mcintosh Gary Stager George Siemens Jeff Utecht Jennifer D. Jones Judy O'Connel Julie Lindsay Karl Fisch Kate Sheehan Kim Cofino Konrad Glogowski Kristin Hokanson Lea Hansen-George Lisa Durff Marcy Hull Naomi Harm Ryan Bretag Scott Anderson Scott McLeod Sharon Peters Sheryl Nussbaum Beech Stephen Downes Steve Dembo Steve Hargadon Sue Waters Tim Stahmer Tom Hoffman Vicki Davis Wes Fryer Will Richardson Zac Chase Read more...

Our push with the teachers we work with is not to call them out or catch them doing something wrong: it’s quite the contrary. We want to catch them being competent, and we don’t necessarily need to be the ones doing the “catching.” The concept of peer review, or as Glickman notes above “welcoming visitors with experience and expertise,” into classrooms, is, in my view, essential to the success of both teachers and the schools they work in.

All these tools are technological with only the potential to be pedagogical… but they aren’t designed with pedagogy in mind.

Am I the only one who feels like a 30 hour day would still be too short? Are there others out there who wonder what kind of commitment it will take for a teacher to be technologically savvy enough to meaningfully engage students with all these new tools? Are we focusing too much on the tools and not enough on pedagogy? Will educational structures change fast enough to provide our students with a relevant education? … and for that matter… What would an ideal education look like today?

In my comment above I mentioned ‘pedagogical merit’ and to be honest, I have been on a bit of a focus in that direction recently. What I really mean by that is finding the right tools and structures for the right job in order to meaningfully enhance learning and engage learners.

It is time to toss out the “blog, wiki, podcast” mantra. This is bigger than tools isolated for singular purpose. If we keep pushing the tools into categories, new users will continue to only use the tools for those purposes. We should be twisting, stretching and breaking these tools, not neatly packaging content with them.

Networked learners are more confident than individual learners in questioning authority, discovering alternative realities and resolving critical concerns through thoughtful inquiry.

cell phones and smartphones can also be used as learning tools, writes Studywiz Spark Executive VP Bob Longo. Policies regarding handhelds and cell phones should focus on appropriate use policies, not out-and-out bans.

Through iPods and mp3 players, Facebook, cell phones and texting, young people become familiar with current technologies and often view them as an extension of themselves, Kennedy says. As a result, they’re drawn to learning techniques that employ novel devices. “Most of this younger generation has grown up entirely with the Internet. How can we not incorporate technology into our curriculum?” she says