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Encyclopedia Britannica now free for bloggers. yet another reason to blog!

Encyclopedia Britannica is now free for bloggers from an article on 4/18/08 -- yet another reason for our students to blog. (I have students blogging publicly under pseudonyms.) This is fascinating, but also interesting to see how Britannica is playing catch up to Wikipedia in the market it once owned. I wonder, which would be more authoriative to you, a wikipedia quote updated daily, or Brittanica updated less often that doesn't display the authors of its content?

After examining the convergence of MMOs with social networking sites and their game-like similarities, we are faced with the question: Should schools leverage social sites for academic purposes?

Tomorrow is Worldbridges Webcastathon http://worldbridges.net/ to celebrate earth day. Get Inspired by Sasha's post and join the team to share your earthly or dream views!

The course planning wiki for the digiteen action project from my ninth graders for the middle school. They've done a nice job of planning and sharing the materials. I like their google presentation which has evolved significantly over the last three weeks.

The digital citizenship course planning wiki made by my ninth graders to teach the middle school about digital citizenship.

Exceptional post about why global collaborative projects are important

This student has written an exceptional post-project reflection. I hope you'll take time to read it. Here is an excerpt: "There is no doubt that this technology is dangerous. It is apparent that few people, not adults, not teenagers, truly understand how collaboration, conduct, and manners affect the internet. This project has to teach others that as well. It is necessary to know how to handle yourself on the internet. That's why Horizon Project is so important. We have to educate tomorrow's leaders how to use new technology without abusing it. The highlight of this project is the education we are giving every single person who has been a part of the Horizon Project."

Excellent post discussing free speech rights of public employees.

Great discussion emerging on Jon Becker's blog about free speech and blogging of public employees. I learned as much from the comments as the blog post itself.

"A portal to Connect Classrooms to the World: Global Citizens can Share Talents and Skills with Students. Teachers can find Global Citizens (Volunteers) willing to help in a field of interest that they are working on in their class."

Wonderful article on using Web 2.0 to support writing and the teaching of history.

Cell phones and what the japanese government is doing about it.

Japanese government becoming "involved" in the overuse of cell phones by japanese teenagers. This program emphasizes cell phone addiction. 1/3 of japanese 6th graders and cell phones and 2/3rds of 9th graders have them. Interestingly, one panel wants to take texting off the phones? How about using texting iN school? How about letting them define words on it instead of using a dictionary? How about letting them use it in the classroom? Seems kind of like damming up the Mississippi - it may work for a while, but eventually, the dam is going to break. Yes, this is something to talk about and discuss... internet and cell phone addiction is a real issue with many kids I talk to reporting that they literally sleep with it under their pillow. However, just getting rid of texting, I don't think that is a good idea. As with anything in human history, every tool may be used for good or bad.

Even more reason parents and schools need to be teaching digital citizenship to their kids and students.

The best we can do is teach every sprog circling adolescence how to use both their cell phones and their bodies responsibly as you would with any other tool, such as a car or a chainsaw.

Acceptable use policies including mobile phones

Just turned up this very nice post by Doug Belshaw about Acceptable Use Policies that Include Cell phones - this one and the one he wrote before it are very nice talking points for your committe who looks at AUP's.

No mention here of the teachers persecuted merely for running the election stations that may return the same "wrong" result in a presidential runoff, nor of the pupils who will not sit exams because their teachers are in fear of their lives.

I would like to encourage educators to help the educators of Zimbabwe who are being persecuted merely because the election went the wrong way. That is why I wrote the blog entry I am bookmarking now.

I offer to help campaign on behalf of: "Educators [and low ranking govt officers who] have become targets in Zimbabwe's postelection violence.... ." merely for helping to run an election that turned out the "wrong way". Apparently the so-called government wants to make sure we don't see the same so-called mistake again!!

It turns out that teachers and low ranking civil servants (ie.key electoral workers numbering >1700) are a special target of post election violence in Zimbabwe -- Roman Catholic Justice and Peace Commission is also calling for international coordination of runoff election.

Does anyone know how best we can all organise our colleagues to write to UN and President Mugabe whom we could encourage between them to put this awful matter right...?!