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Education begins and ends with the relationship between the teacher and the student. While this idea is nothing new and has existed for thousands of years, it has undergone substantial change for better or for worse. Technology can help us, however, create an enviornment where teachers can impart more of their wisdom to more students, allowing more children to become better members of society. Social Media in the Classroom: How Teachers Can Use It Effectively http://t.co/hzxiolGs

Some lovely examples here of how students are using new media to learn.

"Leadership is key to the use of innovative tools and the successful integration of digital aged literacy as mainstream in district K-12 education rather than just in isolated classrooms. Modeling use of Web 2.0 technologies and resolving policy issues hampering best practice use of digital media is a critical challenge for district level administrators. Transformative Leadership with Web 2.0 is an assessment tool for school leaders to help identify level of engagement in becoming a Transformative Leader with Web 2.0. "

How do we get academics to adopt technology in their teaching. It is clear that a large majority of older acdemics in Higher Education are so stuck in the trenches of talk-and-chalk methodologies of information transfer that they clearly fail to see the bigger picture.

I n recent years, there has been explosive growth in students creating, manipulating, and sharing content online (National School Boards Association, 2007). Recognizing the educational value of encouraging such behaviors, many school leaders have shifted their energies from limiting the use of these technologies to limiting their abuse. As with any other behavior, when schools teach and set expectations for appropriate technology use, students rise to meet the expectations. Such conditions allow educators to focus on, in the words of social technology guru Howard Rheingold (n.d.), educating "children about the necessity for critical thinking and [encouraging] them to exercise their own knowledge of how to make moral choices."

"Produced in collaboration with Facebook. Social media is fast becoming as ubiquitous as the air we breathe. In recent months, many schools and districts around the country have taken steps to create social media policies and guidelines for their students and staff. In my work with several districts to draft these documents, I have seen many approaches that work well, and some that don't. That said, there is no silver bullet for administrators; every school, district, and state has a different set of circumstances. With that in mind, here are some steps that will help you determine the best approach for your own community."

Our society is held back by many digital divides. Those who have computers and those who don't. Those who have Internet access and those who don't. Those who create mobile apps in their spare time and those who are over 21.

Comprehensive and thought-provoking post from Simon Finch on ideal beahvior online -- including by teachers and parents.

Some lovely tools for helping you cope