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Common Sense Media has launched a new version of its free digital citizenship curriculum, Digital Literacy and Citizenship in a Connected Culture. The new version adds student, teacher, and parent resources, including comprehensive lessons on cyber bullying, for fourth and fifth graders. The program, which empowers students to think critically and make informed choices about how they live and treat others in today's digital media world, covers topics from internet safety and security to privacy, with a deep focus on cyber bullying and responsible digital behavior. Recent stories of the tragic consequences of cyber bullying highlight the need to teach kids how to prevent and respond to digital harassment, beginning at a young age, Common Sense Media says. The curriculum, which is based on the digital ethics research of Howard Gardner and the GoodPlay Project at Harvard's Graduate School of Education, uses content that ranges from print and video materials to interactive components and real-life student stories to inspire kids to be responsible digital citizens.

In a move that will make primary-source documents more accessible for students, Caroline Kennedy unveiled the nation's first online presidential archive on Jan. 13, a $10 million project to digitize the most important papers, photographs, and recordings of President John F. Kennedy's days in office. Users can browse through the drafts of Kennedy's "Ask not what your country can do for you" speech and see how he tinkered with the words of that most famous line from his inauguration. Or, they can listen to his personal phone calls and read his letters. Archivists digitized more than 200,000 pages, 1,200 recordings, and 300 museum artifacts, as well as reels of film and hundreds of photographs. Library Director Tom Putnam said they started with all of Kennedy's Oval Office files-everything that went across his desk-along with his personal papers, official White House photos, audio of all his public remarks, video of his famous speeches, and home movies. Private partners-including AT&T, EMC Corp., Raytheon Co., and Iron Mountain Corp.-contributed $6.5 million in equipment and technical services to digitize thousands of records. The library will continue digitizing about 100,000 pages a year, along with thousands of photos and recordings. At that rate, it would still take more than 100 years to digitize all records from the Kennedy administration

great online tool that students can use to create posters and videos. The National Archives Digital Vault poster and video creation tools allow students to drag and drop digital artifacts into a poster or video. The National Archives provides images, documents, and audio in an easy to use editor. When making a poster students can combine multiple images, change background colors, and create captions to make collages of digital artifacts.

Excellent list of Digital Storytelling tools.

Digital Portfolios for Primary Students! http://t.co/WKs3rUmt - Alfredo Reyes (teachtechie) http://twitter.com/teachtechie/status/174298808824508421

an online science-based program designed to help educators teach an appreciation of outdoor landscapes. The digital curriculum is led by Lucky, a real-life rescue dog who encourages kids to protect the land around them. TurfMutt includes lesson plans for students in grades 3-5, engaging activities, videos, and more. In addition, the Landscapes Across America contest challenges classrooms to submit a digital photo slideshow of their ecosystem for a chance to win a $5,000 grant toward implementing eco-friendly programs.

Digital public Library

Excellent blog post on web based tools and what they are to assist you in you lesson development. 

.instructions, templates, and best practices for creating a professional educator portfolio

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