Group items tagged

"Referred to variously as technopanic, predator panic, cyberbullying panic, etc., a lot of fear and anxiety has developed around the intersection of youth and the Internet." " He defined juvenoia as "the exaggerated fear of the influence of social change [including the Internet] on youth." This week, the first of a two-part series on Dr. Finkelhor's talk: why the fear is unsupported by the evidence and (next week) why all the fear.

Either we allow for the ambiguity that freedom and unregulated 3D printing will bring, or we enforce far-reaching laws that may decrease liberty without changing results.  For those who appreciate the internet because of its democratizing effects and freedom, I believe the choice is clear. We should decide now that we will oppose any law that attempts to undermine freedom on the internet, no matter the consequences.

The internet of things  Interesting interactive infographic

Reading online content later when offline is not something new, but a new free app for the iPad gets us rethinking our daily Internet browsing.

"A survey of teachers who instruct American middle and high school students finds that digital technologies are impacting student writing in myriad ways and there are significant advantages from tech-based learning. Some 78% of the 2,462 advanced placement (AP) and National Writing Project (NWP) teachers surveyed by the Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project say digital tools such as the internet, social media, and cell phones "encourage student creativity and personal expression." In addition: 96% agree digital technologies "allow students to share their work with a wider and more varied audience" 79% agree that these tools "encourage greater collaboration among students" According to teachers, students' exposure to a broader audience for their work and more feedback from peers encourages greater student investment in what they write and in the writing process as a whole. At the same time, these teachers give their students modest marks when it comes to writing and highlight some areas needing attention. Asked to assess their students' performance on nine specific writing skills, teachers tended to rate their students "good" or "fair" as opposed to "excellent" or "very good." Students received the best ratings on their ability to "effectively organize and structure writing assignments" and their ability to "understand and consider multiple viewpoints on a particular topic or issue." Teachers gave students the lowest ratings when it comes to "navigating issues of fair use and copyright in composition" and "reading and digesting long or complicated texts.""

some good videos and ideas that would go along with our common sense media lesson plans

Interesting info graphic on the uses of the internet

"Monster Exchange is designed to encourage the development of reading and writing skills while integrating Internet technology into the classroom curriculum. Classrooms from a variety of schools worldwide are paired together; the students in each classroom are split into groups, each of which designs an original picture of a monster. The students must then write a description of the monster. The partnered classes then exchange their descriptions via e-mail and the Internet. These students are then challenged to use reading comprehension skills to read the descriptions and translate them into a monster picture. The true challenge involves creating a redrawn picture as close to the original picture as possible without looking at the original and using only the written description of the monster."

Internet matters resource, guide and supporting app

by the creator of The Browser, a great place to get good long-reads; he celebrates what the internet gives us in terms of reading opportunities

pointers about what to teach students to improve their internet search skills

Be Web Aware comprises a PSA campaign on television, radio, print and outdoor and this comprehensive Web site. The site, which was developed by MNet, is full of information and tools to help parents effectively manage Internet use in the home. In 2010, Bell funded the re-design and updating of www.bewebaware.ca. MNet would like to thank Bell for its generous ongoing support of this valuable resource for Canadian parents.

an article from 2007 re internet addiction in kids and how Korea is tackling it.... Would be interesting to get an update....

"Leading expert in neuroscience and education Dr Paul Howard-Jones delivers the Annual Nominet Trust Lecture at the RSA, assessing the extent to which the scientific findings support popular fears and anxieties about what technology is doing to us."

An article/interview with David Weinberger about his new book, Too Big to Know, which I'm really excited about (as I'm reading it on my iPad).... Yes, it will be available in the library very soon.

In 1970 the top three skills required by the Fortune 500 were the three Rs: reading, writing, and arithmetic. In 1999 the top three skills in demand were teamwork, problem-solving, and interpersonal skills. We need schools that are developing these skills." That's why a new breed of educators, inspired by everything from the Internet to evolutionary psychology, neuroscience, and AI, are inventing radical new ways for children to learn, grow, and thrive. To them, knowledge isn't a commodity that's delivered from teacher to student but something that emerges from the students' own curiosity-fueled exploration. Teachers provide prompts, not answers, and then they step aside so students can teach themselves and one another. They are creating ways for children to discover their passion-and uncovering a generation of geniuses in the process.