on 5/15/12

tags: crisis help, cyberbullying, digital footprint, digital reputation, education, privacy, report abuse, schools, smartphone, texting

The votes are in! Trend Micro has named the winners of the 2012 “What’s Your Story” video contest. This year, the $10,000 grand prize goes to the South Grand Prairie (SGP) High School Video Club in Grand Prairie, Texas. This is the first time that the grand prize has been awarded to a school entry rather than the individua... more »

on 4/30/12

tags: cyberbullying, digital reputation, education, harrassment

In her latest TED Talk, social work research professor Brene Brown at the University of Houston cites the work of psychologist James Mahalik at Boston College: "What do women need to do to conform to female norms?" she rhetorically asks her audience? Mahalik found that, in the US, the top answers were "be nice, thin, modest, an... more »

on 4/24/12

tags: mobile, smartphone

Looking for fun games that require critical thinking skills? Cool apps that exercise creative muscles? Engaging websites that encourage vocabulary building through collaboration? Check out new learning ratings for websites, apps, and games from Common Sense Media. These new ratings are designed to help parents identify the digit... more »

on 4/17/12

tags: schools

Many students, parents, and educators recognize the potential to reach and engage students through technology and new media use within the educational environment.  While many administrators and policy-makers also acknowledge the potential benefits, some are unfamiliar with technology and new media, skeptical of the benefits, a... more »

on 4/11/12

As far as I can tell, the app “Girls Around Me” wasn’t violating any laws. But it was high on the creepy scale when, according to reports, women’s identity, photographs and location were being revealed to strangers, even though the women never opted into the service. Although the developer, Moscow-based I-Free, hardly de... more »

on 4/2/12

tags: digital reputation, education, Facebook, schools

Read Part 1 Read Part 2 This third installment focuses on social media’s place in teacher-student relationships—should it be used as a communication tool outside of school? My initial reason for writing about social media’s place in the classroom lies in this last installment of The Digital Safety Debate series. It stems ... more »

on 3/26/12

tags: cyberbullying, education, social networking

This second installment focuses on social media’s place in the school—is it teacher’s pet or troublemaker? (Read Part 1 here). Imagine a stranger walking up to you, placing a chainsaw in your hands, a huge log at your feet and saying, “Carve this piece of wood into the Statue of Liberty,” only to then briskly walk away... more »

on 3/21/12

tags: education, mature content, parental controls

Video games have changed drastically in the past 10 years. The simple days of the standalone game are gone. Gaming systems now have Internet access, online games can feature chatting, and kids can use phones and tablets to play wherever they go. Children's behavior can no longer be easily monitored from the living room, a change... more »

on 3/20/12

Three-quarters of US 12-to-17-year-olds text on cellphones, and the volume of texts they send and receivedis now 60 a day for the median teen texter, up from 50 a day in 2009, according to a just-released study by the Pew Internet & American Life Project. “Older teens [14-17], boys, and blacks are leading the increase,”Pew s... more »