Read Caitlin Seida's story for a great example of resilience and how to be an upstander online. Caitlin had publicly posted an unflattering Halloween photo of herself, forgetting to make it private, and the photo – along with plenty of nasty comments – went viral. What started out to be a fun Halloween became a nightmare. "I don’t generally view my body size as positive or negative – it simply … [Read more...] about A courageous target turned upstander
Risk & Safety
The kids who are most at risk offline (& online)
In 2009, the Internet Safety Technical Task Force published a finding that the young people most at risk online are those most at risk offline, a clear indicator to me that online risk is not a unique new problem brought on by the Internet. In their thorough review of the online risk literature released right up through that year, the researchers on our task force shared some of the offline risks … [Read more...] about The kids who are most at risk offline (& online)
New parental controls for Chromebooks
Just in time for parents' holiday shopping, Google announced its new "Supervised Users" tool for Chromebooks. You know about Chromebooks, right? They're a very viable alternative to tablets that are just as (in some cases more) low-cost and offer a more laptop-like experience, and this tool makes them an even more viable option for families. [As their name suggests, the Chrome browser is their … [Read more...] about New parental controls for Chromebooks
All kids deserve the safety & other benefits of social-emotional learning
Think how digital spaces, homes, schools, workplaces and everywhere else we human beings congregate would change were every child to be kindly, respectfully taught the following skills: Self-awareness: The ability to 1) recognize emotions and thoughts and how they affect behavior and 2) assess one’s strengths and limitations Self-management: The ability to regulate emotions, … [Read more...] about All kids deserve the safety & other benefits of social-emotional learning
Students hacking iPads: Mostly good, isn’t it?
Calling it a "hacking scandal," NPR reported that less than a week after receiving their iPads in the Los Angeles Unified School District's $30 million iPad program, more than 200 high school students had already figured out how to bypass the filtering software installed on them. A scandal, maybe, for educators who just want to control students' use of the devices. But this is school not jail, … [Read more...] about Students hacking iPads: Mostly good, isn’t it?