New Jersey's stepped-up bullying prevention law has been deemed unconstitutional not for its spirit but for its cost. It was the state's Council on Local Mandates that ruled the law – the "Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights," which "was seen as one of the toughest in the nation" – unconstitutional as an unfunded mandate, the Tri-Boro Patch reports. The legislation's lead sponsor, Assemblywoman Valerie … [Read more...] about State anti-bullying law to be reworked
Risk & Safety
Addendum: But isn’t videogame play bad for kids?
This is an addendum to my post yesterday, "Why kids love video games & what parents can do about it".... There has been a lot of legislation written, news stories published, and research conducted about the effects of violent videogames on kids. New laws have consistently been rejected by the courts as unconstitutional, and the research has shown that "a very small number of kids, about 3%, … [Read more...] about Addendum: But isn’t videogame play bad for kids?
A class as a team of co-learners
…with the focus on the learners, which can certainly include the teacher. This is the conceptual infrastructure, presented in educator Jackie Gerstein's User-Generated Education blog, for using tech in the classroom. How does it play out? More emphasis on learners and learning, using technology to facilitate that. Starting when a class first meets. Literally – as in everybody really meeting each … [Read more...] about A class as a team of co-learners
Parenting & the mobile app ratings in the works
As mobile apps multiply like rabbits and the number of kids downloading and playing with them seems to keep growing, the usefulness of app ratings to parents seems to be growing too. CTIA – the mobile phone industry trade association – gets this. It recently announced an app rating system it has been working on since 2010, Investors.com reports. The system, which CTIA worked on with the … [Read more...] about Parenting & the mobile app ratings in the works
Shh! Listen to the librarian!
I wish every high school student had a librarian like Joyce Valenza! Many do, probably, but I hope they hear what Joyce tells the junior class at her school about social media and online reputations. As they prep to apply to colleges and universities, she gives them solid data, resources, and advice, as she relates in her blog at SchoolLibraryJournal.com. She suggests that they replace those kid … [Read more...] about Shh! Listen to the librarian!