No child is left behind in using social media at George Middle School in the Portland, Ore., area, Converge magazine reports. Over 90% of the students qualify for a free and reduced lunch, and the school receives Title I funding, but they are not without technology in the classroom. Many of the students don't have landlines at home, but 75% of them have cellphones, so – in order to beat the label … [Read more...] about Smart social media use in Oregon school
education technology
Social networking under age 13: Some ed experts’ views
After a UK report finding that a quarter of 8-to-12-year-old British Net users are on Facebook and a US principal calls for a Facebook ban for middle schoolers (see below), I thought you'd appreciate some perspective from some top US educators and risk-prevention specialists.... From Mike Donlin, Senior Program Consultant in Prevention, Intervention and Tech Services, Seattle Public … [Read more...] about Social networking under age 13: Some ed experts’ views
The school district that logged 13,000 photos of students’ homes
The Webcam security program of a Pennsylvania school district being sued by parents for spying on students with school-supplied laptops captured "nearly 13,000 images" of the insides of students' homes, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports. But a report presented at a school board meeting this week said that "there's no evidence" the district used the laptops to spy on students "despite its … [Read more...] about The school district that logged 13,000 photos of students’ homes
Teacher of the Year teaches with Facebook
I hope the news – of President Obama honoring 2010 Teacher of the Year Sarah Brown Wessling at the White House – strengthens support for the amazing tech educators I know and love. "In reciting Wessling's qualifications for the award," the Boston Globe reports, "Obama said her students 'don't just write five-paragraph essays, but they write songs, public service announcements, film, storyboards, … [Read more...] about Teacher of the Year teaches with Facebook
No more free nings
I saw a lot of sad tweets tonight about Ning's announcement from tech educators I follow on Twitter – educators who created classroom "nings" (mini, user-created social-network sites), professional-development "nings" and activist "nings." Creating a site on Ning will no longer be free, I read in CNET, "free" being just one of the service's attractions to educators (and a whole lot of other … [Read more...] about No more free nings