The hack against Snapchat at the turn of the year appears to have done more awareness-raising than harm, but awareness – on the part of users and their parents as well as startups and young digital media companies – is crucial. The publishing of the screennames and partial phone numbers of 4.6 million users was a "white hat" hack, CNN reported, meaning that it was meant to expose a security … [Read more...] about The Snapchat New Year’s hack: Fuel for discussion
The White House’s K-12 students’ film festival!
This month the White House will hold its first-ever film festival for students – how cool is that?! The contest asks students in grades K-12 to submit short videos (under 3 min.) about education technology. "Your film should address at least one of the following themes," says the White House's page about the festival: "How you currently use technology in your classroom or school or the role … [Read more...] about The White House’s K-12 students’ film festival!
Balancing external with internal Internet safety ‘tools’
In preparation for a new year, some thoughts on the promise and protective properties of compassion and resilience for our children (and all of us)... In the US and probably many other countries, the Internet safety discussion has focused largely on external safeguards: filtering, monitoring and other parental control tools, household and school rules, state and federal laws. Those can be … [Read more...] about Balancing external with internal Internet safety ‘tools’
‘Fabulousness’ & self-presentation in social media
Here's a conversation about social media that would be good to have with our kids. You could headline it "Instagram envy"; the New York Times dramatically headlined it "The Agony of Instagram" (oh, brother). That the article appeared in this week's Sunday Styles section I guess confirms that it's fashionable, at least for newspapers, to be dramatic about social media. "For many urban creative … [Read more...] about ‘Fabulousness’ & self-presentation in social media
Giving students ‘skin in the game’ – another anti-distraction tool [sidebar]
Chris Lehmann, founding principal at Philadelphia's Science Leadership Academy, really sums it up: giving students "skin in the game," as he put it to Education Week. That means, as the educators I mention in the main article show, using education technology not as another platform or delivery tool for traditional tutorial-style teaching but for the kind of "inquiry-driven, project-based" learning … [Read more...] about Giving students ‘skin in the game’ – another anti-distraction tool [sidebar]