cyberbullying

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How Well Are Schools Teaching Cyber Safety and Ethics?

May 19, 2011 | 3:09 PM | By

NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP/Getty Images

Learning about cyber safety and ethics.

Earlier this week we looked at proposed legislation in California that would change how social networking websites handle privacy and security — not just for minors online but for all Internet users. Several commenters responded that, when it comes to children online, it should be up to parents, not legislators, to handle these sorts of matters.

But arguably, teachers can also help children learn responsible behavior online. A recent survey undertaken by the National Cyber Security Alliance, Microsoft, and Zogby/463, showed that 91% of teachers, 92% of tech coordinators, and 99% of administrators believed this should be taught. The survey examined administrators, teachers, and technology coordinators at the K-12 level about their thoughts on the cybersafety practices and curriculum in schools. (Full survey results here).

Only half of teachers surveyed believe their school does an adequate job of preparing students regarding online safety.

This is the third year that the National Cyber Security Alliance has tested these attitudes, this year asking over 1000 teachers, 200 tech coordinators and 400 administrators a set of questions about online safety. Continue reading →

FILED UNDER: Culture, cyberbullying, Internet safety

8 Social Media Sites Just for Kids

January 11, 2011 | 2:14 PM | By

Flickr: P i c t u r e Y o u t h

By Sara Bernard

Technically, Facebook doesn’t allow kids under the age of 13 to register for the site. That hasn’t stopped pre-teens from simply lying about their birthdates.

But kids under 13 don’t have to be left out of the social media world. A growing number of highly protected, kid-only sites offer viable alternatives to the unfiltered Internet world out there that allow children to exercise their social media muscles (something they’re going to do anyway) without running into online predators or inappropriate content.

Of course, it’s still just as important to educate kids about Internet safety and appropriate online behavior as it is to create technological barriers between them and unsafe situations.

“As a teacher I see it as my responsibility to teach students how to engage with their peers online in a healthy and productive way,” writes teacher Catlin Tucker in response to an article about how social media is changing education. “Online communication is rapidly becoming an essential life skill. Shouldn’t we as teachers support students in learning and mastering this skill?”

To that end, here are eight kid-friendly social media options:

Dizeo: A fully-monitored site that calls itself “social networking training wheels,” complete with video and music sharing, homework help from subject-specialist tutors, and educational videos on Internet safety.

YourSphere: This one offers games, prizes, avatars, and “spheres,” or interest groups centered on sports, television, art, music, humanitarian causes, and more. Tough filters verify identities, require parental consent, perform a “predator check,” and include real, live human oversight of site activity. Continue reading →

FILED UNDER: Teaching With Tech, cyberbullying, Facebook, Internet filtering, Internet safety, online predators, Social Media, social networking

5 Apps That Could Help to Stop Cyberbullying

December 10, 2010 | 4:35 PM | By

Flickr: The Daring Librarian

By Sara Bernard

Okay, no app is really going to “stop” cyberbullying, but a few are trying.

Perhaps the most lauded recently is the “Find Help” application on Facebook.

Often blamed as an easy venue for cyberbullies to target victims, Facebook has partnered with the monitoring site SafetyWeb to create an app that allows users not only to immediately report inappropriate behavior to Facebook officials, but also to connect to various support organizations. These include suicide hotlines and child abuse prevention centers, such as Partners Against Hate, which offers anti-hate crime education and strategies.

Other apps that claim to educate kids and parents about — and help prevent — cyberbullying:

Professor Garfield Cyberbullying: Available for iPad at the iTunes app store, this is essentially a Garfield comic strip that helps kids identify bullying behavior and provide strategies for dealing with bullies (such as how important it is to seek the support of a trusted adult). Continue reading →

FILED UNDER: Culture, apps, cyberbullying, Facebook, Social Media

6 Ways Social Media is Changing Education

November 26, 2010 | 12:02 PM | By

Flickr: ivanpw

By Sara Bernard

“The fact that we as educators even have to have discussions on whether or not social media is good for schools is sad,” writes Steve Johnson, a teacher and Edutopia guest blogger. “Social media just IS…..it’s life.”

He’s right — as of July, there were half a billion active Facebook users alone (not counting other social networking sites), and that number grows daily. So it’s inevitable that it would touch on every aspect of our lives, including education.

To that end, here’s a handful of the ways that social media is infiltrating, influencing, overtaking, and game-changing the educational landscape:

Galvanizing students: Social media, with its lightning speed and viral powers, is the perfect tool for activism, and students are no exception. Among other tactics, they’re even using Facebook and online petitions to protest school rules.

Defining boundaries: The fine line between personal and professional lives gets stickier when it involves teachers and students. Many schools and districts are having to issue recommendations, guidelines, and, in some cases, prohibitions regarding online interactions. In Massachusetts, new legislation may even threaten a teacher’s job if he or she friends a student on Facebook.

Redefining parent communication: Social media is both opening and altering the lines of communcation between teachers, parents, and students. While some teachers do a great job of using Facebook groups and fan pages to keep in touch with parents, schools are also offering cautious recommendations for parents regarding their children’s use of social media. Parents might want to be friends with their child on Facebook, for instance — both to help prevent the bad news (at Horry County Schools in South Carolina, threats prior to a school shooting were posted on Twitter, but neither school officials nor parents knew anything about it) and keep up with the good. Continue reading →

FILED UNDER: cyberbullying, Facebook, Social Media, Twitter, YouTube

How Educators Can Help Stop Bullying

October 26, 2010 | 11:59 AM | By

Flickr: Eddie~S

Amidst heightened media coverage of cyberbullying, and a quickly spreading YouTube series of videos called It Gets Better, which depicts personal accounts of harassment and support for gays and lesbians (including a message from President Barack Obama himself), the Department of Education sent a 10-page letter to schools reminding them of their responsibilities to protect students and prevent harassment.

From the New York Times:

“I am writing to remind you that some student misconduct that falls under a school’s anti-bullying policy also may trigger responsibilities under one or more of the federal anti-discrimination laws,” says the letter, signed by Russlynn H. Ali, assistant secretary for civil rights.

Compared with personal bullying in the hallways of schools and campuses, cyberbullying can escalate much more swiftly (in the form of mass texts, emails, and public social-network profiles), and can happen under the radar of school officials.

To that end, here’s a report from contributor Katie Stansberry on how educators can help. Continue reading →

FILED UNDER: cyberbullying, Department of Education, obama, YouTube

Take Control and Stop Cyber-Bullying

October 13, 2010 | 3:43 PM | By

Flickr: Hannahgirl

Bullying is an age-old problem that has plagued countless kids and ruined what could otherwise be a transformational school experience for them, replacing the love of learning with fear of humiliation. Though tactics may not have changed, the tools have, and technology is the most current smoking gun.

But parents and kids are not powerless. As much as technology can be used as a weapon, it can also be used as a powerful resource of information, garnering support among peers, and putting an end to where the bad behavior begins.

Nearly one-third of teens have been targets of cyber-bullying, according to a study released today by the Chicago youth-market research firm TRU, and in the wake of Tyler Clementi’s suicide, the statistic takes on that much more relevance.

Though there’s valid reason to be alarmed, a great article by the Christian Science Monitor’s Stacy Teicher Khadaroo about the subject gives us some much-needed context about what’s already being done now and what parents can do to help: namely, empower kids to set boundaries and stop malicious actions before they escalate. Continue reading →

FILED UNDER: cyberbullying, privacy, Safety