Watch Out, Facebook: A New Social Network Targets Alumni
Dave Herholz There has been a lot of excitement about bringing social networking tools into the classroom in recent years. These technologies have been touted as ways to encourage students to collaborate and communicate — both with teachers and with one another. It’s a way for students who might feel too shy to speak up [...]
Life in a 21st-Century English Class
Creating a Common Craft-style video is part of the classroom assignment. By Shelley Wright I teach in an inquiry, project-based, technology embedded classroom. A mouthful, I know. So what does that mean? To begin with, I don’t lecture. My students don’t take notes, at least not in the traditional sense, and we don’t read a [...]
Polishing the Student’s Image on Facebook Timeline
Facebook and schools have been on a collision course, and especially in the past week, the media has spotlighted the tension between the social media site and its relationship with students and teachers. In the meantime, Lisa Nielsen, who works for the New York City Department of Education teaching teachers how to use technology in [...]
Catholic School Clamps Down on Kids Using Facebook
TB By Joshua Johnson This past October, Saint Timothy Catholic School in San Mateo caused a stir when it added an addendum to its parent/student handbook. The new rule? Any student with a Facebook account will be suspended until the account is closed. Monica Miller, principal of Saint Timothy, acknowledges that she panicked some parents. [...]
Kids Online: the Risks and the Realities
TB The Internet seems like another member of the family sometimes. It lives in our home and follows us wherever we go, it vies for our attention, and it entertains us. The habits we fall into around our online lives has a profound effect on our family relationships, especially when it comes to parents and [...]
Grockit and Facebook: the Friendship Blooms
On the heels of Monday’s story about a new Facebook app called Hoot.me that focuses students on lessons at hand, and away from distractions, here’s some news from Grockit in the same realm: Facebook’s developer conference, Grockit, a social learning company, announced a new integration with Facebook that will make it even easier for students [...]
Distractions Begone! Facebook as a Study Tool
Protecting student safety has been the rationale behind the recent spate of laws restricting teachers’ and students’ communication via social networking. The laws call into into question once again the educational value of these sorts of online social tools: Why do teachers need to talk to students on Facebook? Shouldn’t students be studying? Isn’t Facebook [...]
Facebook, Students and Teachers: A Question of Free Speech
Getty By Rob Arcamona Last week, a Missouri judge issued a preliminary injunction against the state, suspending part of a law that would have made it illegal for teachers and students to connect via social networks. Section 162.069.4 of the Amy Hestir Student Protection Act — which aims to protect children from sexual predators — [...]
Which Rules Are Worth Circumventing?
Flickr:Bark Rules are important in any civilized society. Without them, chaos would ensue. But some rules are worth questioning, especially when the consequences negate their very purpose. Teachers are grappling with how to address regulations they consider unnecessary at best and harmful at worst. There’s no question that helpful guidelines can and should be put [...]
50 Reasons to Invite Facebook Into Your Classroom
Editor’s Note: It’s not an easy decision to bring Facebook into the classroom. Teachers must contend with all kinds of issues — including breaking the law. In this fraught world of social media privacy, the terrain is that much less clear, but for those who are willing to think about opening that door, here’s an [...]
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