Tech News & Tips for Parents

Fearmongering

Cyber-safety expert Nancy Willard, author of Cyber-Safe Kids, Cyber-Savvy Teens,  has written a compelling article on the tenor of many online safety discussions these days. This really resonated with me. As adults, it is our responsibility to be cognizant of what's going on onine and teach kids how to deal with it responsibly and safely. If we react to misuses of the Internet with panic, we risk losing credibility with kids, and they will be less likely to come to us with their online problems. Unfamiliarity can breed fear; when it comes to the Internet, better to move past our fears with a balanced and measured approach. Social networks like Facebook and mySpace are not inherently bad. Technology is not inherently bad. Their value depends on how we use them; this is where our kids need us!

*Cross posted at Tech Tips for Teaching & Learning *

Researching? Start here!

Students working on school projects commonly start with a Google search. Savvy students do not end there, however. Our own Library Media Center has an information-rich site full of great resources: http://www.cretin-derhamhall.org/StudentNet/references.htm. You'll find a variety of databases, references, news sites and more. Give it a look!

Have you Googled yourself lately?

Last night MPR's In the Loop aired a program titled "Your Exposed Life". It will be rebroadcast Wednesday, October 17 at 9:00 p.m., and is also available for live streaming or download on the website.

This program took a look at how much of our personal information is online, what the implications are, and what to do (or not do) about it. Some of the discussion had to do with who is looking for information on us, and what it could mean. How would college admissions offices or potential employers view your child's mySpace or Facebook page?

For many people, mySpace or Facebook is a fun social network. There's no inherent harm in it; like so many things, it depends on how it's used. Tools like this are, and will continue to be part of our lives, so we need to teach kids to use them well. We want our kids to be safe and to think before putting personal information online. Young people tend not to see the potential consequences of their actions, particularly online where they feel more anonymous and protected than they really are. Many believe that only their friends will ever see their mySpace page, and accuse adults of snooping if we look for them. We need to stress over and over again that this is public information, with all that implies. Once we put our information out there, it is hard to pull it back, even if we delete the page. Who knows who might have printed or downloaded it?

We need to do all we can to get this message across to the kids in our lives.

Wiki wiki wiki!

What's a wiki? Chances are your student will be working on one soon. Here's a great explanation:

Wikis in plain English

Did You Know?

Yesterday we were fortunate to have Scott McLeod, J.D., PhD speak to our faculty, staff and several Board members and guests. Scott is an Associate Professor in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies at Iowa State University, as well as the coordinator of the Educational Administration Program and Director of the UCEA Center for the Advanced Study of Technology Leadership in Education (CASTLE).

Scott led us in a challenging day of considering what skills will be needed by our students in their future. In the next few days I'll share more about this, but today I invite you to take a look at this thought-provoking movie, "Did You Know?". We welcome your comments!