Category: In the news

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The panic about panic buttons

In the UK, Facebook is being pressured to add a “panic button” to the site in the theory that youth can get instant help if bullied or approached by unsavory characters. Unfortunately this reflects silly thinking about the actual dangers of social networking and how youth respond to them. This article by Anne Collier of ConnectSafely explains why.

She wraps up with this powerful thought –

“But for heaven’s sake – or even better, for youth’s sake – let’s please take the “panic” out of this whole important test. It simply doesn’t lend itself to the calm, mutually respectful conversations that help youth develop the critical thinking that protects on the social Web. We had our predator panic on this side of the pond starting in 2006.

At the Family Online Safety Institute’s annual conference in Washington last fall, the Net-safety field declared it over with a strong consensus that scary messaging is not productive. Why? Because it makes young people less inclined to want to come to us for help. They tend to get as far away as possible from scared, overreacting adults; find workarounds that are readily available to them; and then leave us out of the equation right when loving, steady parent-child communication is most needed.”

Please read the whole article: Connect Safely |Facebook: Why a Safety Center and not a ‘panic button’

Sylvia

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Students teach tech to superintendents

Last month at AASA (the American Association of School Administrators annual conference) in Phoenix, Arizona, several GenYES students from nearby Paradise Valley School District were invited to participate in an Apple itouch/ipod workshop for the attending superintendents.

Apple ipod Conference AASA from Debbie Kovesdy on Vimeo.

GenYES students from elementary, middle and high school presented the devices, circulated through the audience as the superintendents learned about educational uses, and provided help throughout the workshop.

And when you watch this video, notice that these students care deeply that these adults grasp how important using technology is for them. The good news is, there are students like this in every school, just waiting for an opportunity to put their passion about digital communication to good use to improve learning.

These students are part of a district-wide vision in Paradise Valley that students are a crucial part of integrating technology into every classroom. GenYES classes teach students technology, mentoring, and leadership so they can assist teachers and fellow students with technology.

As you can see, Paradise Valley is a leader in student-centered technology. They were the first K12 institution in the world to make content, lessons, and student work available on ITunes U/K12. Their pTUNES portal is now available to schools and districts statewide through a partnership with Apple, Arizona IDEAL, and Arizona State University (ASU). For this innovation, pTUNES was awarded the 2009 Cox Technology in Education Award. More about PTUNES…

Oh, one more thing – the video was (of course) produced by the GenYES team at Shadow Mountain High School in Paradise Valley.

Congratulations to the students, teachers, and administrators at PVUSD!

Sylvia

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Thinking about BYOT – Bring Your Own Technology? Start with students!

Districts should also talk with students before they start something new, said Mitchell of Forsyth County Schools. Administrators need to ask the kids how they approach learning with technology, what kinds of tech tools they would like to see in school and how they would use the tools if they had them, which is what his district has done with its bring-your-own-technology (BYOT) push.

“In the past, we would come up with an initiative, and we’d get it funded, we’d plan for it, we’d roll it out,” Mitchell said. “Did we ever ask the students about it? No. So some of the newer initiatives we’re doing like this BYOT, we’re starting with that conversation with students — “what do y’all think?” — and getting that ground floor involvement with them at the onset of the project, ’cause ultimately that’s who we’re doing it for anyway.”

via School Districts Lay Foundation for Mobile Devices.

This is from an article from Converge Magazine about students bringing their own technology (BYOT) to school. It has practical suggestions from several different school districts across the U.S. for planning and implementing this strategy.

Sylvia

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NAEP 2014 Technology and Engineering Literacy Assessment

For the past year, I’ve been on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) Technology Literacy Assessment planning committee. (See my post NAEP Technology Assessment 2012.) The first phase of writing the framework (which is where my committee contributed) is now complete. At the last meeting, we recommended to the NAEP Governing Board that the name be changed to better align the assessment with the common vocabulary and conventions used in K-12.

Simply put, calling the assessment “Technology Literacy” didn’t really capture the breadth of the planned assessment, which will cover technology as anything in the “designed world.” That term includes engineering principles, design and systems in a wide variety of contexts. It goes well beyond the much narrower K-12 use of the term “technology literacy.” In K-12 schools, districts, and state departments of education, “technology literacy” typically means the knowledge and ability to use computers and technology with fluency, efficacy, and safety in schools.

This post outlined some of the issues inherent in the previous name “technology literacy” THE Journal: NAEP Gets It One-Third Right.

But now, the name has been changed to the NAEP 2014 Technology and Engineering Literacy Assessment. I think this aligns better with both the scope of the assessment and the conventions of K-12 schools across the country.

One other change, the date has been pushed back to 2014. This change is due to the time  needed to develop computer-based items for this assessment. For the first time, this assessment will be 100% computer based.

You can take a look at the framework at www.naeptech2012.org.

Eventually this will move to a new domain, www.naeptech.org, but this is not up yet (as of 3/10/10).

As someone who is both an engineer and works in technology education in schools, I believe this is a good compromise. I think it will help people better understand the results of this assessment as we move forward. And in the long run, I hope it will spur the design of innovative and diverse learning opportunities for students that combine engineering, IT, programming, math, science, collaboration, communication and many, many different types of technology.

Sylvia

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The Youngest Speaker at TED Advocates “Kid’s Eye View”

During her time on the stage at TED, Adora advocated a sort of “Kid’s Rights” sentiment, arguing that adults should take young people more seriously and be more interested in learning from kids to foster a more reciprocal relationship between age groups. She says that because kids tend to be less constrained by social norms than adults as we get older, young people can often offer a unique and perhaps more creative, out-of-the-box approach to problems.

via The Youngest Speaker at TED Advocates “Kid’s Eye View”

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Online volunteer opportunities for youth

TakingITGlobal (TIG) seeks motivated, creative and outgoing young people to join its Multilingual Team. If you’re interested in youth engagement in an online environment, international development and social change issues, gaining experience in online media and working in a high-energy Community, this could be your ideal placement. As an online volunteer with TakingITGlobal you will be part of a team of youth leaders and innovators who create opportunities for more than 290,000 youth around the world!

Openings currently include:

  • Language & Engagement Coordinators (1 per language): Dutch, Swedish, Romanian, Turkish, Farsi
  • Content Researcher & Editor (3 per language): Russian, Swahili, Chinese, Portuguese
  • Platform Facilitator & Moderator (2 per language): Portuguese,Chinese, Swahili,
  • Volunteer Translators (3 per language): Russian, Farsi, Turkish, Swahili, Portuguese, Dutch, Bengali, Chinese, Romanian

The positions are offered for an initial 6 month commitment at a minimum of 3-5 hours per week.

Why volunteer with TakingITGlobal?
TakingITGlobal has a strong international reputation within the NGO, non-profit, and charity sectors, and this reputation is growing. Experience at TakingITGlobal will be respected by future employers, and TakingITGlobal’s collaborative nature means volunteers may grow a solid professional network, and gain experience vital for future job opportunities.

TakingITGlobal’s mission is essentially altruistic, and team members have the opportunity to put their skills and energy to work for a ‘good cause’. Volunteers can get a thrill out of the ‘cutting edge’ nature of TakingITGlobal’s work, the clear growth in our reach, and the positive feedback provided by members and partners. Moreover, as part of our Multilingual Team you will have the chance to promote your country’s culture through our international platform.

More information on the application process and for full job descriptions
More information on the Online Volunteering program

via Nivedita Bala, Multilingual Volunteer Management Assistant, TakingITGlobal

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Students safest using the internet when they are trusted to manage their own risk

From the UK Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills

Pupils in schools that use “managed” online systems have a better knowledge and understanding of how to stay safe when using new technologies, according to a report published today by Ofsted, the Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills.

“Managed” systems are systems that have fewer inaccessible sites than “locked” systems and so require pupils to take more responsibility for their own safety. “Locked” systems make many websites inaccessible and although this ensures pupils’ safety in school it does not encourage the pupils to take responsibility for their actions or prepare them for dealing with systems that are not locked.

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DARPA Promotes High-Tech Education

Citing studies that show a marked decline in the number of students pursuing education in math, science and engineering, the Pentagon’s Defense Advance Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is requesting proposals for “innovative new ideas to encourage students to major in CS-STEM and pursue careers as engineers and scientists.”

DARPA was the agency that funded the research that created what we now know as the Internet. It’s great that they are again looking to fund this kind of educational goals.

What kinds of projects do you think they should fund? Please comment!

via DARPA Promotes High-Tech Education.

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Martin Luther King Jr. Day

“Education may not be able to change the hearts of men, but it can change the habits of men.” – Martin Luther King Jr.

On March 14, 1964, Dr. King accepted the John Dewey Award from the United Federation of Teachers. A partial transcript of this speech can be found here at Mike Klonsky’s SmallTalk Blog.

An excerpt:

It is precisely because education is the road to equality and citizenship that it has been made more elusive for Negroes than many other rights. The walling off of Negroes from equal education is part of the historical design to submerge him in second-class status. Therefore as Negroes have struggled to be free they have had to fight for the opportunity for a decent education….

Despite progress towards racial equality in the U.S., this is just as true today as 46 years ago. Racial segregation in K-12 schools is worse than it was in the 1960’s, and college attendance does not reflect the population at large. These facts would surely sadden Dr. King if he were still here to celebrate what would have been his 81st birthday.

Education is not a “Race to the Top” – an unfortunate name for the latest federal program designed to create winners and losers in an education “game.” The “historical design” that Dr. King points out is alive and well. In this design, when someone “wins”, someone else must lose.

It is truly unfortunate that we are pitting another generation against each other instead of building a system that offers educational opportunities that enrich every child and every community. Education is a rising tide that lifts all boats, a candle that can light others without being diminished.

Please listen to this short speech and share with others, including students. Link to an MP3 file of the whole speech on the UFT website.

Sylvia

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Programming – not just for nerds

Today, introductory courses in computer science are too often focused merely on teaching students to use software like word processing and spreadsheet programs, said Janice C. Cuny, a program director at the National Science Foundation. The Advanced Placement curriculum, she added, concentrates narrowly on programming. “We’re not showing and teaching kids the magic of computing,” Ms. Cuny said.

via New Programs Aim to Lure Young Into Digital Jobs – NYTimes.com.