Edutopia’s Annual Digital Safety Roundup

Edutopia has updated their list of articles, videos, and other resources on Internet safety, cyberbullying, digital responsibility, and media and digital literacy and it is definitely worth a visit if you are trying to stay current. Some of these individual resources we’ve highlighted over time, but it is nice to have a complete list.

Managing the Digital Life of Teens

If you feel bewildered about helping your teen stay online and are afraid that either you or they are somehow going to make a mistake, you need to read Do the Right Thing: Managing the Digital Lives of Teens to understand that theses transgressions aren’t fatal. Instead, they are opportunities for dialogue between parents and kids or schools and kids and families and schools. As the author points out, “The end goal is to keep this circle of communication open and ongoing through respectful interactions that foster and promote listening and understanding.” Parents are not going to be able to stay ahead of the digital whims that drive kids lives online. Instead, we need to remain open to discussing the process before launching our kids out into the world on their own, without adult guidance and support.

Internet Safety Cheat Sheet

Need a non techie guide to settings and other means of keeping your kids safe when using everything from iPads to Instagram? Take a look at the Internet Safety Cheat Sheet and use it as a check list to put what privacy controls and other restrictions you can on devices and sites to give your kids an added safety edge.

30% of Americans Get Their News on Facebook

A new study, by the Pew Research Journalism Project, reveals that 30% of Americans get their news on Facebook, and suggests that the social network drives people to media sites that may not have traveled there online, otherwise. Of that 30%, more than half — 78% — said they click on news links to media sites after initially logging on for unrelated reasons, such as checking out friends' pictures or updating their statuses. Only 16% of Facebook users say that getting news is the primary reason they log on.

Are Your Kids Learning About Digital Citizenship?

A poll, by Harris Interactive and Cable in the Classroom, found that most parents think their children should be learning to be good digital citizens, more than half of the educators felt their schools weren’t emphasizing digital citizenship enough, and less than 40% of teachers believed they were prepared to teach digital citizenship. The question is: who is to teach digital citizenship? Surely, the answer is that the job must be a combined effort of classroom and tech teachers, parents, and others who work with students. To help, iKeepSafe offers its C3 Matrix for Digital Citizenship, which addresses cyber-security, cyber-Safety, and cyber-ethics. The Digital Citizenship: Using Technology Appropriately site includes resources and publications and the opportunity to review its nine elements of digital citizenship: Digital Access, Digital Commerce, Digital Communication, Digital Literacy, Digital Etiquette, Digital Law, Digital Rights & Responsibilities, Digital Health and Wellness, and Digital Security (self-protection). Perhaps, your children’s school might be interested.

Illinois Law Lets School Expel Students Making Internet Threats

A new law recently went into effect in Illinois that allows school boards and administrators to suspend or expel a student if that student threatens a school employee, another student or any school-related personnel on the Internet or any social networking websites. "Bullying no longer takes place only at school," said bill sponsor, state Rep. Dwight Kay, R-Glen Carbon. "Bullies use the Internet to follow their victim home and harass them through social networking. This bill gives school boards and administrators a way to deal with online threats from students towards other students, faculty or anyone else."