Because most schools block entire social media sites in an effort to keep out inappropriate content, they also block all the perfectly appropriate and even educational content on the social Web. That goes for YouTube too, of course. But "YouTube has a vast library of content, much of which can be used for educational purposes," PC Magazine reports, so Google launched YouTube for Schools, which … [Read more...] about Now there’s YouTube designed for school
School & Tech
State law about teachers on Facebook repealed
Apparently due to teachers' protests, a Missouri law banning them from using Web sites that all "exclusive access" to students has been repealed, KiwiCommons.com reports. State lawmakers, who had voted overwhelmingly to pass the law last spring, "voted with equal enthusiasm to repeal it." KiwiCommons adds that " Many teachers are relieved. The law, in their view, would have had unintended and very … [Read more...] about State law about teachers on Facebook repealed
So what good is social media?
I hadn't seen this figure: Social media use is forbidden in 52% of US classrooms, writes writes Prof. Todd Finley at East Carolina University in Edutopia. He suggests that this prohibition is working about as well as did Britain's royal decree in 1763 that North American colonists were not to settle west of the Appalachians. Professor Finley doesn't stop with why today's containment effort is … [Read more...] about So what good is social media?
Facebook as a study tool?!
Facebook doesn't have to be just a distraction from homework, as so many parents see it. I'm not going on assumption, here; I just spoke with a number of Swiss secondary school students whose parents see it as exactly that, not to mention a lot of peers in my own country. Now there's a study-session and teacher's office hours tool for Facebook called Hoot.me, KQED's Mindshift reports. "Like other … [Read more...] about Facebook as a study tool?!
School helps its students practice social networking
Because we all learn by practicing and to get its middle schoolers ready for adult life in a digitally enhanced networked world, The School at Columbia University created The Social Network. "It’s basically the pre-kindergarten version of Facebook," Forbes reports. There's also The Tube for sharing videos and The Gallery for photos. All of it is archived at the end of the year so that – with … [Read more...] about School helps its students practice social networking