As I read "5 myths about mobile learning," I realized how literal we are in our assumptions – and how much we base them on a technology's physical properties. When you really think about it – or compare the assumptions to the reality – it can make you smile (if you don't let yourself get discouraged by the resistance these assumptions symbolize). The first few myths educator Nicky Blockly shares … [Read more...] about Some mobile learning myth-busting
cellphones
Don’t hype sexting risks to teens
To have credibility with teens, here's what education against sexting needs to factor in (and this can be applied to all Internet safety ed): "Citing risks that students experience as unusual (or even rare) may greatly diminish the impact of any information," wrote psychology professor Elizabeth Englander. "For example, many adults teach kids that once you send a picture digitally, you lose … [Read more...] about Don’t hype sexting risks to teens
Mobile parenting 2.0
There are some good mobile parenting pointers on the Web these days, one example being "Five things to do before giving your teenager a smartphone." But – practically speaking – these are just useful talking points in the broader, on-going conversation families need to have about how social-media tools like phones can be used to connect with others kindly, meaningfully, and successfully in … [Read more...] about Mobile parenting 2.0
FTC finds kid apps’ privacy practices ‘disAPPointing’
The US Federal Trade Commission has turned this week's wakeup call about mobile-app privacy into a conference call, adding kids' privacy to the conversation. The title of its just-released report "Mobile Apps for Kids: Current Privacy Disclosures are Disappointing" (that's the FTC authors' cute italicization) summarizes the Commission's conclusions well. But to make their point crystal clear, the … [Read more...] about FTC finds kid apps’ privacy practices ‘disAPPointing’
Teens’ cellphone data use tripled in past year
On average, teens exchange 3,417 messages per month, or "seven text messages per waking hour," Nielsen found in an analysis of data from more than 65,000 cellphone subscribers. Teens have "tripled their data use in the past year," but "data use across all age groups nearly doubled," the Washington Post reports in its coverage. "Survey participants ages 13-17 used an average of 90 MB per month in … [Read more...] about Teens’ cellphone data use tripled in past year