"If I can share my work online, I get more out than I put in; then I can add even more and benefit from others' expertise," said 15-year-old Nicola from Edinburgh here at the Internet Governance Forum. Her comment sounded just like 17-year-old Canadian cinematographer Mark Klassen's and that of an Australian student marveling that her own class blog had gotten "533 visits worldwide. Amazing or … [Read more...] about Citizenship & blogging in class
school policy
Practical steps on the way to a school culture of respect
We hear a lot about the need to change school culture in order to defeat bullying and cyberbullying. But how? PBIS does not cut it for middle school teacher Daniel Witz. In a commentary in the Washington Post, Witz critiques the well-known Oregon-based anti-bullying program PBIS (Positive Behavioral Interventions & Supports) as practiced at his school, then offers an alternative: "10 steps to … [Read more...] about Practical steps on the way to a school culture of respect
New state anti-bullying law challenges schools
The New Jersey anti-bullying law passed after the suicide death of Tyler Clementi went into effect this week and is "considered the toughest legislation against bullying in the nation," the New York Times reports. This is good news for New Jersey parents of targeted students who have found schools unresponsive but apparently tough news for schools. School officials worry that the legal requirement … [Read more...] about New state anti-bullying law challenges schools
Schools rethinking zero tolerance
Now, this is good news: "Nearly two decades after a zero-tolerance culture took hold in American schools, a growing number of educators and elected leaders are scaling back discipline policies that led to lengthy suspensions and ousters for such mistakes as carrying toy guns or Advil," the Washington Post reports. Launched by the Gun-Free Schools Act of 1994, during a period when being tough on … [Read more...] about Schools rethinking zero tolerance
NASSP calls for social & mobile tech in school
We've turned a corner, maybe. "The National Association of Secondary School Principals is looking to change the conversation about mobile computing and social media in schools," TheJournal.com reports. This week the NASSP released a statement encouraging their use in the classroom to help "prepare students to be active, constructive participants in the highly connected world in which they already … [Read more...] about NASSP calls for social & mobile tech in school