January 2007 archive
The Mobile Phone Debate’s Latest Twist
As yet another school district bans students from carrying cell phones, a mobile phone carrier heads in the other direction, creating school-based contests to encourage students and their parents to interact via text messaging. The timing couldn’t be worse....
Lifting the Hood on DOPA Jr.
The official text of the bill to replace the Deleting Online Predators Act has been published, and it goes beyond the scope of the original legislation, addressing child pornography, cyberbullying and children’s privacy. Let’s take a look under the hood...
The Birth of DOPA Jr.
It didn’t take long for the latest generation of the DOPA legislation to rear its head on Capitol Hill. But will the bill go anywhere this time around?...
Bloggers Back Teacher Convicted on Questionable Porn Charges
The blogosphere is rallying in support of a substitute teacher who was convicted on porn charges despite evidence suggesting she was a victim of malicious computer software and a lack of technical safeguards on the part of the school....
Teacher Faces 40-Year Prison Sentence Because of Filtering Folly?
In a case that’s receiving scant national attention, a substitute teacher has been convicted of exposing students to online pornography, which she claims appeared on the screen due to spyware. Is this merely the case of a rogue educator, or...
UK Proposal to Tackle Home-School Digital Divide
At a major edtech conference in London this week, a British government announced a new proposal to address the home-school digital divide....
Are Kids More Responsible Than We Thought?
A recent study suggests that many young people who use MySpace are more responsible online than conventional wisdom might suggest. Let’s take a peak at what teens are doing - or aren’t doing - with their MySpace pages....
New York’s Cell Phone Proposal: Lock ‘Em Up
In the latest twist over the battle over student cell phone use in New York City, school officials are proposing a compromise. And so far, it seems that many students and parents aren’t buying it....
Educational Blogging: Avoiding the Usual Suspects Syndrome
There’s been a fascinating conversation unfolding online over the last few days about the role of blogging in building communities of educators. The discussion raises an important question: does the advent of all-star bloggers in education help, or hinder a...
