Hello All,
I was absolutely amazed as I explored different Web 2.0 websites - I didn't know there were so many cool sites for kids and adults that are both educational and fun!
My daughter and I spent hours creating puzzles, slide shows, videos, etc...We had a blast using http://www.animoto.com/ - within 15 minutes, our last trip to North Carolina was animated into a brilliant slide show of alpacas, caves and our smiling tanned faces. Definitely a keeper...
We also visited http://www.blabberize.com/, http://www.glogster.com/, http://www.voki.com/ - websites with limitless possibilities to create silly and fun projects, like posters, "speaking" pictures and personalized avatars...
I also explored wikis in education http://wikisineducation.wetpaint.com/ and found some interesting and helpful links for teachers and students alike.
But my favorite so far is http://www.discoveryeducation.com/ - a website with ducational tools and resources galore. I would use a puzzlemaker for my daughter's next birthday party: I'll create some cool cryptograms, print them and use them as pizza party placemats for intellectual stimulation :-)
Monday, April 11, 2011
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
High School Spies on Students
Hello All,
a few weeks ago I came across this peculiar story about a Philadelphia-area high school that spied on its students. Apparently, 1800 students were given school district laptops for educational benefits and these laptops had Web cameras. These webcams, according to school officials, were used to "track lost or stolen laptops", but, unfortunately, they also spied on students and their families inside their homes (according to the class action suit filed against the district). The lawsuit was filed by one student's parents, after he was confronted by high school official with the photographic evidence of "improper behavior" in his home. It turns out that the school district has the ability to remotely activate webcams even when laptops are not in use.
So, with all the technology out there, how do we safeguard ourselves AND our kids against invasion of privacy? How do we teach our future generation the ethical guidelines when it comes to web safety if authorities are sending the wrong message?
We all remember the story of a Rutgers University student's dorm room webcam incident that led to his suicide (http://www.ktla.com/news/landing/ktla-rutgers-student-sex-suicide,0,1881562.story ). There must be a way to control this ever growing trend of spying...
You can read the article "School Spies on Students at Home with Webcams: Suit" here http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/School-Spies-on-Students-at-Home-with-Webcams-Suit-84712852.html
a few weeks ago I came across this peculiar story about a Philadelphia-area high school that spied on its students. Apparently, 1800 students were given school district laptops for educational benefits and these laptops had Web cameras. These webcams, according to school officials, were used to "track lost or stolen laptops", but, unfortunately, they also spied on students and their families inside their homes (according to the class action suit filed against the district). The lawsuit was filed by one student's parents, after he was confronted by high school official with the photographic evidence of "improper behavior" in his home. It turns out that the school district has the ability to remotely activate webcams even when laptops are not in use.
So, with all the technology out there, how do we safeguard ourselves AND our kids against invasion of privacy? How do we teach our future generation the ethical guidelines when it comes to web safety if authorities are sending the wrong message?
We all remember the story of a Rutgers University student's dorm room webcam incident that led to his suicide (http://www.ktla.com/news/landing/ktla-rutgers-student-sex-suicide,0,1881562.story ). There must be a way to control this ever growing trend of spying...
You can read the article "School Spies on Students at Home with Webcams: Suit" here http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/School-Spies-on-Students-at-Home-with-Webcams-Suit-84712852.html
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