Posts Tagged ‘Cell Phones’

The Sad Reality of Teacher/Student Facebook Communication

January 9, 2012

People who draw attention the benefits of teacher/student Facebook communication miss the point. There is no doubt that there are some fantastic innovations through social media that would allow teachers to respond to the educational needs of their students. But all benefits go out the window when one considers the dangers.

High school teacher Jennifer Kennedy has a prepared response for students who send her “friend” requests on Facebook.

No. Or, at least not until they graduate.

It’s a rule she said she shares with fellow teachers at Sacramento New Technology High School.

Increasingly, school district officials across the region and throughout the country are coming up with their own guidelines for what kind of online and electronic communication is acceptable between teachers and students.

Is it OK to be Facebook friends?

What about direct messages on Twitter?

Or text messaging from personal cellphones?

“We have a generation of kids who communicate this way,” said Kennedy, who teaches sophomores and seniors. “If you say absolutely no Facebook or texting, you are cutting off an important relationship with students.”

In districts with policies against such behavior, officials have said social media sites blur the line between the professional and private lives of teachers. And then there are the rare but widely reported allegations of abuse initiated or intensified through social media.

These allegations of abuse spoil any chance teachers and students have of communicating via social media sites. Perhaps this if for the best.
What is your opinion on this issue?

Tags:, , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Social Media, Technology in the Classroom | 8 Comments »

Cyberbullying Even More Prevalent Among Girls

May 18, 2011

A recent survey found that girls are especially affected by cyberbullying:

Tweens and teens are both flocking to social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook to stay connected with each other. While used correctly this can be a positive thing the sites are also being used as weapons to facilitate cyberbullying.

Norton Canada recently completed a study called The Norton Cyberbullying Survey asking Canadian parents about their children’s online experiences. A quarter of the parents said that their child had been involved in a cyberbullying incident. Of those children 66 percent of the parents said their child was a victim and 16 percent admitted that their child was the bully.
More shocking is that 32 percent of parents are unsure of their children’s online behaviours but 44 percent fear that their child’s online behaviour could involve coming in contact with an online predator.

While on the schoolyard the victims of bullies often are male when it comes to the cyberspace playground girls are the ones being bullied. Parents revealed that 86 percent of those bullied were their daughters compared to a rate of 55 percent when it came to their sons.

Computers are not the only tools being used as a weapon for cyberbullying. Cyberbullies turn to cell phones with middle schoolers using this tool more often.

Even though it’s not legal for children under the age of 13 to access social networking sites 43 percent of parents are comfortable when their children aged 8-12 have an account as long as the parents can supervise them. While almost half of parents claim they have an open dialogue with their children about their online behaviour 32 percent feel that they can’t control all the environments where their children have access to social networking. This access includes what their children are doing in school.

One wonders how parents can be comfortable with their underage children on Facebook considering these damning statistics.  Firstly, aiding your children in breaking a law is not a good example to set, and secondly, supervising your child’s internet and social media use is easier said than done.  Why does an 8-year old need a Facebook page anyway?

Tags:, , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Cyber Bullying, Social Media | Leave a Comment »

Cell Phone App to Take on Bullying

January 9, 2011

It was always going to happen.  Marketing and advertising executives were always going to try to find a way to cash in on the unfortunate bullying issue which is prevalent in schools worldwide.  Here are two new products invented to ward off bullies:

1. Cell Phone App – For $10 a month a parent can buy an app for your child’s cell phone. It will scan texts and emails for language that might indicate bullying is going on, and if it is found the parent receives an alert. It is available at www.websafety.com.

2. The Backpack with Alarm – The iSAFE backpack is marketed as something a child can use if they feel their safety is in danger because of a bully. It comes with a cord the child can pull that sounds an alarm. It costs about $60.

I don’t feel comfortable with companies profiting from bullying.  That cell phone app should be free of charge.

And the bag? Can you imagine how much worse the bullies are going to become when they find out their victim carries a bully bag?  I can just hear them now:

“Oh, your mommy bought you a bully bag!”

The true reason why this is all so sad, is not just that executives in fancy suits are starting to equate bullying with dollar signs, and it’s not just because some of these ideas are going to incite bullies rather than tame them.  No, the saddest part of this story is that there are desperate people out there so deeply afflicted by bullying and so desperate to make it go away.

My recommendation to every boy and girl subjected to constant bullying is to buy the backpack and hand deliver it to your Principal.  The message needs to get through loud and clear.  This is not good enough!

Tags:, , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Bullying | Leave a Comment »