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@netsmartzworkshop
Thanks for visiting the NetSmartz Workshop blog.
We’ve moved!
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Take the NetSmartz Digital Citizenship Challenge
How often do you think about online safety?
At NetSmartz, we think about it every minute of every day. It makes our office gossip…a little different.
So when June finally rolls around, we get…excited.
A NetSmartz PSA: Digital Ethics Matter
Last week, NetSmartz was preparing to moderate and judge entries from our contest, Speak up for Safety. We asked teens to tell us what they thought was the most important thing other teens should know about Internet safety in a PSA. And without meaning to, they told us exactly what teens need to know more about—digital ethics.
As the contest entries began to come in, we noticed that some of them included copyrighted songs and images likely found during a quick Internet search. The original works were usually not cited. Hot topics like sexting and cyberbullying are receiving tons of attention in the press, but it is vital for kids to understand that digital literacy and ethics are also important.
Barbie Talks Back
Children have been talking to and confiding in Barbie for years. And now Barbie is talking back.
Hello Barbie, is the first truly interactive Barbie. She learns, listens, and responds. The technology used in the Hello Barbie doll isn’t new to children as they have grown up with everything from smartphones to smart TVs. While this may be a revolutionary development in toys, some people think conversations with Barbie should stay in the imagination.
How does it work?
Hello Barbie
is Wi-Fi enabled
uses speech recognition technology to have unique two way conversations
learns about the user’s interests and incorporates them into conversation
gives parents access to the audio files of their children's conversations with Barbie
What are the concerns?
By learning about the user’s likes, dislikes, interests, and conversation patterns, Barbie can develop a unique relationship with each child. Some see Hello Barbie as a good listener, while privacy advocates think Barbie is eavesdropping.
Everything Barbie says is written by employees. They analyze what children are saying to develop responses tailored to each child.
This type of data collection has raised concerns about the toy complying with the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). This law went into effect in 2000 and doesn’t allow information to be collected from children under 13 without parental consent.
The companies behind Hello Barbie compare the technology of the doll to well-known products like Google Now, Siri, and Cortona, and claim that Hello Barbie was designed to meet COPPA standards.
Others are less concerned with data collection and more with how using this type of technology will affect a child's real world social skills.
"Computer algorithms can't replace—and should not displace—the nuanced responsiveness of caring people interacting with one another. Children’s well-being and healthy development demand relationships and conversations with real people and real friends." - Dipesh Navsaria, University of Wisconsin Public Health professor
The Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood has even started a petition to keep Hello Barbie off the shelves, fearing that the information Barbie collects could be used unfairly to market to children and families.
So, what do you think - has Barbie merely improved harmless fun or has she taken it too far?
Teens Take Over NetSmartz
A lot of kids feel like they are bona fide Internet geniuses by the time they get to middle and high school. At the very least, they may believe they know more about how the Internet works than you.
NetSmartz Invites Teens to Speak Up for Safety!
NetSmartz is very excited to tell you about our new PSAcontest for teens – Speak Up for Safety! Together with Lockheed Martin, we’re inviting teens (ages 13-18) to submit a 30 to 60-second video that answers the question “What’s one thing teens need to know about being safer online?”
Apps Fight Back Against Cyberbullying
It seems like every day a new social media app is popping up online, and before long stories of people using those apps to bully begin to surface. But not all apps are a scary new trend. Some apps are fighting back against cyberbullying.
<<Read more>>
Apps like STOPit and Censorgram were developed to help kids cope with cyberbullying. After hearing about thedeath of Amanda Todd, STOPit creator Todd Schobel cameup with the idea to develop an app that would allow students to submit anonymous bullying reports directly to their school administrators. Schobel believes it’s important for school officials to be involved in instances of cyberbullying. STOPit is now used in 78 schools in 13 states.
“With cyberbullying there are no school grounds anymore. If it affects the learning environment for the students, the school has to take action.” - STOPit creator Todd Schobel, Wired.com
While STOPit seeks to give kids an easy way to report cyberbullying, other apps are trying to make sure kids never see the bullying in the first place. The creators of the Censorgram app hope to keep hurtful language from appearing on a child’s Instagram. Users can enter keywords or phrases that they consider harassing and the app removes any comments or posts containing those words.
Teens take a stand
It’s easy to turn on the news and be bombarded by reports of teens bullying each other online, but there are some teens who are doing just the opposite.
Last year four seniors from Penn Wood High School in Pennsylvania won the “Anti-Bullying Mobile App Challenge” with their app, Fear no Bully. The app, now available on Android and iPhone devices, gives students a quick, anonymous way to report cyberbullying. The app also provides links to resources to help kids cope with cyberbullying and empower them to report it.
Brandon Boynton, a high school student from Indiana, also saw a need for an app in his school. Boynton’s school had a “bully box” where students could anonymously submit instances of cyberbullying, but it remained empty. So Boynton sought to take the bully box digital.
“One day it just hit me and I was like, ‘Wow, there are so many people into this issue, no one wants to actually go up and put a physical piece of paper in the box because it’s typically in a very populated area of the hallway and people are going to see you. It’s not really anonymous.” - BullyBox creator Brandon Boynton, WISHTV.com
Boynton presented his app at the 6th annual Saunders Scholars Finals in Washington D.C. and hopes to have his app fully functional in the future.
Although cyberbullying isn’t an easy problem to solve, it’s encouraging to see people, especially teens, trying to help. What do you think of apps like these? Are there any other ways to use technology to help fight cyberbullying?
The Laws Behind Cyberbullying
While most people can agree that cyberbullying is a cause for concern, opinions vary when it comes to getting laws on the books. Since there is no federal law regarding cyberbullying, each state has their own lawsand policies. According to the Cyberbullying Research Center, 22 states have lawsthat specifically address cyberbullying, while 48 states and the District of Columbia have laws that address electronic harassment. Many states give schools the authority to discipline students who cyberbully or harass others online.
Let’s take a look at two examples to see how states are responding to this complex issue.
Get Ready to Celebrate Safer Internet Day 2015
February 10 is Safer Internet Day! This global event reminds us how important it is for everyone to create a better Internet together.
Featured Lesson in Digital Footprints: Electronic Communication is Permanent
Guest blogger and educator Dr. Carol Heidenrich shares one of her favorite lessons on digital footprints.
As a technology educator, I often remind students that as responsible citizens we abide by local laws, but we are also responsible for acting as good digital citizens online. To demonstrate this, I present a lesson on the importance of monitoring our digital footprints to maintain a positive digital presence.
Cheating: There’s an App for That
Student cheating isn’t new. Most teachers know the classic tricks: answers written on your hand, the peek-at-your-neighbor’s-paper stretch, or simple homework collaboration. But just like everything else, cheating has gone digital.
Season's Greetings NetSmartz friends! We hope you enjoy our video as much as your holiday. See you in 2015!
Bringing Digital Citizenship into the Classroom
The Internet is a fundamental part of how kids learn. They use online research journals, educational games, and even social media sites to explore new subjects. Schools teach kids how to use these tools, but they also have to teach them how to use the tools responsibly. NetSmartz spoke with primary educator Janet Elias about how she has been tackling this challenge in her classroom.
Redefining Online Safety at FOSI
Last week, NetSmartz attended the Family Online Safety Institute’s 2014 Annual Conference in Washington, D.C. This year’s theme was “Redefining Online Safety.” We got to hear from industry leaders, discuss new research, and talk to educators using our resources. Here’s what you missed at this year’s event.
New Child Safety Program from the Creators of NetSmartz
You’ve taught your students about online safety. Now teach them about personal safety, too!
Today, we are very proud to introduce KidSmartzTM – the child safety program for students in grades K-5. KidSmartz was created by the same child safety experts behind NetSmartz® Workshop in partnership with Honeywell. This program educates children and their parents about preventing abduction and empowers them to practice safer behaviors. It’s easy to implement, innovative, and fun!
It’s Digital Citizenship Week!
It’s Digital Citizenship Week!
Our friends at Common Sense Media are recognizing this week as Digital Citizenship Week. The goal is to educate everyone on the latest trends and challenges children are encountering online. Chances are the children in your life have heard some kind of message about Internet safety and it is important to keep those conversations going. This is an excellent opportunity to begin a fresh dialogue with students, teachers, and the entire community about the Internet and everyone’s responsibility to make it a safer place.
Teens Use Webcomics to Reach Their Peers
Over the summer, NetSmartz staff had the pleasure of working with teens from Reach Incorporated, a Washington, D.C.-based organization that works to develop literacy skills by pairing teen tutors with elementary school readers.
Teens participating in their summer program toured our offices learning about child safety issues both on- and offline, and then set off to create their own webcomics to help teach important safety lessons to kids and teens.