Social networking from a teens' perspective

A teenager

Are teens as wet behind the ears as we seem to think? Are we perhaps being so cautious in our approach to protecting kids online that we are losing out on some of the educational benefits of social networking? In this article, we look at what teenagers themselves think about social networking and e-safety.

This is the text (more or less) of a talk I gave recently at a Naace social network conference.

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Practical ICT eJournal: November issue out now!

This half-term's issue contains a great line-up of useful articles:

UK Funding
If you're based in the UK, here are details of the recent announcements
about funding for the next 3 years.

Curriculum changes
Again, for UK-based colleagues. What are the recent changes in the curriculum, including the new Diplomas? This article summarises the information and tells where to find out more.

Integrated learning systems
This report draws on an article which appeared recently in a Texas-based
newsletter. It contains the 4 key things you need to know to implement an ILS successfully.

An e-safety issue
One of the findings from a recent survey I administered into teenagers'
social networking habits causes concern. This is a must-read for anyone
concerned with e-safety issues.

Guest article: Implementing Moodle
Roger Davies describes the setting up of a Moodle-based VLE in his school. If you're thinking of doing something similar, this is essential reading because Roger takes us through all the main considerations and warns us of the pitfalls involved.

Wikis and shared documents: copyright and related issues
A warning: that confidential information that you have so confidently been sharing online may not be so confidential after all.

Using shared documents in a school context
When are online collaborative tools useful in a school context? Read on to find out.

Nice not doing business with you: walking the walk and word-of-mouth
marketing
Basically, how not to do it, with some challenges for you and your team.

Embedding the use of educational technology
If part of your role is to get others to use educational technology in
their teaching, you need to read this article. A lesson from the
discipline of economics.

This article is available only to subscribers to Leading and Managing Educational Technology. Click the link to find out more about this low-cost subscription.

What's been, and what's coming: an update about articles on this website

I always make it a point to take my "podcasting kit" along whenever I am giving a presentation or, indeed, attending any conference. Unfortunately, I don't always have time to check the recording, because I take it for granted that it will all work fine.

Thus it was that I discovered, too late, that something has gone wrong with my digital recorder. My investigations have revealed that there is something wrong with the external microphone connection. I will, needless to say, get it fixed. But it does mean that the opportunity for posting 3 podcasts of my most recent presentations has come and gone, because I'm not sure if the quality is good enough.

So, what have you missed? Well, nothing in a sense, because I will post my talks as articles. Read on to find out what they were all about.

Interactive Whiteboards from a leadership and management perspective: a personal view

I was invited by Chris Smith, he of Shambles fame, to give a 15 minute presentation, via Skype, to a group of Headteachers at a conference in Thailand. The subject of the talk was Interactive Whiteboards, and Chris wanted me to give the "inside story".

Here is the text of my talk, which is based on my experience of seeing (or not seeing) interactive whiteboards in action in England. In it I cover the following:

1. Introduction: my background and other pertinent information
   
   
2. Issues from a leadership perspective
   
   
3. My first hand evidence
   
   
4. The recipe for success
   
   
5. Resources

I hope you find it useful.

The world according to Potter Part 2 -- Opposites Attract

In this brief series I am looking at the concept of "one-upmanship", as developed by Stephen Potter, and exploring how the observations he made 50 years ago might still be applicable in the world of educational technology today.

Opposites attract

As I said in the first article in the series (which contains much more background information), his books are concerned with the study of how to be "one up" on other people. Although they are written very much tongue-in-cheek, they are clearly based on real-life observation. I first came across them 40 years ago, and have read and re-read them over the years for their humour. However, I find myself more and more discovering that a number of aspects of modern life may be found in these books, despite the elapsing of half a century, a fact which I believe puts them on a par with other classics such as Parkinson's Law and The Peter Principle.

Today, I look at the law of opposites.

The world according to Potter Part (1) Going Metric

In this brief series I'd like to see how the writings of Stephen Potter might be applicable in the world of education -- and, in particular, educational technology -- today. Writing predominantly in the 1940s and 50s, Potter codified the art and science of "one-upmanship". In so doing, he not only inspired a generation of undergraduates to put his theories to the test and invent new "ploys" and "gambits", but inspired the making of a film ("School for Scoundrels") and, perhaps more importantly, was taken seriously enough for the term "one-upmanship" to be cited in academic books.

His books are concerned with the study of how to be "one up" on other people. Although they are written very much tongue-in-cheek, they are clearly based on real-life observation. I first came across them 40 years ago, and have read and re-read them over the years for their humour. However, I find myself more and more discovering that a number of aspects of modern life may be found in these books, despite the elapsing of half a century, a fact which I believe puts them on a par with other classics such as Parkinson's Law and The Peter Principle.

So, with no further ado, let's see what Potter has to offer the educational ICT (Information & Communications Technology) subject leader in a school, Local Authority or School District.

Nice not doing business with you Part 1: Location, location, location

In this series I shall be looking at a number of poor business practices I have come across, and drawing lessons from them which may be applied to the "business" of evangelising about the educational benefits of educational technology or, as we call it in England and other parts of Europe, ICT (Information and Communications Technology).

Is it legitimate to draw such comparisons? I think so, for the following reason. As an ICT evangelist, your role involves convincing others to buy what you have to offer. That may in the form of using services or equipment you provide, or giving you further funding, or in some other form entirely, but ultimately yours is a selling role.

In this article I consider the importance of venue, and cite the case of a venue provider who recent got it spectacularly wrong.

This article is available only to subscribers to the Practical ICT eJournal.