District Administration - November/December 2011 - (Page 24)

cio Digital Citizenship District Social Media Eases Middle to High School Transition he TransiTion from middle school To high school can often be daunting; however, students in memphis city (Tenn.) schools have found that Gaggle, which provides online learning tools, can help ease this changeover with its social media features. “it’s very important that we acknowledge what the developmental literature tells us,” says irving hamer, mcs deputy superintendent of operations, technology and innovation. “middle school students are seeking relationships and want to be a part of a crew of children with like minds. These adolescents are going to figure out a way to be engaged digitally.” Gaggle, which originally began in 1998 offering safe email access to students and teachers, has since expanded to incorporate social media and communication features to its Web platform. mcs introduced Gaggle to its 110,000 students in 2008 with the unique intent of supporting middle school students. since then, they have seen the site’s users increase and are in the process of expanding it to grades 3-12. mcs has particularly found its social wall to be useful for students looking to connect to students with similar interests. The portal is similar to facebook, says andrea Keith, director of client engagement at Gaggle, where each student has their own profile, ability to update their status, post pictures and links and T Memphis City (Tenn.) Schools uses Gaggle’s safe social media features to allow middle school students to connect before entering high school. join groups based on their classes or interests—without the typical cyber risks. “everything, whether it be a wall post or an instant message, goes through our filter,” says Keith. if a student types any profanity, sexually explicit or violent language, the post is deleted and redirected to a teacher or Gaggle representative for review. “it’s very effective in helping [and dealing with] student safety, gang issues, and bullying,” says Keith. in addition to providing a social element, hamer feels this tool is vital to teaching students how to be good digital citizens. in this manner, they can “learn what is right and wrong,” he says. “facebook and social media is a relatively new phenomenon and we’re all learning lessons the hard way,” hamer adds. “Kids are recognizing the pitfalls of these situations, and are finding benefits of collaborating in a safe, regulated environment that they can personalize and access on their own.”—M.H. Videogames Improve Creativity in Children VideoGames, as opposed to cell phones, the internet, or computers, proved to increase creativity among children, according to a new study conducted by researchers at michigan state University. researchers asked 491 12-year-olds in michigan to test their creative thinking skills by commenting on a drawing and were then asked about their usage of various forms of information technology. The level of creativity was determined by how much a student expanded on a drawing or idea presented to them. according to the study, there was a correlation between video game usage and creativity across all races and genders. Whether the video game was vio- teCh tip Mobile devices are growing quickly—arguably faster and larger than the PC market. According to Gartner, the PC industry could reach 400 million units within the next year. Smartphone sales, however, are predicted to pass 600 million within the next year. While the overall tablet market will still remain below 100 million and not surpass smartphones, tablets are predicted to outgrow PCs. Source: Gartner; www.splatf.com Oct. 19, 2011 lent or interpersonal had no effect on the level of creativity, researchers say. previous work conducted by the team of researchers found that video games also lead to improved visual and spatial skills. The study was first released online nov. 1 and will be published in the march 2012 issue of Computers in Human Behavior.—M.H. 24 November/December 2011 District Administration http://www.splatf.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of District Administration - November/December 2011

District Administration - November/December 2011
Contents
From the Editor
News Update
Inside the Law
Administrator Profile
District Profile
CIO news
How to Update Your Network on a Budget
The Importance of IT Team Unity
Creating an Anti-Bullying Program With the Resources You Have
The Ultimate Empowerment Program for Parents
Taking the Helm in Cheating Scandals
Readers’ Choice: Top 100 Products
New Directions
Professional Opinion
Problem/Solution
Going Mobile

District Administration - November/December 2011