» MySpace to offer spyware for parents | The Social Web | ZDNet.com
- Quote: “Following continuing pressure from politicians (and parts of the media), MySpace is planning to offer parents the chance to download software which will monitor aspects of their children’s activities on the social networking site.”
Note: Another way for parents not to parent.
– post by willrich
- Quote: New Jersey needs a television station to call its own. Programmed by New Jerseyans, for New Jerseyans. TVJersey has no broadcast towers, no satellites. It doesn’t even have a studio. But it has you. And what you produce, we’ll promote.
Note: Now if I can just think of a great idea for a Valentine video to Wendy for the first TV Jersey video challenge…any ideas?
– post by willrich
- Quote: “Google isn’t a search engine. Google is a reputation-managment system. What do we search for, anyway? Mostly people, products, ideas — and what we want to know are, what do other people think about this stuff? All this blogging, Flickring, MySpacing, journaling — and, most of all, linking — has transformed the Internet into a world where it’s incredibly easy to figure out what the world thinks about you, your neighbor, the company you work for, or the stuff you were blabbing about four years ago. It might seem paradoxical, but in a situation like that, it’s better to be an active participant in the ongoing conversation than to stand off and refuse to participate. Because, okay, let’s say you don’t want to blog, or to Flickr, or to participate in online discussion threads. That means the next time someone Googles you they’ll find … everything that everyone else has said about you, rather than the stuff you’ve said yourself. (Again — just ask Sony about this one.) The only way to improve andd buff your reputation is to dive in and participate. Be open. Be generous. Throw stuff out there — your thoughts, your ideas, your personality. Trust comes from transparency.” –Clive Thompson
Note: This whole idea of private/public, open/closed is what is really hard for most educators to get their brains around. (via Clarence Fisher)– post by willrich
On professionalism and creativity
- Quote: I believe that professionals immersed in communities of practice or continuously pushing their informal learning opportunities can have a larger zone of proximal development. They are more open to learning and to expanding their knowledge. I have had a huge growth in my professional network since I started blogging. These professional conversations are not possible off-line when you live outside a major urban centre, as I do. Today, active involvement in informal learning, particularly through web-based communities, is key to remaining professional and creative in a field. –Harold Jarche
Note: I wonder if these conversations are even possible in urban centres. The thing I find so much more effective about the network learning I do is that it’s asynchronous and done on my time. And yet IM and Skype and others make synchronous discussion imminently possible when needed or necessary. And all of that is what to me at least poses such a challenge to the traditional work of classroooms where we are all expected to learn the same things at the same time.
– post by willrich
Footnote – 4.5 Million Historical Documents to Annotate…and Contribute To
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Quote: At Footnote.com you will find millions of images of original source
documents, many of which have never been available online before.
But at Footnote, finding an image is just the beginning. We have created powerful tools that let you interact with and
enhance what you find. Annotate important information on the image,
easily organize and share your findings or collaborate with people who
have similar interests. If you have original source images of your own that you want to
share with your colleagues, classmates, friends and family, simply
upload them to Footnote and use our tools to make your images
searchable and available to others.Note: This could be an amazing project for students to take on, studying and annotating historical documents…4.5 million of them at present. But what I reeally like is that there is an opportunity to contribute as well. Reminds me on some level of the “Scan This Book” article by Kevin Kelly from last year.
– post by willrich
With regard to your “Professionalism and Creativity Post:
The following came across lm_net (librarians listserv) this morning and I believe it is directly relevant:
This is a copy of the e-mail that was on the Pennsylvania School’s
List-serve. I am surprised that no one has sent it out to the list
already. It is something that should be discussed on this list. In
my school district it was “suggested” that teachers not blog at all to
be sure not to be in violation.
Here is the document:
“Blogging 101 Prepared by the PSEA Legal Division January 2007
As a school employee, you must exercise extreme caution when you
engage in blogging or other forms of internet communication. Keep in
mind that your First Amendment rights can be limited by virtue of your
position as a school employee. If you blog or maintain a web page, you
should adhere to the following tips:
I. Minimize the risk associated with
internet communication by limiting access to your blog or web page
using a “friends only” or similar restrictive setting. 2. If
visitors can post to your blog or web page, monitor postings
constantly and remove any that are inappropriate.
3. Do not blog or post about your job duties, colleagues,
supervisors or students. This will
reduce the danger that you might disclose confidential information,
share information about a private workplace complaint, or otherwise
carelessly or unintentionally engage in speech which could affect your
future employment.
4. If you choose to blog or post as a citizen about a non-job related
matter of public
concern (i.e., the elections, terrorism or environmental issues) take
care that what you say will not impede your employer’s effectiveness
or efficiency or otherwise disrupt the workplace.
5. If you are blogging or posting about innocuous information (i.e.,
your favorite football
team or family geneology), you still must be careful not to engage in
comments that could adversely affect your employer (i.e., damage the
employer’s reputation) or interfere with your ability to carry out
your job duties.
6. Do not blog or post about personal subjects (i.e., dating, romance,
or drug or alcohol
use). Your blog or web page should not contain any references to
sexual subjects, or contain vulgar or profane language or graphics. If
your blog or web page was a movie, it should be rated “G.”
7. Blogging and posting anonymously does not protect you. Names
ofbloggers, web page
authors and other internet users can be discovered through litigation.
8. Check to see if your employer has any policies regarding blogging
or web pages. If so,
you should review the policy with your PSEA Uniserv.
In conclusion, you should be aware that if you blog or maintain a web
page, you must use prudence and be extremely careful in your comments.
You must give the necessary time and attention to the content of your
blog or web page to make sure that it satisfies the general principles
above. Please contact your PSEA Uniserv Representative if you have
any questions. “