Recent articles
4 ways to make CS for all a reality
05/24/2018
Topics: Coding & robotics, Computational Thinking, Digital Citizenship, Digital storytelling, Literacies, Makerspaces, professional learning
Kimberly Lane believes that in the digital age, computer science (CS) should be right up there with reading and writing as a foundational skill.
Lane, blended learning specialist for Lancaster Independent School District near Dallas, walks the talk by helping educators…
Students teach parents about social media
04/10/2018
Topics: Digital Citizenship
I am passionate about student agency and student voice and believe very much in…
WHAT WORKS: Program turns teachers into STEM researchers
03/18/2018
Topics: Digital Citizenship, Gamification
Cybersecurity is the digital Wild West, and students at College Station High School in Texas are preparing for it by creating a virtual network and using it to practice stopping simulated attacks – just like real-world cybersecurity researchers do.
Science and technology…
Digital citizenship needs to be a group effort
03/12/2018
Topics: Digital Citizenship, Standards
A student shares his email password with a friend, who shares it with another friend, who sends an inappropriate picture to everyone in the students’ contacts list. It was a joke! But that…
Students use grief, passion, technology to create a movement
02/22/2018
Topics: Digital Citizenship
Following the Valentine’s Day shooting in Parkland, Florida, the world saw teenagers being self-directed and empowered as they pursued a real-world project they felt passionately about. It saw students being dynamic digital citizens, using social media and other web platforms to engage…
Can Minecraft teach team building?
02/13/2018
Topics: Digital Citizenship, Gaming
It was October. My Introduction to Computer Science class had been meeting for two months, and we were deep into a discussion about game design. One of my students gestured casually at the student across the room. “That’s right! I agree with what… what’s-his-name said over there.”…
A new twist on cyberbullying
01/17/2018
Topics: Digital Citizenship, Standards
Over the years, I’ve worked hard to teach my students about appropriate online behavior. I’ve spent a lot of time teaching students to “do this” or “don’t do that” online. While I feel this method works for younger students, I’ve come to realize that high school students require a different…
4 ways to help students get workforce-ready
01/10/2018
Topics: Coding & robotics, Computational Thinking, Digital Citizenship, Digital storytelling, Literacies, Makerspaces, professional learning, Project-based learning
Being a student should be a little like being an apprentice preparing for life in the real world. But when school is nothing like the future workplace, that goal is impossible to reach.
So what will the real world be like when students enter the workforce? We hear a lot about…
5 things students should do to stay safe and secure online
10/17/2019
Topics: #DigCitCommit, Digital Citizenship
As adults, we do everything possible to keep our computers, bank accounts and families safe. Our list of to-do’s continues to grow as our use of digital…
How students become influencers and advocates
12/20/2017
Topics: Digital Citizenship
Teen filmmaker Laney Blair knows better than anyone how the media can influence the way girls feel about themselves.
Making films has taught her some intense lessons about self-love. About how unreal the images we see everyday are. About how important it is to be honest and…