Kiwi Commons's Blog (13)

Spring Break is right around the corner (some have already began their mid-season vacations) and Kiwi put together a list of tips and faux pas for both students and parents to consider during their holiday. A simple Google search on 'Spring Break' will provide a myriad of pictures displaying both young guys and girls, half naked and doing things that I am sure most teachers and parents would not approve of. Of course not all kids and teens will engage in the typical MTV type Spring Break, but… Continue

The Ministry of Education in Ontario, Canada has recently launched a a very interesting system in which students can seek homework help online. The program is specifically designed for grade 7 to 10 math students and users can log into the website (https://homeworkhelp.ilc.org/secure/login.php) where they can chat with the online tutors who are available form 5:30pm to 9:30pm from Sunday through Thrusday.



I find the concept… Continue

While the school district… Continue

I've just come across yet another case that calls into question just how involved a school should be when it comes to disciplining cyber bullying. A student in Florida is suing her former principal after she was suspended back in 2007 for creating a Facebook criticizing one of her teachers. The page, which was up only for a few days, had current and past students commenting on the teacher's abilities, some for and some against.



Two months later, the student, Katherine Evans, was… Continue

In the last few weeks, I have come across a slew of cyber bullying cases, each becoming more serious than the last. But it was the story of a young girl named Phoebe Prince that really hit home.

Phoebe Prince, 15, committed suicide due to what reports are saying was a case of cyber bullying. The young teen was victim to harassing Internet and text messages from alleged older ‘mean girls’ who were unhappy…

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Using social media is becoming more popular everyday shown here. If you are like me, it's mandatory and one of the more preferred ways to keep up-to-date with what your friends and family are doing. Internet users determine if their social networking habits are healthy. Enthusiast, lukewarm, burnout, unaffected, or addict which type of social networker are you? Click… Continue

It seems like everyone is entangled in technology albeit their smart phone or sharing media (videos, music, and photos). It's easy to overlook the legality because we are unaware of any legal implications that may exist.



Here's a list of some common things that many people do online that is actually illegal:



Minors Sexting: Sexting, which is sending nude or semi-nude photos or videos of someone using a cell phone or electronic devices, has become a way to show interest or… Continue

Let's face it, the Internet has become a staple in everyday life for many people whether you're a grandmother keeping in touch with your grandchildren or a post-secondary student that is collaborating with peers and professors. The encompassing use of the Internet has made the line between addiction and healthy use blurred. The type of activity youths engage in online whether it be for homework or social networking (i.e. Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube) isn't the problem. Both their dependency… Continue

This was a recent issue brought up by a mother located in Fullerton, California, who discovered her daughter was speaking to an online stranger and was able to access pornographic websites on a school-issued laptop by connecting to their neighbour's wireless network. The mother feels that the school did not install adequate Internet safety software.



School-issued laptops, as much as any other wired technology, can be a gateway that leads you to inappropriate content that is available… Continue

Kiwi Commons has provided some tips for both students and teachers. These tips can help teachers equip students with fundamental safe online practices for in-home use. As well, we've included Internet Safety 101 basics for the classroom that every teacher should go over before students start any Internet-based tasks.



You can find our checklist for Parents at http://kiwicommons.com/2009/08/top-10-back-to-school-internet-safety-tips-for-parents/#more-1934



Checklist for… Continue

Hey everyone!



We will be launching our upcoming web safety resource on KiwiCommons.com called Kiwi Reviews.



Kiwi Reviews was created to provide our readers with in-depth product, software and book reviews, in addition to the editorials, late-breaking news and resources available on the site. It will be useful for tech users, parents, and educators.



The bi-weekly reviews will be conducted by… Continue

-Place computers in open areas of the home. Never put one in your child's bedroom.



-Go over what personal information should never be posted online. Never share full name, social security number, address, location, email address, school name, phone number, date of birth, or real age.



-Ask children to only use gender-neutral screen names like Rocker41.



-On social networking sites, make sure they know only to talk to people they know in real life, restrict access… Continue

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