learning.now

Last month, I asked readers to give me their thoughts on what school reform truly looks like, so I could begin a conversation on the topic that was to take place at the Educon 2.1 conference in Philadelphia. Both online and in person, I heard a range of thoughtful perspectives - and students were always at the center of it.

This weekend, I’ll be moderating a discussion at the second annual EduCon conference in which we tackle the question, “What does school reform look like?” It’s such a big topic that no discussion panel could ever capture the full scope of it. So in the spirit of the conversational nature of the EduCon conference, let’s start talking about it now.

A group of students from Massachusetts will make the journey to DC to take part in President-elect Obama’s inauguration ceremony. And they’ll be more than mere spectators, as they’re going to use Web 2.0 tools to teach students back home about the experience.

A drama unfolded on the messaging service Twitter last week after a bipolar woman posted a note that she intended as a joke, but was perceived by some people as a threat against her child. Soon, police were at her doorstep. The incident raises some tough questions about what role Internet users should play in policing each other’s behavior, and the special role of teachers in protecting the welfare of children.

This week, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation announced a $7 million grant to invest in the expansion in broadband access in libraries across seven states. While $7 million may sound like chump change from a foundation that routinely spends hundreds of millions at a time on public heath philanthropy, it serves as an important reminder of the continuing role that libraries play in bridging the digital divide.

Last week, a jury in California convicted Lori Drew on misdemeanor charges related to the Megan Meier suicide case. Though public sentiment wanted to see her convicted specifically on Drew cyberbullying Meier into committing suicide, in the end she was found guilty of violating MySpace’s terms of service. Was justice served?

Julie Amero, the substitute teacher subjected to a judicial roller coaster ride over whether she intentionally exposed a group of students to inappropriate computer images, ended her legal limbo by agreeing to a plea deal this Friday. It’s the end of a long road for Amero, but was justice served?

It seems you can barely turn on the TV without hearing stories about the rash of piracy incidents that’s been taking place off the coast of Somalia. While it’s tempting to crack wise with references to parrots and peg legs, modern-day piracy is no laughing matter. And now there’s a Google Map mashup you can use in the classroom to help your students understand how serious this is.

The longest presidential campaign in history is over. We now know Barack Obama will become president, but what will he accomplish in the realm of education technology policy? What do you want him to accomplish?

The longest presidential election in history is almost over, and now it’s time to vote. As well all know, sometimes things go wrong at the polling stations. And now the Web 2.0 community is pulling together so we can all document it.

A new survey explores the question of whether U.S. universities are truly becoming 21st century campuses, such as utilizing distance learning or addressing the digital divide. Most interestingly, though, it sheds light on the high expectations students have about universities even before they apply to college. Can K-12 schools learn any lessons from it?

Education technology organizations are hailing the passage of legislation in the House and Senate addressing online safety education in schools. The legislation will require schools receiving federal Internet subsidies to educate their students about appropriate online behavior and cyberbullying.

A court has ruled that a school was within its rights for suspending a student who created an offensive fake MySpace page for the school principal. The ruling brings together a number of legal precedents regarding the difficult question of what happens when students’ actions take place beyond the schoolhouse gate, but reverberate back through it.

It’s that time of year again - and no, I’m not talking about Talk Like a Pirate Day. (Arrgh!) I’m talking about OneWebDay, an annual virtual gathering of volunteers around the world who believe the Internet can be used to make a positive difference around the planet.

I’ve gotten a number of questions from people over the last week about how I pulled together all of the content that’s on display at my website, Hurricanes08.org. It’s easier than it looks - and it’s all about the tags.