Weekly Tech Tip - Terms of Service and Age Restrictions

The new online tools are great and can have exponential application for teaching and learning. However, one thing we need to be aware of when using online tools and services with students (especially those under 13 years old) are age restrictions found in the terms of service. Federal COPPA law requires us to gain parental permission to use many of the tools I have in the Digital Backpack with students. Many tools, however, do not have any age restrictions, do not collect any student information, and are completely safe and appropriate for students of any age. I have added a new feature to the Digital Backpack that indicates these age restrictions found in web service TOS agreements. This week's tech tip walks you through this new feature of the Digital Backpack. For a list of tools from the Backpack that don't have any age restrictions click here.

Weekly Tech Tip:

Link Stew:

• 2010 Horizon Report | NMC - annual forecast of new technologies and trends likely to have an impact on education

• Educause General Session: 2010 Horizon Report and Lightning Round
  

• Monster Milktruck! - Drive around Google Earth in a milktruck.

• Education Week: Cellphones in Schools: Flip ’Em Open

• Education Week's Digital Directions: Whiteboards' Impact on Teaching Seen as Uneven

• Educational Networking: The Important Role Web 2.0 Will Play in Education

• Welcome to Discovery Education's Puzzlemaker! Create crossword puzzles, word searches, mazes, and other puzzles for your classroom today!

• Wikitude - Augmented reality world browser for the iPhone and Android

• CiteSimple: Free MLA, APA, Chicago/Turabian Citation Tools

• :: AppMakr - make your own app for the iPhone or iPod Touch

• Wallwisher.com :: Words that stick - make a virtual bulletin board

• 2010 ELI Live Presentation Archive - This is a database free online conference session recordings.

• If Your Kids Are Awake, They’re Probably Online - NY Times
  

• Neotake - ebook search engine
  

• CommonCraft's Protecting Reputations Online in Plain English

• Kids Connecting With Adults Online: Teach students how to learn with adults from around the world. by Will Richardson | District Administration

Blog Carnival:

• Cost per student compared to prison inmate - by Scott Mcleod on Mind Dump

• Tool or Toy? The Blurred Line of a Computer By Jeff Utecht on The Thinking Stick

• Engagement v. Empowerment -- Some Early Thoughts... by Chris Lehmann on Practical Theory

• Taking others' assessments: How brave are your educators? - by Scott Mcleod on Dangerously Irrelevant