Lesson+07.+Connected+24.7

=Unit: Manners, Bullying, and Ethics - What are students' social, legal, and ethical responsibilities when they use the Internet?=

Connected 24-7 - Overview
Students explore how bullying behaviors on social networking sites and cell phones can affect teens around the clock. They identify positive actions that bystanders can take to alleviate a particular scenario. Then they write a letter to the editor discussing the positives and negatives of social networking sites, messaging, and cell phone technologies used by teens.

Download Student Activity Sheet(s) for printout. Read a Letter to Educators about cyberbullying from CyberSmart!

Learning Targets

 * I can analyze online behaviors that could be considered cyberbullying.
 * I can generate multiple solutions for dealing with a cyberbullying situation.
 * I can communicate positives and negatives related to Internet and cell phone technologies by teens.

Home Connection
Download the Grades 9-12 Home Connection page related to this lesson.

Site Preview

 * //Optional online research is suggested under Teach 4.//**
 * //An optional strategy for using Web 2.0 tools with your students is recommended under Teach 4.//**

Materials

 * Student Sheets (2)

Introduce

 * Discuss with students how eager many middle school students are to join social networking sites such as MySpace and Facebook, even going so far as to disregard the age rules to sign up. **Ask:** //What advice would you give to middle school students about using these sites?//

Teach 1: What's the Problem?

 * Distribute the student sheets. Have students read the scenario about Nicole and the social networking group.
 * Have students write their answers to the questions under What's the Problem? Look for responses that show empathy for Nicole, realizing that she might be angry, upset, frightened, or even depressed by the behavior of her so-called friends. Because the harassment is also taking place at school, students may conclude that the school has a responsibility to help resolve the situation.
 * Allow students to share their own stories. **Ask:** //Have you ever witnessed social networks being used to cyberbully a person or a group? Without names, share the story with your class.//

Teach 2: Think About It

 * Tell students that researchers have found while some teens say they are not bothered by cyberbullying behavior, others report feelings of anger, sadness, and frustration.
 * Because cyberbullying can take place 24/7, the effects on teens can be very intense.

Teach 3: Find Solutions

 * Have students work in pairs to discuss and answer the questions on their activity sheet.
 * Have students role-play some ways to handle this situation. Take roles of Nicole, the other girls, Nicole's parents, a trusted teacher, and the school principal. Discuss each person's point of view. For example, teens often say the last person they would ask for help is a parent because parents, in an attempt to protect their children, often react by taking away their child's Internet privileges.

Teach 4: Take Action
//**Have students use Web 2.0 tools, such as a wiki, so that they can brainstorm, post the information they find during research, and collaborate in writing their letters to the editor.**//
 * **Write a Letter to the Editor** Have students choose a local or national news story related to teens' questionable use of Internet or cell phone technologies. If they wish to do an Internet search, suggest the keyword //cyberbullying//. They may also read letters to the editor online to get a feel for the format. For example, many letters begin by referring to the title, author, and date of an article published in that paper.

Assess
The following items assess student proficiency and learning targets.
 * **Ask:** //What are some advantages and disadvantages of 24/7 communications technologies?//
 * **Ask:** //What are some reasons that schools might need to get involved in resolving technology-related incidents?//
 * **Ask:** //What should parents, teachers, and other community members know about teen use of Internet and cell phone technologies?//

Extend

 * Students will benefit by revisiting this lesson each year.
 * For students who completed this lesson in a previous grade, have them find news stories related to the ever-changing ways teens use Internet and communications technologies and analyze the positive and negative aspects of each.