Photo by: Ana Johnson - Traditional textbooks are gradually making their way out of classrooms.

In the Culture Cookie’s Children’s Technology Use Affects Education, Cognitive Skills video, 5^th grade teacher Ms. Norma Corea talks about the future of technology in education. Corea believes years from now all textbooks will be in digital format.

For public schools in Huntsville, Alabama, digital textbooks will soon be a reality. According an article on Alabama’s 13 news website, Superintendent Casey Wardynski said all students will either have a laptop or a tablet with digital textbooks by August.

President Barack Obama supports digital textbook initiatives. His goal is to have digital textbooks in all classrooms by 2017, according to a USA today article. Not only will students benefit from not carrying around heavy textbooks, but the schools will save money as well.

The Alabama’s 13 article points out that Huntsville’s public school system spends $5 million a year on textbooks. With this new initiative, they will only spend $3.2 million the first year and then $4.2 million the second year but then the third year and each year thereafter it will only cost $2.5 million.

Lower prices and President Obama’s support might encourage schools to make the switch from traditional textbooks to digital textbooks.

Photo by: Ana Johnson - Schools are investing in digital textbooks that are less costly than traditional textbooks.

A recent study by Common Sense Media showed examples of technology platforms used by children ages zero to eight. The study showed that 52% of children have access to newer mobile devices such as smartphones, video iPod, or tablets in their homes.

It also showed that television is the device children spend the most time using. The percentage of usage time for television was 74%, following that was the computer at 13%, video games at 10% and cellphone, iPod or iPad at 4%.

Given that children are exposed to technology at home, it is no surprise that technology in education has evolved as well.

Some students use technology in the classroom through the use of interactive white boards, desktop computers and tablets. Falon LeFevre, a kindergarten teacher in Forsyth County, has access to all these tools in her classroom and she integrates them while teaching math, science and language arts.

In the video below, LeFevre and other teachers speak about the technology they currently use in their classrooms and the positive effect it has on their students.

Not all teachers have access to technology in their classroom. First grade teacher, Daniela Membreno talks about the lack of technology in her school and how it affects her teaching methods in the audio interview below.

Interview with Daniela Membreno by theculturecookie

Scholastic and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation surveyed 10,000 public school teachers. They asked the teachers whether or not they felt technology engages students in learning. The infographic below shows over half of the teachers surveyed strongly agree that technology engages students in learning.

Although it is hard to gage exactly how many students are using technology in the classroom nationwide, there are some statistics about the growth of technology in classrooms in the last 18 years. According to the National Center of Education Statistics, 35% of American public schools had Internet access in 1994. According to an article on Edweek.org, the Federal Communications Commission reported that 97% of American public schools had Internet access in 2010.

Forsyth County Schools, the ninth largest school system in Georgia, uses Ethernet services to support interactive white boards, video streaming and mobile devices. They started initiatives such as “Bring Your Own Technology (BYOT)” and the NOBLE Virtual World project. BYOT encourages students to bring their own technology devices to schools such as laptops, tablets and mobile devices to be used in the classroom. Those students who do not have technology devices of their own are provided some in school. In a report done by MSNBC, Forsyth County Schools says the program is going well and they have even been contacted by other districts, states and countries that are interested in implementing BYOT in their schools.

The NOBLE Virtual World project is a 3-D virtual world computer program that allows students to learn through creating and collaborating with other students. For example, an ESchoolNews.com article describes how students used NOBLE to craft an escape plan over a 3-D model of the Berlin Wall and virtually placed graffiti art on it “to express their understanding of the Cold War.”  The Forsyth County Schools website describes how students can reenact the moon landing or the signing of the Magna Carta with NOBLE.

There are other initiatives that are encouraging the advancement of technology in the classroom. With computer and Internet access, one initiative that is free and available to anyone in the world is Khan Academy. Khan Academy is an online educational tool with video lessons on topics such as math, science and history. An article in KTVB.com said, “The Khan Academy is currently working directly with 50 schools, and 5,000 more are using it on their own.”

Do you think technology in the classroom increases academic achievement? Let us know in the comments section below.

The movie “Renee” is based on the life of Renee Yohe, the girl who inspired the non-profit movement To Write Love on Her Arms.

Renee (played by Kat Dennings) is a 19-year-old girl who is struggling with addiction, depression and self-injury. Jamie Tworkowski (played by Chad Michael Murray) reaches out to Renee and offers support throughout her journey to recovery.

The video below created by Two Streets Entertainment provides a behind the scenes look at “Renee.”

Yohe’s story is what led Tworkowski  to create TWLOHA; a non-profit movement “dedicated to presenting hope and finding help for people struggling with depression, addiction, self-injury and suicide,” as stated on the TWLOHA website.

“I think that TWLOHA is a good cause to support because it helps people everywhere to know that they are not alone, and that no matter how bad things are, there is someone out there that is willing to help you and save you from the darkest moments of your life,” said Janella Huelga, a TWLOHA supporter.

Huelga was at the Switchfoot show where the lead singer; Jon Foreman was the first person to wear a TWLOHA t-shirt and spoke about the organization. Tworkowski talks about the impact this had on the organization in the video below.

To learn more about “Renee” the movie visit www.reneethemovie.com.

Find out how to support TWLOHA at www.twloha.com.

More people die from diseases caused by unclean water each year, than they do from any form of violence. That is why Charity Water is committed to providing clean water to as many people as possible all over the world. Their website says they have provided clean water to over two million people across 19 different countries and counting.

Through project partners, Charity Water creates hand-dug wells, drilled wells, rehabilitations, spring protections, rainwater catchments and BioSand filters.

Of course this couldn’t be done without the help of supporters. Charity Water promises their supporters that 100% of all donations go directly to fund clean water projects in the field.

There are many ways to help. You can make a donation through the Charity Water webpage, sponsor a water project, donate as a gift or you can pledge your birthday.

So far 12,071 people including celebrities such as Justin Bieber, Adam Lambert and Will Smith have pledged their birthdays to raise funds for Charity Water. The way it works is you ask for donations instead of gifts and all the money goes to funding clean water projects.

Charity Water partners send photos and GPS for each project so they can show you; the donor, exactly where your money went and who it helped.

To learn more about why providing clean water is important and how you can help check out the videos below.

Visit Charity Water’s website and get involved. You can help make a difference in the lives of millions of people.

This video done by Charity Water explains the damaging effects of unclean, unsafe water. This video can be found on their website.

This video can also be found on the Charity Water website and it explains how you can pledge your birthday to raise money to provide clean water to developing countries.

Photo by Ana Sanchez - Leoncio Alvarez created his own food website called "Munch This!"

Once upon a time people only got their news from newspapers and television. Now they have the option of getting it from their computers, mobile phones, tablets and social networks.

The way people get their news has changed throughout the years and so have the people who provide it.

According to an article on News.Cnet.com, “Columbia University’s Project for Excellence in Journalism reports that 32 million Americans are currently turning to blogs for their information.”

If traditional journalists aren’t the only ones publishing news online but bloggers are doing so as well, should bloggers have the same rights as traditional journalists?

Professor Hugo Ottolenghi from Florida International University’s School of Journalism and Mass Communications thinks they should.

“Bloggers should have the same rights as journalists for several reasons, one, the First Amendment does not create a special set of rights for journalists over other citizens; two, bloggers have audiences, just as journalists do,” said Ottolenghi. “Sometimes, those audiences are as large or larger than those of newspaper and broadcasters; [and] three; a blog or news website is as valid a means of distributing news and opinion as a newspaper or broadcast station,” he added.

The Electronic Frontier Foundation has created a legal guide for bloggers. In it, they explain rights that bloggers have. For example, it explains that under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), “anyone can seek access to public records held by federal agencies.” It also explains that bloggers have access to press passes among other rights.

“I’d like to say I’m well-versed about my rights as a blogger but I’m not,” said Reuben Pereira, a film writer for the Examiner.com. “To be honest, I’m not even sure whether I qualify as a journalist or a blogger since most of my articles are news-based pieces (that I pick up from established wire sources) or critical analysis pieces (i.e. film reviews),” said Pereira.

Many people struggle to define the difference between blogger and journalist.

“Who qualifies as a blogger and who qualifies as a journalist, is it the publication you write for, or is it the medium?” Pereira asks.

“I consider myself a journalist, a communicator before mentioning “blogger,” said Leoncio Alvarez. “When I am talking to people I seldom use the word “blog,” even though that’s exactly what I have with Munch This!, it’s a blog,” he added.

Some bloggers hold themselves to the same standard as traditional journalists.

“As long as a “blogger” follows journalistic code and reports unbiased on fact and not speculation, then they deserve to have the same rights as a journalist,” said Pereira. “I assume my rights are akin to a journalist – as long as I’m adhering to the rules of proper and ethical journalism,” he said.

Whether or not online writers define themselves as a journalist or blogger, they have rights that protect them. In order to learn more about blogger’s rights visit the Electronic Frontier Foundation website.

Photo by Ana Sanchez - Although bloggers have similar rights as traditional journalists, sometimes they don't get the same respect. "I've noticed that people kind of look down at you when you say you're a blogger," Leoncio Alvarez said. "I just say I run a food website and I usually get better interactions with people," he added.

Photo by Ana Sanchez - On January 27, 2011, the Egyptian government shut down Internet and cell phone connection.

What once would take days or weeks for a message to be delivered can now be texted in a few seconds. In the age of social media, at the click of a button people can communicate to a mass audience of people right from their home or any location.

Social media played a significant role in the way people communicated during the January 2011 Egyptian anti-government protests. Social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter were used to organize and spread the word about the protests.

In response, the Egyptian government shut down the Internet and cell phone service on January 27, 2011.

CNN's Ben Wedeman confirmed the reports of an Internet shutdown in Egypt.

According to a NYDailyNews.com article, President Barack Obama urged Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak not to “interfere with access to the Internet, to cell phone service and to social networks that do so much to connect people in the 21st century.”

Egyptians all over the world reacted to the government’s decision to shut down the Internet and cell phone service.

“I don’t like the fact that the government shut down the Internet,” said Stephanie Link, who was born in Canada from Egyptian parents. “I am glad that Mubarak was forced out of power [and] I am glad that the protests were successful despite the fact that the Internet was closed,” she added.

Some Eygptians felt the Internet shut down just fueled the protests even more.

“It showed the stupidity of a government who was trying to separate a whole country; they didn’t know that this would give us more courage and be more willing to go down [the] streets, even the people who didn’t initially, went down the street that day,” said Khaled Abdelaziz who was born and raised in Egypt.

If this happened in Egypt, could this happen in the United States?

Abdelaziz doesn’t think so.

“This couldn’t ever happen in any democratic country, we were ruled by a dictator which meant he was ruling from the perspective that he is the owner of the country not the leader of the country,” Abdelaziz said.

Contrary to Abdelaziz, Link does think something like this could happen in the U.S.

“Yes, [that could happen] if laws like SOPA and PIPA continue to be fought over in congress,” said Link. “The Internet should never be commercialized as it is one of the last places where freedom of speech is found,” she added.

According to an article in TechCrunch.com, the Cybersecurity and Internet Freedom Act of 2011 says, “neither the president, the Director of the National Center for Cybersecurity and Communications, or any officer or employee of the United States Government shall have the authority to shut down the Internet.” The article goes on to say, “But it does give the Department of Homeland Security the power to issue decrees to privately owned companies in a cyber emergency.”

However, the president already has the power to shut down the Internet if there is a “state or threat of war” under the Communications Act of 1934, according to an article in Time.com.

As social media continues to develop as a means of communication, the governing laws surrounding the Internet will continue to shape what ‘freedom of speech’ means on the web.

Photo by Ana Sanchez - According the Communications Act of 1934, the U.S. president can shut down the Internet if there is a "state or threat of war'.

Children and technology became a topic of conversion in theCultureCookie.com. Photo by Lexie Flickinger.

The last post, “How Technology Affects Children’s Cognitive, Social Skills” had several comments from readers expressing their concern about the issues caused by technology multitasking among children.

Some of the concerns expressed were the lack of information or awareness about this topic. Another point brought up in the comments was how this will negatively affect society in the future.

One mom commented on the previous post that she would keep this information in mind while monitoring how much many hours their child uses technology a day.  The Culture Cookie did a survey on Facebook asking readers, “How often should children (5-8 years) use technology (TV, computers, iPad, etc)?” Below are the results.

Most people thought children should use technology at least once a day. But what would happen if children started using technology not just at home but at school too?

One reader said, “I don’t know if there is a solution to all this since there is new technology being introduced everyday, and soon enough instead of paper, pencil and crayons on our kids supplies list we will be seeing ipad [and or] etextbooks.”

Some schools are already adopting technology in the classroom, such as New Ipswich’s Highbridge Hill Elementary in New Hampshire, according to an article in the LedgerTranscript.com.

Arizona’s Kyrene School District also incorporated technology in their classrooms. According to an article in NYtimes.com, although these classrooms are technology driven, “Since 2005, scores in reading and math have stagnated in Kyrene, even as statewide scores have risen.”

Research on this topic might influence the way parents and educators handle technology use among children. As shown in the comments on the previous post, some people are giving thought to this issue and the relevance of it in today’s society.

Children can watch videos, play games and read a story from their mobile devices, TV, and computers – sometimes all at the same time. According to a study done by Stanford University, the increase in technology multitasking among children is hindering the development of their social skills.

The info graphic below shows the amount of computer and mobile media access of children between 0-8 years old. This data from Common Sense Media demonstrates that over half of 5-8 year olds have used a mobile device of some sort.

But at what age should parents allow their children to use these gadgets? The ABC video below tackles this question. Ultimately, the parents must decide whether or not the child is mature enough to handle these devices and monitor the time spent on them.

If children are spending a significant amount of time doing technology multitasking, instead of spending one-on-one time with their peers, their social skills may suffer according to the Stanford study.

“Kids have to learn about emotion, and the way they do that, really, is by paying attention to other people, said Clifford Nass, Stanford University professor in a CNN article. “They have to really look them in the eye,” Nass added.

Another study discussed in an article by the UK Telegraph, showed that 49% of British children would be sad without Internet connection.

The long-term effects of technology multitasking among children are yet to be seen. This is why it is important for parents to pay attention to the technology habits of their children now.

“It’s not too late. You can teach people empathy skills. You can teach them to look each other in the eye,” said Gary Small, a neuroscientist and author of “iBrain: Surviving the Technological Alteration of the Modern Mind in a Huffington Post article.

This incident has left many people to wonder, exactly how safe are they at sea?

“The news of the accident has affected my opinion of the safety of cruises, said Daniela Membreno, who went on a cruise to the Bahamas last year on Celebration cruise line. “It’s made me think that being in the in middle of nowhere surrounded by nothing but water is an unsafe idea,” she added.

“I never wanted to go on a cruise in the first place and I’ve always had a fear of cruises, I don’t like big ships,” said Brandy Thurman. When asked about the Costa Concordia accident she said, “That would influence me even more to not go on a cruise; I would prefer to fly there.”

However, not everyone is worried about cruise security despite news of the accident.

“This was one accident and it doesn’t happen all the time,” said Gabriel Gil, who went on a Disney cruise last year to a private island and the Bahamas. It hasn’t affected my decision to cruise, I feel very safe while cruising,” he added.

Many people blame Francesco Schettino; the captain of the Costa Concordia, for the accident. Schettino allegedly, “ordered the turn too late” and is criticized for leaving the ship before all passengers had evacuated, he is now on house arrest, BBC News reported.

Carnival cruise lines; who owns the Costa Concordia said that they will conduct a “comprehensive audit and review” of all safety procedures, according to an article by the Montreal Gazette.

There are a few things potential cruise goers can do to make sure the cruise line they are considering is up to par with their safety standards. For example, do research on specific cruise ships to see if they have a record of any accidents.

Also, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention grades cruise ships on their sanitation. Check out their website to see which cruise ships received a satisfactory grade and which did not.