Cyberwise Blog

Feb 12
3 min

For Valentine's Day: Engage in Random Acts of Online Kindness

It’s more important than ever to teach empathy from the very beginning, because our kids are going to need it. —Melinda Gates Nearly every expert I spoke with while writing “Raising Humans in a Digital World: Helping Kids Build a Healthy Relationship with Technology,” told me that if they could equip kids with one digital superpower, it would be empathy. [Download Empathy-Building Activities Below] Empathy is the ability to put oneself in another’s shoes. It encompasses persp

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Diana Graber

Jul 17, 2019
1 min

Speaking Tour Resumes in August!

We're busy updating the Cyber Civics curriculum, expanding our team, and getting ready for an awesome Fall. See where we'll be: 8/5 | Santa Rosa Academy, Menifee, CA 8/12 | St. Eudes School, Chatsworth, CA 8/29 | NY Jets Tackle Cyberbullying Symposium, MetLife Stadium, NJ 9/6 | United Way of Central West Virginia, WV 9/17 | Heilecher Jewish Day School, Minneapolis, MN 9/24 | Novato Charter School, Novato, CA 9/25 | Marin Waldorf School, Marin, CA 10/1 | Infinity Kids Pedi

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How Instagram Tries to Nudge Users Away From Excessive Use - Does it Work?

Brian Thomas, Enlightened Digital

Jan 12, 2019
6 min

How Instagram Tries to Nudge Users Away From Excessive Use - Does it Work?

As evidenced by increases in app downloads, app earnings, and smartphone penetration over the last five years, mobile application usage seems to be on the rise. The smartphone has managed to take up even more of our time. However, usage does not distribute evenly across types of mobile apps. Five social media apps in particular, have gained disproportionate shares of overall app use. The makers of these apps, of course, want people to use and spend time using them, and consu

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Media Literacy: In California, It’s the Law.

Diana Graber

Oct 31, 2018
3 min

Media Literacy: In California, It’s the Law.

California Governor Jerry Brown recently signed a bill that will help California students get the training they need to discern legitimate sources of information. The new bill requires the state Department of Education to provide schools with a list of resources and instructional materials on media literacy. Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Mexico, and Washington state have already passed similar legislation, and several other states are considering it. This should go a long wa

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Diana Graber

Aug 3, 2018
3 min

Don't Tweet Stupid Stuff

Don’t tweet stupid stuff. Seems like no-brainer advice, doesn’t it? Yet, if one's brain is not fully-functional (we’ll get to that in a minute), following this simple guideline is harder than it seems. Case(s) in point… In the past few weeks, the offensive tweets of three Major League Baseball players came back to bite each of them in very public and embarrassing ways. In each case, the racist and homophobic tweets now causing their P.R. nightmares were posted when each athle

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Cyberwise

May 5, 2018
1 min

Did You See Us on the TODAY Show?

Check out this seventh grade class as they tell NBC what they've been learning in their Cyber Civics classes! An entire generation of kids is growing up with social media, and it’s affecting them in more ways that most think. NBC's Jacob Soboroff speaks with students at Journey School in Aliso Viejo, CA, who are studying the effects of their smartphone use on their daily wellbeing, as well as their privacy, in their Cyber Civics classes--a program now being taught in 38 US st

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Cyberwise

Apr 19, 2018
1 min

Cyber Civics on the TODAY Show!

The average teen spends more time online than they do sleeping (we have a curriculum for that!) An entire generation of kids is growing up with social media, and it’s affecting them in more ways that most think. NBC's Jacob Soboroff speaks with students at Journey School in Aliso Viejo, CA, who are studying the effects of their smartphone use on their daily wellbeing, as well as their privacy, in their Cyber Civics classes--a program now being taught in 38 US states, and int

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Cyberwise

Sep 7, 2017
1 min

Watch a Cyber Civics Lesson on CBC News

We were visited recently by CBC News recently because they wanted to see how we teach "media literacy" to 8th grade students in a Cyber Civics class. Oh, and without using computers, by the way. For this lesson students used the C.R.A.P. Detection skills learned in a previous lesson (this is an acronym devised by Howard Rheingold of Stanford University, and it provides students with an unforgettable mechanism for evaluating and identifying falsehoods online). Students used th

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Diana Graber

Mar 28, 2017
1 min

Come To Our FREE Workshop!

People are always asking us: So what the heck is Cyber Civics anyway? The best way to understand our middle school digital citizenship and literacy program is by attending a FREE onsite workshop where educators can observe real students at our pilot school engaging in Cyber Civics lessons AND they can experience these hands-on lessons for themselves. Thanks to the generosity of a grant from KidGuard, we are able to invite any interested educator to such a workshop, coming up

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Just Launched! Cyber Civics For Families

Diana Graber

Dec 15, 2016
1 min

Just Launched! Cyber Civics For Families

This family version of our turnkey middle school digital literacy program meets an urgent need to help youth become ethical, knowledgeable, and empowered digital citizens. It includes four activities, video, full support and resources to teach key online safety lessons to your children at home. Learn more: http://www.cyberwisecert.com/cyber-civics-for-families #cybercivics #onlinesafety #digitalcitizenship #families #digitalliteracy

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Social Media and High Schoolers: Will They Ever Learn?

Peter Kelley

Jul 26, 2016
4 min

Social Media and High Schoolers: Will They Ever Learn?

This first-hand account of the secret digital lives of high school students comes from newest Cyber Civics team member Peter Kelley, who is also a former high school English teacher and current high school coach. There’s an urgent and growing need to equip middle school students with the skills to become ethical, knowledgeable and empowered digital citizens. Every competent mind is able to comprehend this….especially high school students! Having been a high school teacher

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Liz Repking, Cyber Safety Consulting

Mar 22, 2016
4 min

A Lesson in Sexting

Students today use technology as easily as previous generations used a pencil. But technology is much more powerful than a pen or pencil, and amplifies opportunities for both help and harm. Kids know how to use phones and computers—often more adeptly than adults. The issue for many educators is teaching them to use these tools wisely. Many schools address that challenge by implementing “digital citizenship” into their curriculum. How can schools do this? What are the costs, b

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#DigiWishes: A Healthy, Balanced Life for ALL Students

Shelly Eaton, Central York Middle School

Dec 11, 2015
2 min

#DigiWishes: A Healthy, Balanced Life for ALL Students

So excited to share a wish from these Cyber Civics teachers at Central York Middle School, PA, who not only teach kids how to use technology well, but also how to balance it with REAL life. Thank you for all you do! Our Digital Wish is for ALL students to lead a healthy, balanced digital life in order to be more connected with the people who matter the most! Throughout the Fall, I would see six to ten children playing soccer in a dry water retention area on my drive home fro

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Diana Graber

Jul 18, 2015
2 min

Is Social Media Causing "Likes" Anxiety?

It’s nerve-racking when you get a call from a news station saying they are going to do a piece on social media anxiety and they’d like you to comment. News is all about ratings after all, and to get ratings in our media-saturated world sometimes you gotta go with the sensational. So I figured this would be another depressing piece about how our kids are basically all messed up because of their digital devices. But I was pleasantly surprised to watch this well-balanced segment

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Digital Literacy Classes Raise Other Scores

Diana Graber

Jul 12, 2015
1 min

Digital Literacy Classes Raise Other Scores

In Part 2 of our interview withe Dr. Jane Karwoski of the Social Network Show, Cyberwise Co-Founder Diana Graber talks about "Cyber Civics" and how this middle school digital literacy program raises other test scores. "When you teach digital literacy, you're teaching critical thinking. And that makes kids smarter," says Graber. Listen to the entire episode to learn more! #socialmedia #digitalliteracy #education #digitalmedialiteracylessons #cybercivics

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Building a Brighter Digital Future, One Classroom at a Time

Chandra Johnson

May 29, 2015
2 min

Building a Brighter Digital Future, One Classroom at a Time

This story was featured in the Deseret National News... Earlier this year, middle school teacher Diana Graber’s 16-year-old daughter popped her head into Graber’s office asking for advice. Her concern wasn’t about school or boys but, to Graber’s surprise, Instagram. “She’d taken this shot of herself and she wanted to know if she should post it,” Graber said. The photo was fairly standard fare for Instagram — a picture of Graber’s daughter in a bathing suit. The two considere

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8 Tech Resolutions Your Kids Want You To Make

Cyber Civics: A Project Tomorrow "Innovation in Education" Award Finalist

Diana Graber

Aug 19, 2014
1 min

Cyber Civics: A Project Tomorrow "Innovation in Education" Award Finalist

We are pleased and honored to learn that our Digital Media Literacy program, which we call Cyber Civics™, is one of ten finalists for Project Tomorrow's Innovation in Education Awards. Project Tomorrow, the nation’s leading nonprofit group focused on science, math and technology education, and the OC Tech Alliance have been recognizing outstanding education programs, educators and students for their innovative uses of science, math and technology with this award since 2006. C

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Cyber Civics Featured on America Tonight!

Diana Graber

Jun 25, 2014
1 min

Cyber Civics Featured on America Tonight!

Unfortunately, it's not unusual to see heartbreaking stories about cyberbullying in the news, however it is unusual see proactive, preemptive solutions to cyberbullying. That's why we are so honored and thrilled that Al Jazeera America sent a crew to Journey School in Aliso Viejo, CA, to see how we've made "cyber bullying history." Please take a moment read the story below and watch the clip to learn why classes like "Cyber Civics" must to be a permanent part of every scho

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