Assessment of students\u27 knowledge of Internet risk and Internet behaviors: Potential threats to bullying and contact by Internet predators

Given the serious issue of bullying, this study sought to assess middle and high school students\u27 knowledge of appropriate use and their behaviors on the Internet and social networking sites, especially regarding behaviors that may lead to cyberbullying or contact with potential Internet predators. Three school districts (urban, suburban, and urban ring) with grades 6 - 12 are participating in this study. Differences among and between grade levels, gender, and school demographics at the dimension and item-level will be presented

Parental Involvement in Students’ Safe Use of the Internet

The purpose of this study was to investigate if parental involvement in digital activities relates to middle school students’ knowledge of appropriate use of the Internet and social networking sites. Parental involvement, measured using a three-item dimension on the 40 item instrument, asked students to report on their knowledge of their parent’s involvement with their internet activity. The aggregate score on this dimension was used to measure the relationship among several dimensions. Furthermore, demographic items, such as grade level, having an older sibling, and getting in trouble at school, were also investigated. Over 71% of adults in the United States use the Internet (Horigan, 2007). Research suggests that adolescence (namely teens), are heavier users than adults (Subrahmanyam, Kraut, Greenfield, & Gross, 2001). Actually, in the United States, it is estimated that 21 million teens use the Internet. This represents 87% of this age group (Lenhart, 2005). Student have access to the Internet readily available, be it school, home, or library. This ease of access may increase the potential for students to become victims of Internet sexual predators or other students who engage in inappropriate cyberbullying behaviors. Rainie (2008) found that 32% of teens reported being contacted on-line by a stranger. Furthermore, 23% (of the 32%) stated that the contact made them feel scared or uncomfortable. There is a myriad of evidence to support the need for parental involvement in a child’s internet activities, from filtering access to monitoring activity, supervision is paramount (Lenhardt, 2005; Raine, 2008; Shariff 2008). Aside from the fact that predators are seeking young predators, teens are also reporting inappropriate behaviors. In fact, Lenhardt found that 81% of parents and 79% of teens agreed that “teens are not careful enough when sharing personal information on-line” (pii). Furthermore, when asked if “teens do things online that they wouldn’t want their parents to know about” (pii), 65% of the parents and 64% of the teens agreed with the statement. The knowledge of the issue is evident from both parties, so now what do we do with it? This line of research aims to understand the status of behaviors and views of middle school students and the influence parents have on these behaviors. It is hoped that the results may assist schools in developing educational programs and safeguards to protect students

A needs analysis for advanced programs in educational technology

The purpose of this dissertation was to conduct a needs assessment to determine the extent to which educators lack technology skills and need formal training in educational technology. The research methodology was both quantitative and qualitative. The research objectives used in this study included: (1a) Identification of the competencies needed by elementary and secondary educators to be proficient in educational technology. (1b) Examination of the differences in competency levels between elementary and secondary educators. (2) Analysis of the extent to which educators use technology in the educational setting. (3) Identification of the need for a graduate program in educational technology. Data collection included administering a survey to 300 elementary and secondary teachers to assess a local needs analysis; a review of local employment opportunities through the use of individual interviews of technology coordinators and personnel responsible for hiring such coordinators, and a review of literature that provided background for each of the research objectives. Descriptive statistics (i.e., frequencies, percents, means, and standard deviations) were generated for each of the 23 competencies and demographic variables included in the survey. These data were generated separately for elementary and secondary groups so that comparisons can be made. Description of comparisons of rank order addressed the extent of implementation. In addition, elementary and secondary ratings of competencies were compared using a t test. The action resulting from this research determined the need for an advanced program in educational technology based on the major finding that no mean was greater than 4.00 on the 5-point agreement scale. This implies that a great need exists for more training in educational technology. Any program will significantly contribute to the pool of educators who are proficient in education technology in Rhode Island

Assessing Middle School Students’ Knowledge of Conduct/Consequences and Their Behaviors Regarding the Use of Social Networking Sites

Cyberbullying, social networking sites (such as myspace and facebook), and instant messaging programs are initiating numerous problems for school administrators on a national level (McKenna, 2007). Franek (2005) defines a cyber bully as “anyone who repeatedly misuses technology to harass, intimidate, bully, or terrorize another person” (p.36). Students utilize cell phones, personal digital assistants, home computers, and laptop computers to access the internet and communicate with friends almost instantly

Relationship of Gender, Grade Level, and School Demographics to Middle School Students’ Knowledge of Appropriate Behavior and their Behaviors in Using Social Networking Sites

The purpose of this study was to investigate middle school students’ knowledge of appropriate use and risks associated with the use of online forums such as social networking sites, e-mail, and IM. As noted by McKenna (2007), this line of research is important since social networking sites, such as myspace and facebook, the increase in cyberbullying, and instant messaging programs are creating numerous problems for school administrators

Complementary and alternative medicine use among patients with thyroid cancer

BACKGROUND: To report on the incidence and predictors of use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) among patients with thyroid cancer. METHODS: Data were collected using a web-based online anonymous survey under Institutional Review Board approval from Boston University. This report is based on 1327 responses from subjects with thyroid cancer. Patient factors were compared by univariate and multivariate analyses. RESULTS: After excluding multivitamin and prayer use, 74% (n=941) used CAM. Respondents were primarily over age 40, white, and female and held a college degree. The top five modalities were massage therapy, chiropraxy, special diets, herbal tea, and yoga. Few patients reported perceiving a particular modality had a negative effect on treatment. CAM was more often used for treatment of symptoms (73%) than as part of thyroid cancer treatment (27%). Multivariable logistic regression demonstrated that patients reporting a poor health status, higher education, cardiovascular disease, pulmonary symptoms, or persistent, recurrent, or metastatic disease were more likely to use CAM for treatment of thyroid cancer symptoms. Nearly one third of respondents reported their CAM use was not known, prescribed, or asked about by their physicians. CONCLUSIONS: In comparison to national surveys of the general U.S. population, patients with thyroid cancer use CAM therapies twice as often and report their use far less often. Physicians who treat patients with thyroid cancer should be aware of these data to further assist in their assessment and care