A couple of weeks ago, my fifth and sixth grade English Language Development (ELD) students read an article in the Merced Sun-Star that made them realize, sometimes, news stories don't always tell the whole truth. So, what's a group of 30 students to do when they realize they have been marginalized? Write letters to the editor, of course! Here are some of their responses to the Dec. 1 article.

Don't forget the real problems behind this lesson-- childhood obesity and a lifetime of health problems. In the end, there is no contest between brain v. body; both must be used vigorously to maintain their abilities and skill-sets, while each reacts to the other's activity level.

According to Penn Olson's Willis Wee, Facebook has an astounding number of users, 350 meeellion to be exact, and more than 45 million subscribe to some kind of Group. With stats like these, educators need to reconsider how fb is used as an educational platform. Here are My Top 5 Groups that may lead to further use of fb in education:

1. Facebook in Education
2. Arts Education is Absolutely Necessary
3. Using Wiki in Education
4. Integrating Technology into Education
5. Media Literacy

Of course, fb as a collaboration tool is easier at the college or university level, yet K-12 educators must continue to fight for media literacy, even if administrations refuse to open the pearly gates of social media to staff or students. Parents and students must stand up for their own learning, and remind schools that social media requires practice and explanations, not censorship.

In my current district, social media depends on what sight you toil on; fb is open to staff computers at the junior high and high school levels, yet blocked at the elementary levels; student computers block fb on all campuses. I am appalled that not only am I, as a professional educator, treated in an untrustworthy manner, but that my students are not able to access such a popular site that will no doubt play some kind of role in their lives. Do school districts really believe it is easier to not deal with parent complaints or inappropriate use by students and staff than to educate all parties? Ignoring social media won't make it go away, and students may never get a chance to learn the correct way to use the Internet with such a large part of our online culture being blocked.

*Read what International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) Connects has to say about the effects of blocking student Internet use here.