Adolescents are less likely than adults to think about the future consequences of their actions. In the online world this can be risky. Here’s what educators and parents are doing to help teens think critically, and safely, about their engagement with the digital world.

This October marks the third annual Connected Educator Month (CEM), an opportunity for educators to leverage online communities to address vital issues in education, forge new connections, and strengthen existing ones. The month-long series of events was developed in 2012 by the US Department of Education’s Office of Educational Technology as part of the Connected Educators initiative. Last year’s event included more than 300 educational organizations and reached 14 million educators around the world via Twitter.

It’s Connected Educator Month and experts say more teachers should take advantage of online communities for collaborating, sharing best practices, and getting needed support.