Is it more unethical to deny students/teachers access to instructional-relevant Web-based tools and content than to allow threats to students/teachers like viruses, objectionable content, and hogs. The Internet is how most people get their information and resources today. A small percentage of information available on the Internet is unsuitable for children at home and at school (Shelly, Gunter, and Gunter 2010).
I believe that since the Children’s Internet Protection Act of 2002, (CIPA), most learning institutions and public libraries have implemented educational controls to block objectionable websites and pages from objectionable content.
At the college I work for, in my department, we do not block content, well actually not until earlier this month. To prevent misuse I post and reinforce our Acceptable Use Policy (AUP), and observe the students working in my computer lab. So if they haven’t broken the AUP; denying students access to school computers is unnecessary. There are enough precautions a school can take to make using the web a safe and educational environment. Protecting again viruses are also a requirement for the schools to institute and apply to their computer system and to education employees and students on how viruses are received, spread, and how to prevent them. There are 12 Safe Computing Tips published by Cenage in Teachers Discovering Computers; Integrating Technology and digital Media in the Classroom, (6th Edition) by Shelly, Gunter, and Gunter 2010, and I have heard of one more tip used by some Business Education teachers. It is asking students to bring in an empty jump drives and keeping it in school to only use on their computers in the classroom.
The technology tools in my classroom are limited, it is a computer lab so we do have computers, software and the Internet, but my job is also to make assessments on my students and how to help them focus on their class work and to make gains. A few of my students have been in the program for over a year and still are not making many gains. Thinking out-of-the-box is coming.
I am tutoring students that have few good study habits. They need to do something else to remember basic facts in reading,language arts, and basic mathematics. I am going to try to have them text themselves notes, with my supervision. Yes, I have tried this and I think it may help them move from no note taking to text note taking. I want to see more gains and using online resources and encouraging cell phone use, even setting their alarm on the phone to remind them to review their texted notes or study is a strategy I will be starting this month. Students can view their texts anywhere even around other students. It just looks like they are reading a text.
In the article “Lift the Cell Phone Ban, Craik School District in Saskatchewan, Canada has experimented with cell phone use in the curriculum. Cell phone tools like taking video have been uses 
to video a group of student discussions and upload it through Bluetooth for the teacher to view later. This lets her view one group and then the others through the videos. Partnerships between schools cell phone and software companies have started up to keep this type of innovation progressing in schools and have even piloted some technology to turn students’ cellphones into other software instruments they can be use in class (Rapp, 2011).
In this day of quality education, we need as much innovation as possible and supporters to continue 21st Century funding for technology and higher learning.
Rapp, D. (2011). Lift the Cell Phone Ban. Retrieved 02 10, 2011, from Scholastic: www2.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=3751073
Shelly, G.B., Gunter, G.A., and Gunter, R.E. (2010). Teachers Discovering Computers; Integrating Technology and digital Media in the Classroom, (6th Edition). Boston, MA: Cengage Learning
It does seem that most of the time that certain rules are meant for those who abuse the Internet. I do however feel that the whole idea of denying access it targeted at the filters that block the content. Students aren’t physically restricted the hardware and software blocks the students’, and most students in the public school system care about AUP even less than the code of contact rules. In terms of viruses it seems that you assume everyone knows how to use computers at the same proficiency level. As this is nowhere near true I remember a story that a school tech told me once, “ I had a lady call and ask me, since I was working tech support, how to fit the cup holder on her computer. I told the lady that computers don’t have cup holders. She countered with of course they do, you press the little button and a tray slides out for your coffee cup to be placed on.” Well, from this story you can infer that yes, the CD rom tray was believed by this woman to be a cup holder, and yes it was not covered under her warranty. This is just an example of how illiterate people can be when it comes to computers, and why filters are needed. Put in the pupils that are looking for ways to create pranks, and there you have why filters are necessary.
ReplyDeleteIt seems that the key to having an effective classroom is the software used. We had some great software called, Succesmaker, it produced positive gains. Also, we use Riverdeep that parallels our reading series. It takes a lot collaboration, with teachers, as I have set up language lessons for my students and the science teacher has set up math lesson for use with Vmath Live. Her class in just under 2 months has become 25th ranked in the nation of those classrooms that use this program.
I do like the idea of using a phone to review notes, but the motivation has to come from the student. It seems that the Canadian school has started a good partnership that has the private sector putting forth financial effort to improve schools. My only question is how do the monitor what is being texted? As Cyber bullying is all over the nation.
I experienced this just this week! As I was trying to show my students my sample digital storytelling an error came across the screen regarding youtube. I forgot that I embeded a youtube video and because my school blocks youtube, it would not play, I simply had to skip over it, which of course takes away from the presentation.
ReplyDeleteI think it is great that you are including these new technologies while having students do things they might not normally do, like note taking and digital reminders. These are great skills that students will actually use in the future. I have a "to-do list" app on my phone where I keep a list of the things I need to get done, without it I would probably would forget to do half of the things I am supposed to do. I feel that it teaches organization as well. As long as students aren't abusing the perks of being able to use such great technologies, I don't see why it is a problem.