My old district here in Washington has the same mentality as the middle age Catholic Church . . . block any thing or idea that they do not understand. This means that Wifi is too much of a security threat and that at least 50% of the known websites are blocked. Students and parents do have to fill out an Acceptable Use Policy like the one described by Armstrong (Laureate Education, Inc., 2011). I actually even know several students who have lost privileges for playing online games that I would deem relatively harmless. The year I started teaching there, they finally relaxed the restrictions for teachers, opening up YouTube and similar sites. Last year they even gave educators access to Facebook and other social networking sites, which I believe is a step in the right direction.
As far as plagiarism goes, there is a school policy related to students copying assignments and turning them in as their own work. The copy center requires you to check a box stating you have permission to use whatever you are copying, but it just becomes second nature to check the box without thinking about it. Along those lines, it has been interesting looking through the ethical issues described by Ribble (2008) and others in this week’s resources. It is a good gut check for me as a teacher as I have often prided myself at my ability to “adapt” (aka copy and rework) worksheets and projects I find online. I am also one who could easily have a hundred uncited pictures in a PowerPoint. Armstrong (Laureate Education, Inc., 2011) points out how important it is for us to model ethical use of online information, something I will consider next time a set out to create a new project or presentation.
Looking back at my district’s policies regarding online security I have to say that I match Johnson’s (Point/Counterpoint, 2008) views about our controlling student’s online access. We all see a disconnect between what students can do at school vs. at home. I believe we are doing student’s a disservice by believing that if we keep them “safe” at school then we are good to go. Almost as if we are washing our hands of whatever might happen outside these buildings during these hours. However, if we are truly educating the next generation we need to take some accountability by teaching them skills that will go home with them. I believe this means showing them respect by opening up the internet, combined with a strong effort to educate them on how to become outstanding Digital Citizens. My district has not only over-blocked access to the web (and technology in general), but also cut programs and funding for technology-based education. This means that classroom teachers must step up to the plate to advocate for training in such areas and greater trust in students to handle more online freedom.
Resources:
Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2012). Safe and ethical practices. [Course Media]. Supporting information literacy and online inquiry in the classroom. Baltimore, MD: Author.
Point/Counterpoint. (2008, September). Should we establish national web filtering guidelines? Learning & Leading with Technology, 36(2), 8–9.
Ribble, M. (2008, December). Passport to digital citizenship: Journey toward appropriate technology use at school and at home. Learning & Leading with Technology, 36(4), 14–17.
