As a public school principal, issues with school safety and security and, now, school online security is something that is a constant stressor. Ultimately, it is very difficult to imagine that enough filters can be put in place that guarantees complete safety from inappropriate sites being accessed or “spammed” in. However, Shrum and Levin (2009) do offer some very sensible ways to begin to manage the technology and make it safe for the students in our schools. Shrum and Levin (2009) remind us, “Part of learning to use 21st-Cetnrury skills, and taking advantage of all that the Internet and Web 2.0 tools have to offer, includes being sure students and teachers use their common sense while also learning how to critically evaluate content for accuracy, trustworthiness, authority, reliability, and currency, is a key concept…” (Shrum & Levin, 2009, p.144). I agree that education is the key but it also important to know the rules and regulations. Regulatory safety nets like the Child Internet Protection Act (CIPA) forces any public institution that gets reduced internet rates (which most do) have to enforce a policy to “monitor online activities of minors” to ensure that institutions are using these tools responsibly. It is also important for school administrators to adhere to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) to ensure student record safety. Finally, administrators need to engage the latest in filtering technology and creating clear acceptable use policies. With these things in place it is difficult to deny what a powerful tool the internet can be for teaching and learning. I see exceptional children excel with a piece of technology (like an “app” on an Ipad) that accelerates the learning at an amazing pace. Some of this is the ability of technology to hold students’ attention for long periods of time, think how long students can play video games for! Richardson (2010), when discussing the social Web as a learning tool, imagines, “You can almost visualize this network of individual nodes of people, connected by ideas and passions, constantly shifting and changing as new connections are made and old ones reconsidered…it also means we’re willing to share our ideas and resources with the network for its betterment, because we get back just as much if not more” (Richardson, 2010, p.85). I do this in every example, but I go back to my wife’s use of Edmodo as a socially based learning network (except the discussions are online) that students (high school) are eager to contribute to. Part of the motivation, I feel, of the 21st Century Skills initiative is to create a workforce with both the technological skills and the collaborative skills to succeed in a highly advanced team environment. Collaborative activities that are online for students allow both a shared problem solving experience and the opportunity to engage technology. We do have to be educated consumers and screeners of what is out there.
Schrum, L. M., & Levin, B. B. (2009). Leading 21st-‐Century Schools: Harnessing Technology for Engagement and Achievement. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
Richardson, W. (2010). Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
It was really neat to read a principal's view on the whole issue. I think we demand a lot of our administration, and sometimes it's not always fair. The public demands safety, while the teachers require less restrictions. And I like how you emphasized the value in collaboration and students learning how to work in a team. In the past I had students ask to switch lab groups because they don't like their group, unless it was something more than 'I don't like him', then I kept the groups together. Collaboration is not an easy process, but I think the more we expose students to this experience, the more suited they will be for, at least, their future in the world of academia.
ReplyDeleteHi Tyler,
ReplyDeleteThe collaborative piece of technology is one that teachers should recognize as highly valuable and also a means of helping students to get more out of their learning than would have ordinarily happened within the confines of the classroom. I think it is pretty impressive, too, that you see the importance of Internet safety and are willing to avail yourself of the tools that are needed to keep you students safe. That's often left in the hands of the technology department.
In closing...it makes total sense (and I never really thought of this before) to make Internet safety a regular part of professional development.
~Cathy