According to the article, Dispelling Myths About Blocked Websites in School by Tina Barseghian, there are certain myths and criticisms that need to be addressed.
- "Accessing YouTube is not violating the [Act]." I just started teaching Civics in a new school district. To introduce an unit about the U.S. Constitution, I wanted to show a Schoolhouse Rock clip about the Preamble. I was shocked that I couldn't access YouTube with my teacher login. There are so many good educational videos on YouTube. It is a shame that some schools block it.
- "Websites don't have to be blocked for teachers." The act does not mention that websites have to be blocked for teachers. Actually, I fully believe that schools should trust their teachers.
- "Kids need to be taught how to be responsible digital citizens." Blocking websites are like training wheels. They are good for the lower grades, but someday, students need to learn how to use the Internet responsibly. The training wheels need to come off!
Reference:
Barseghian, T. (2011). Dispelling Myths About Blocked Websites in School. Mind Shift. Available from http://mindshift.kqed.org/2011/09/dispelling-myths-about-blocked-websites-in-schools/
Hey..I'm in special education and I've discovered that there is only plans B and C. Plan A never works out! It's called a back up for the backup! This is my first year of teaching, so I'm still learning everything from classroom management to lesson planning.
ReplyDeleteWe started experiencing the You Tube blocking toward the end of last year when we got a new technology director. The students knew how to get around it within a few weeks, and now I have been shown how to use a proxy site to get around the block. I use You Tube all the time with this trick because not only does You Tube have almost endless educational resources, but so many sites now embed You Tube videos that you wouldn't otherwise be able to see. We, as a faculty, have approached our tech department several times to see about unblocking the site for teachers to no avail. I don't know what the answer is, but I think teachers are missing out on a valuable resource by not being allowed to access it.
ReplyDeleteI experience this frustration daily. Unfortunately our technology does not include a single teacher. They do not understand the educational value and needs of the modern classroom and it is very difficult to explain when they have a different point of view and frame of reference. I also believe teachers should be trusted professionals. Another question could be is blocking all this content a form of blocking free speech? ACLU thinks so.
ReplyDeleteFryer, W., ACLU Sues Missouri School District for Overblocking Internet Websites, Edtech, ethics, isafety, leadership, August 20, 2011
The blocking of Internet sites on campus is definitely a big issue. I agree wholeheartedly that it's better to educate students on responsible Internet use than to just block them from it. Kaplan and Debrick believe you can begin to do this by having a specific (and enforced) acceptable use policy (2009). If students (and parents) understand that the Internet is a tool and must be used cautiously and appropriately while at school and at home, it will become less of a tempting mystery.
ReplyDeleteAdditionally, I agree that students already know more about getting around blocks than we give them credit for. I, too, have had students teach me how to use a proxy to get around district blocks. The Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) has created a downloadable handout called "Navigating the 'Net with Your Kids" that helps parents understand how to teach their kids about Internet safety. The handout says that parents should spend time online WITH their kids to demonstrate appropriate use. There's no reason that teachers can't do the same with their students.
References:
Association for Library Services to Children. (2008). Navigating the 'net with your kids. Retrieved from http://www.ala.org/alsc/sites/ala.org.alsc/files/content/issuesadv/internettech/NavNetBrochure.pdf
Kaplan, A. G., & Debrick, B. (2009). Banned books, blocked bytes. Children & Libraries: The Journal of the Association for Library Service to Children, 7(2), 56-58. Retrieved from http://web.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.shsu.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=d57100e8-4b72-4399-baa1-bd4502b33476@sessionmgr10&vid=4&hid=9
At our campus, the IT department is constantly monitoring non-educational sites that are over viewed during the instructional periods to put them on the block list. However, they only change the password to the block once a year. It takes the students about 3 weeks to figure it out and they know several websites that will re-direct them to where they really want to be. Ive been blocked from United Streaming and had several students volunteer to get me into it as long as they didn’t get in trouble. Therefore, I think websites are blocked only to the users that use the “front” door, most students and teachers who are internet savvy can use the “back” door. It is a waste of time and effort on someones end to be putting up such a front when everyone knows the loop holes. If there is a will, there’s a way.
ReplyDeleteI think you hit the nail right on the head. Have a backup plan in place. I never rely totally on technology in my lessons. An example would be: I download the actual videos from youtube where I can, to use during instruction. What if the internet is down for your campus? What will you do? What if your projector doesn't work? It is so important to not flip out and go to plan B.
ReplyDelete