Lesson #7: Be Flexible and Have a Plan B (or C, or D...)

     Have you ever found a video or website that you were so excited about sharing with your students and come to find out, it's blocked on the school computers? It can be very frustrating. Due to the Children's Internet Protection Act, schools are blocking more and more websites, but are schools taking it to extreme?

     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!

     Are blocked sites really blocked? When I was denied access to watch the Schoolhouse Rock video, I had half the class say they knew how to gain access to YouTube. Why block the sites in the first place, if most students and teachers know how to get around it? What's the point?


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/

Lesson #6: Extend Learning

     A modern teacher extends learning by incorportating Web 2.0 Tools. If you are like me, Web 2.0 Tools can be a little overwhelming. There are thousands of free tools! How do you even begin to use them?  

     A great resource I use for lesson planning is Discovery Education. Within the site, there is great information for teachers involving technology. There is some wonderful tips and advice, especially about Web 2.0 Tools. They break down the main categories of Web 2.0 Tools:

• Presentation
• Video
• Mobile
• Image
• Communication
• Best of the Rest

     An overview video is posted for each category describing different tools and tips. It is kind of like a user guide for Web 2.0 Tools. Here is an introduction video:

References:

Discovery Education. (2011). Web 20.11. Available from http://web2011.discoveryeducation.com/web20tools.cfm
DiscoveryEd2010Web. (2010). web20_Intro.flv. Available from http://youtube/KN11ZoDJXD4