Cathy Nelson’s Professional Thoughts

Who holds the keys to the locked gate for Internet Access?

Recently a colleague posted a survey to a list I’m a member of, and in essence shared that all mp3s, blogs, podcasts, wikis, and virtually all Web 2.0 tools are filtered where she works. It has added some interesting comments to the mix — geez I wish it were on a blog!

So I’m going to put it here - at least my contribution. I want to know what others think.

My thanks

First I must say I am thankful for the ability to login and bypass blocked content for instructional purposes. I also feel my district listens to requests from teachers for unblocking content, even if only for a little while.

Why do we need filters?

But honestly, in my opinion unengaging classes and unstructured time at a computer is the root for the most part of students’ quest to get to blocked content, and there are hundreds of proxies that grant access, despite the best filtering software. Sometimes I think the filters are for lazy teachers who are not engaging their students or worse, causing teachers to be lazy — i.e. I don’t feel good so let’s go to the lab for “research” or “free-writing.”

I may be wrong too, but I think if the social networking sites that teens are into, like MySpace, Facebook, and more were not blocked, kids would be all about it for one week or so, and then be so over it. They clamor for it now b/c its the “forbidden fruit.”

You will always have that 10-20% who make bad judgments, and then rules are made for the 80% + who never even thought to break them. Completely blocking is not the answer either.

But the heavy handed way some districts are blocking (like NO incoming mail from gmail–what on earth is with that??)

It just seems there should be significantly more conversations and real communication b/w students, parents, teachers, taxpayers, and the gate keepers for the filter. We are all stakeholders in this. Allowing our input or voices to be heard gives us ownership for why the filter is used, and why we filter out some content.

Where do kids learn the tools now?

If we are to prepare our students for the 21st century, we have to let them use a few of the 21st century tools. Let’s not forget that a structured classroom environment is a better place to expose students to the tools, rather than in the student gathering places at schools, like courtyards, parking lots, and hallways, or away from school and supervision, like friends’ houses, where for the most part the time and location is unstructured and wide open for misinformation AND misuse.

The cellphones of today are all that is needed to post a video to YouTube. Is it any wonder we are seeing more and more educators rants plastered there? (visit this link from Scott McLeod’s Dangerously Irrelevant to see six samples.)

If we must filter, then give us some flexibility with the filter.

I am not against filters. I am against the total way some districts block everything, and turn a deaf ear to teacher requests.

Thank you HCS for offering me a portal to use material that is filtered, and allowing me as an educator the ability to request material to be totally unblocked, or unblocked for a short time. It does make a difference in my happiness on the job. It makes me feel respected as a professional adult who can make judgment calls about what tools I choose to teach with.

Your Turn

Tell me what your district or environment does, how it makes you feel, and most important, how to help the districts that unlike mine, offer no way for educators to bring in 21st century tools for 21st century learners.

• What advice can I offer my colleague who wants their filter loosened a bit?
• Is it better to offer us a way to get by that locked portal, or continue to challenge students to find proxies?

Attribution:

Image: ‘Prison Planet‘
www.flickr.com/photos/10646468@N02/1003163361

Image: ‘rusty-lock‘
www.flickr.com/photos/8323834@N07/500995147

Do Ostriches really bury their heads in the sand when frightened? According to “Phrase Finder” this is a myth. Ostriches basically when frightened lay down and flatten their heads along the ground, so as to disguise themselves from possible predators. But this reminds me very much of how our schools and IT deal with content they block at school.

I really, really, really try NOT to write about filters and blocked content so much. After all, I am a mother of one teen-aged son, and one young adult son in college. Living w/ guys you kind of know what their world revolves around, and how easy it is to be sidetracked by less than academic content, especially online.

But it is infuriating to know that I cannot access the Nings set up at school, even though many of my PLN resides there. I must wait until I get home to actually partake of the plentiful servings of rich content and collaborative opportunities that are there! Why are they blocked? They are classified as a blog, a social network, and a forum. I am getting ready to participate in a collaborative project, and yes, I want TOTAL access 24-7. I don’t want to wait until I get home from school. This opportunity could actually lead to GLOBAL projects for classes at my school, and egads, yes, during the school day! I belong to several nings, including Classroom 2.0, TeacherLibrarian, and most recently Powerful Learning Practice for Teachers and Students. These are NOT risqué, profane-laced sites, but rather places where I can learn more, and pass the learning on to students and teachers, even at my own school. If there was ever a place to see authentic 21st century learning, the Nings I am a member of are it. And best, its members are ready to open their arms and welcome all, and can answer JUST ABOUT any question.

This has been nagging me for some time, but it has become really frothy and ready to fizz right over. You see I tried to network w/ another friend, and low and behold she wasn’t getting any of my emails b/c her email filters out all incoming mail from gmail. Now what’s with that? I know many of the EXPERTS in the field use GMail as their primary email for professional contacts. Is this district making the implied statement that only pedophiles, rapists, child-killers, and prostitutes use gmail? What about parents who use email and want to contact their child’s teacher?

Well, very soon I will be participating in a learning/leading excursion and will be charged with leading a group of newbies into the fray we know as web 2.0. Our main portal will be a Ning (called Powerful Learning Practice for teachers and students,) and my goal is to hopefully generate some collaborative projects for my school and students, and therefore we will need that portal (Ning) open. Yes folks, its time to approach IT about loosening this clamp on Nings. All blogs, nings, wikis, and social networks are not bad for kids.

Let us be the professional and offer guidance into sites where we can teach our students to evaluate situations and circumstances and exhibit making good choices–what an authentic teaching scenario—instead of sticking our heads in the sand, like the fabled ostrich.

Image: ‘untitled‘
www.flickr.com/photos/49358150@N00/298444281

Image: ‘ostrich‘
www.flickr.com/photos/13119988@N00/213159950