Summary
To protect themselves, their employees, and their
students, school districts need to establish acceptable use policies (AUPs),
contracts that establish internet use rules and regulations. When establishing an AUP districts need to
collect data, solicit input, and draft and circulate the policy prior to
approving and disseminating the new policy.
This technology policy needs to include consideration of legal risks,
communication of boundaries, include stakeholder input, train users prior to
implementation of technology, educate parents, and establish a chain of command
for reporting incidents.
Reflection
How can I, as an educator, best facilitate and not
obstruct learning with technology? It is
very clear that AUPs are an important step in establishing clear guidelines,
boundaries, and expectations for technology use in an educational setting. However, how can I create a least restrictive
learning environment that protects my students and me but still grants easy access
to an entire world of knowledge?
I often meet teachers who are frustrated with the lack of
access they have because of stringent firewalls. Many teachers have to plan in advance,
clearing specific websites with their administrators to gain access. With control this strict, it seems that
students do not have an adequate opportunity to learn how to discriminate among
sources. Also, restricting student
access to their cellphones seems to undermine some of the suggestions outlined
in other chapters of this book. I wonder
where the line between reasonable protection and technopanic lies.
That is not to say that the AUP is not important. However, if we require that students keep
their cellphones put away, are we hobbling their access to knowledge and
learning? Does allowing students to use
cellphones at their discretion help to teach them how to balance phone time and people time? On the other
hand, if we allow students to use smart phones in class, can we still restrict
what websites they visit?
I am facing this question right now, to be honest. Tomorrow, I am implementing a HootCourse in my writing workshop to try
and stimulate class participation. I am
hoping that by using the technology my students have at hand, I will be able to
better engage them in the exercises, rather than watch them text away on their
phones regardless. Front row, left hand lab table, I’m talking to you…
I haven't looked it over completely yet, but A Platform for Good (http://aplatformforgood.org/ ) caught my eye. It really fit in with this chapter.
ReplyDeleteTo be fair, that person was composing a facebook status about the conversation they had been having.
ReplyDeleteI have a similar debate. I have never been the teacher who wanted phones off in class. If there was an emergency, I would want students to be able to get up and receive an important phone call in the hallway. This is what cell phones are for.
As for any pocket device with internet access, what is the time for that to be used? Is there one? Yes, it is planned by the teacher and does not need to be used at any other point in the class. There is nothing more important than for students to learn to both use and manage technology wisely.
I am interested in your thoughts on the subject. What do you think?
Haha!
DeleteIn a college classroom, I feel like stopping a lecture to tell someone to put a cellphone away is more distracting than the actual cellphone use itself.
However, it is evident that many students (adult or otherwise) have not quite learned how to manage their technology use. One of my colleagues teaches a large intro course and has had to kick students out left and right on a regular basis because not only are they not paying attention, but they are being actively disruptive by talking or working on other tasks.
Where did our sense of focus go? I know that this doesn't depend on technology (I spent many an hour daydreaming in class) but technology has certainly facilitated a sense of permission to multitask, regardless of context.
I just don't know...