Quiz #2

1. What school board-approved Internet policies does your district currently have?  Are these policies adequate for your district?  What policies do you need to update or add? 

The Pierre School District has an Acceptable Use Policy which governs the usage of the internet by both staff and students.  I found the policy to be pretty comprehensive in regards to what it included.  Obviously the Use Policy itself was very explicit in appropriate usage of the internet and included information and suggestions directly from the Child Internet Protection Act so as to thoroughly inform and protect the students and staff of the district.  The district also has a nine part Distance Learning Policy which very explicitly states the (very rare) conditions that must be met prior to a student taking a distance class for credit.

As I read through the policy and discussed it briefly with our Technology Coordinator, it does seem as if we are on solid ground in regards to our Acceptable Use Policy.  However, any policy that is related to technology must always be closely watched and frequently updated!  With the, fairly recent, eruption of Web 2.0 tools, the face of technology and education are always changing and our policies will need to match this revolutionary landscape.

2. How should a school district handle the issue of copyright, especially in regard to technology?

This is definitely an interesting topic, and one that, at first blush, did not feel was as strongly influenced by technology as I did upon further reflection.  Initially, my thought was that federal copyright laws are pretty explicit so the need for further school policy was redundant (i.e. what school has a murder or kidnapping policy?).  However, the dynamic of technology, as demonstrated by publications on the internet and sites like Napster, has certainly expanded the possibilities of copyright infringement and made everyone’s intellectual property more vulnerable.  So as society evolves, so must our policies.  While schools should obviously reference federal statute regarding copyright, we should also try to make the specific examples and expectations less ambiguous and have our technology committee continue to monitor changes so as to stay current in effort to prevent copyright infringement.

3. Is the use of the Internet in schools worth the dangers involved?  Why?  If yes, what can schools do to minimize those dangers?

ABSOLUTELY…hopefully nobody says otherwise J!  The primary function of the K-12 public school system is to prepare children to be successful as they make their way towards adulthood.  This preparation looked a certain way in 1920, substantially different in 1960, and again far different than in 2010 for the obvious reason that the world was a far different place in each of those eras.  As has been mentioned in class numerous times, we are in a Web 2.0 world where the computer is not just a tool to share information, but rather an instrument that allows for interaction, discussion, and relationship-creation between individuals and cultures that at one time would have seemed unimaginable.  No longer is the purpose of education to just give students the basic skills of reading, writing and arithmetic; we must now give them these skills plus the capacity to integrate them in this highly connected world. 

As the possibilities of the internet continue to evolve, so to do the potential pitfalls and dangers.  As the “Information Superhighway” began to make inroads into our schools in the late 90’s and early part of the 21^st century, some of our biggest concerns were students having access to pornographic materials and or other "naughty" websites.  While I in no way want to understate this continuing problem, we must also be aware that with the 2.0 capabilities come 2.0 dangers and recognize that the we must be even more vigilant in our protection of kids.  While firewalls and policies are an excellent starting point, there will probably never be a replacement for education, supervision and monitoring.  It is the role of all staff members to continue to be vigilant in our supervision duties, be that through electronic means or just good old fashioned moving around the room, to protect our students.

4. Why should school leaders utilize research when making technology purchases?  What does the current research say about the effectiveness of educational technology?

There are several reasons district leaders should utilize research, but I would submit that the three most critical are: 1. As an educational tool for the public; 2. To justify expenditures to the public and; 3. Assure that the district is making the wisest possible choice in regards to the spending of valuable and limited capital.  Obviously reasons one and two are closely connected as schools that do not successfully educate the public are not likely to have to justify the technology expenditures as they may have never been made.  The third way that research is critical is so that the technology department can be assured that the way they are spending their resources does the greatest amount of good for the largest number of students.

Fortunately, the results of recent research makes all three of the previously mentioned  reasons that much easier!  A true assessment of the vast possibilities that technology provides is difficult to quantify because it’s greatest strength in terms of student achievement is in the increased motivation and interest that it inspires.  However, as longer-term studies continue to be made, it is clear that even with the very easily measured areas such as reading, math, and especially writing, technology is having a very positive impact. 

5. Knowing the 2.0 tools such as blogs, wikis, podcasts and social networking tools engage and motivate students, why do many schools continue to block these powerful tools from students and teachers?  How do school leaders balance safety with access to 2.0 tools?

Fear has been and will always be a powerful motivator, and there is no question in my mind that it is the force exerting the greatest resistance on these tools in our schools.  This fear is real and it is for a variety of reasons; fear for children’s safety, fear of failure, fear of investing money, fear of change.  But, although all of those play a part, I would contend that the fear of the unknown is the most powerful!  As educators we pride ourselves in having a mastery over the content that we teach.  It is the expectation of ourselves to be able to speak intelligently on our area of expertise so as to answer any questions from our students.  The thought that we enter into an arena where the students have greater knowledge and experience is uneasy and certainly unchartered waters for most of us in the field.

As Dr. Hauge stated, there are four main weapons we have at our disposal by which we can allow students access to these tools, yet still provide them with the protection and safety they need.  First is good policy which states acceptable use of technology and stays current with trends and changes.  Secondly (and maybe the most overused in the past) is a sound firewall that protects the network as well as the students.  Third is to continually supervise and monitor the students.  And lastly (and most importantly) education!  We must provide our staff with the tools and know-how so that they can feel comfortable educating students with this format.