I found it interesting and unfortunate that Will Richardson, last week's speaker, is putting his children into a private school. I have a fundamental problem with the notion of the privatization of education. I view it as elitist and an instrument of social and economic segregation.
In Canada, we like to claim to live in a tolerant, multicultural society. In a diverse nation that is composed of hundreds of linguistic, ethnic, and religious groups, we do not share many common experiences. As such, the commonality provided by our public education system affords one of very few common experiences and is, therefore, an important instrument of national cohesion.
We must examine what exactly it is that makes us Canadian. I believe one of our fundamental national tenets is tolerance. To endorse any educational system other than public is to turn our backs on tolerance and encourage economic and social elitism. It is important that all of our young people, rich and poor alike, are exposed to our tremendous national diversity in order to foster understanding and tolerance. A private system works directly against that goal by creating tangible and intangible barriers between the 'haves' and the 'have-nots'.
I truly believe in what I am doing in the public education system and I will prove my belief by enrolling my own children. I always find it interesting that teachers and proponents of emancipatory pedagogy and social improvement occasionally endorse educational segregation.
Monday, March 16, 2009
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Teacher/Student contact on Facebook
I found it interesting to hear, during last evening's class, that many teachers are in contact with current students on Facebook. I have discussed this topic in a previous post, but I feel I must state my opinion, as a teacher and an administrator, more clearly.
I realize that Facebook can erase barriers as a social networking tool, but I think it is important that there are some barriers between teacher and student. In a world of sensational media, we, as educators, must safeguard our professional reputation against misconception and misunderstanding. Specifically, while there are teachers who are well-meaning with respect to using a tool such as Facebook, there are also those who are unscrupulous. Children are vulnerable, and their safety, as well as the safety of the professional reputation of teachers, must be protected.
We must be cognisant of public perception. Having students as 'friends' on Facebook will certainly have perceptual ramifications. I refuse to put my career, as well as the perception of my profession, at risk in this way. I am not comfortable with having any contact with any students that could be construed or misconstrued as personal. I don't find it necessary to have contact with my students in this way and I advise teachers in my charge to avoid such relationships.
I realize that Facebook can erase barriers as a social networking tool, but I think it is important that there are some barriers between teacher and student. In a world of sensational media, we, as educators, must safeguard our professional reputation against misconception and misunderstanding. Specifically, while there are teachers who are well-meaning with respect to using a tool such as Facebook, there are also those who are unscrupulous. Children are vulnerable, and their safety, as well as the safety of the professional reputation of teachers, must be protected.
We must be cognisant of public perception. Having students as 'friends' on Facebook will certainly have perceptual ramifications. I refuse to put my career, as well as the perception of my profession, at risk in this way. I am not comfortable with having any contact with any students that could be construed or misconstrued as personal. I don't find it necessary to have contact with my students in this way and I advise teachers in my charge to avoid such relationships.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Intimidated
I am intimidated by technology and the internet. When Alec and others are discussing Twitter, Scype, Delicious, and other sites, I have to admit, I am clueless and lost. I do have a Twitter account, but I have to confess, I really don't understand what it is or why I have it. I am trying to overcome my fears and explore, but there are really two barriers for me.
The first barrier is self-consciousness. I am a confident person and I do not have trouble socializing or exploring my world. When put on-line, however, I am nervous and embarrassed at my ignorance. I feel like others will ridicule me and that I really have nothing to add to any technology-related conversation. There are times during class when I am tempted to take the mic and voice my opinion, but am paralyzed by self-consciousness. I know I have to get over these barriers, but I am finding it difficult. I believe there are others like me in the class who are feeling the same way, but I hope we can all get over it together.
The second barrier is time. Learning all of this new information and overcoming my feelings of inferiority require that I spend hours experimenting online. Being a relative rookie administrator and a father of a toddler and a newborn are demanding roles and are dominating my life at present. I have not, to this point, devoted the time necessary to really acclimate myself to these technologies. I need to find time to really attack this and stop procrastinating.
The first barrier is self-consciousness. I am a confident person and I do not have trouble socializing or exploring my world. When put on-line, however, I am nervous and embarrassed at my ignorance. I feel like others will ridicule me and that I really have nothing to add to any technology-related conversation. There are times during class when I am tempted to take the mic and voice my opinion, but am paralyzed by self-consciousness. I know I have to get over these barriers, but I am finding it difficult. I believe there are others like me in the class who are feeling the same way, but I hope we can all get over it together.
The second barrier is time. Learning all of this new information and overcoming my feelings of inferiority require that I spend hours experimenting online. Being a relative rookie administrator and a father of a toddler and a newborn are demanding roles and are dominating my life at present. I have not, to this point, devoted the time necessary to really acclimate myself to these technologies. I need to find time to really attack this and stop procrastinating.
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Unreliable
If I have a 'problem' with technology in the education arena, it is its unreliability. I have been to many presentations that have been ruined by a technological blunder or equipment failure. In fact, throughout this masters program many of my classmates have been foiled by technological unreliability. These malfunctions tend to happen at the most inopportune times. I have seen wedding reception power-points go badly awry, embedded video fail to play for students attempting to present their materials, and whole labs lose internet access just when my history students have computer time booked.
Despite the fact that technology has changed education and will certainly continue to do so, there are many problems with reliability and application that must be improved upon. It seems to me that many networks and computer systems are unnecessarily complicated. For example, our school division technology department was beaming over its installation of kilometers of state of the art wire in our building this summer. This seems like a step backwards. Why are we installing a spaghetti-like mess of extremely expensive wire when we are supposedly in the 'wireless' age? This is just a small example, but my point is that technology is, at present, both complicating and unreliable. I believe we are still in the embryonic stage of technological development and application and that must has to be done to make things simpler and more practical for the masses.
Despite the fact that technology has changed education and will certainly continue to do so, there are many problems with reliability and application that must be improved upon. It seems to me that many networks and computer systems are unnecessarily complicated. For example, our school division technology department was beaming over its installation of kilometers of state of the art wire in our building this summer. This seems like a step backwards. Why are we installing a spaghetti-like mess of extremely expensive wire when we are supposedly in the 'wireless' age? This is just a small example, but my point is that technology is, at present, both complicating and unreliable. I believe we are still in the embryonic stage of technological development and application and that must has to be done to make things simpler and more practical for the masses.
Monday, February 23, 2009
Offensive Content
One problem with the internet is the availability of offensive content such as pornography and violent videos, images, and text. Because of the lack of regulation, it is easy for people of all ages, including students, to access illicit material. This raises many questions pertaining to supervision, access, and censorship.
As educators responsible for children we must consider what our students are exposed to and why they seek out this material. As an administrator, I am often placed in the position of having to suspend students for inappropriate use of the computer, most often pertaining to quasi-pornographic material. This experience has taught me that students need only seconds to access this type of material and can easily circumnavigate our filters.
Answers seem elusive. We have tried to implement more restrictive filters, but this seems to punish everyone who uses the internet for legitimate purposes. We have involved parents, counsellors, and senior administration, but all to no avail. It seems the urge to view pornographic images trumps the risk of getting caught.
This makes me wonder what types of material students are viewing at home, in the absence of filters and strict supervision. This all points to the fact that the material should be regulated more closely. I realize and appreciate that we live in a relatively free society, but, at times, it seems as though the personal freedoms of the individual trump the well-being of all. I realize that censorship and regulation can be a slippery slope. I do not, however, envision Canada ever slipping into some Orwellian state of being. I believe our government has sufficient checks and balances to prevent abuse of such powers. As such, it is my assertion that we should have a government organization with a mandate to locate and block all pornographic material as it is too easily accessed by children. This type of censorship would surely raise the ire of fanatical advocates of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, but perhaps the well-being of our children should take precedence over the ready availability of internet porn.
As educators responsible for children we must consider what our students are exposed to and why they seek out this material. As an administrator, I am often placed in the position of having to suspend students for inappropriate use of the computer, most often pertaining to quasi-pornographic material. This experience has taught me that students need only seconds to access this type of material and can easily circumnavigate our filters.
Answers seem elusive. We have tried to implement more restrictive filters, but this seems to punish everyone who uses the internet for legitimate purposes. We have involved parents, counsellors, and senior administration, but all to no avail. It seems the urge to view pornographic images trumps the risk of getting caught.
This makes me wonder what types of material students are viewing at home, in the absence of filters and strict supervision. This all points to the fact that the material should be regulated more closely. I realize and appreciate that we live in a relatively free society, but, at times, it seems as though the personal freedoms of the individual trump the well-being of all. I realize that censorship and regulation can be a slippery slope. I do not, however, envision Canada ever slipping into some Orwellian state of being. I believe our government has sufficient checks and balances to prevent abuse of such powers. As such, it is my assertion that we should have a government organization with a mandate to locate and block all pornographic material as it is too easily accessed by children. This type of censorship would surely raise the ire of fanatical advocates of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, but perhaps the well-being of our children should take precedence over the ready availability of internet porn.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Social Networking Boundaries
Facebook has brought with it many ethical grey areas. Teachers need to be cognisant of the fact that social networking sites are available to a very wide audience. This has ramifications on more than one level.
First, teachers must consider what information they post on their profiles. There is a stark difference between Facebook and Hotmail, and it seems to me that not everyone really understands how public Facebook can be. Because of the public nature of social networking, teachers must consider their professional reputations when either communicating or adding information to their profiles. What might be fine to say to one or two friends via email is not okay when it comes to writing on the walls of friends or contacts.
Secondly, teachers must be careful as to who they include as their 'friends'. Teachers should not be 'friends' with students and must be careful to maintain that professional distance. Having social contact with students could easily be construed as a breach of professional ethics. I have also heard some argue that it should be accepted and that as long as the communication between teacher and student is of a professional nature, it should not be viewed as unprofessional. I tend to disagree. In my opinion, teachers and students must not have contact that could be viewed as social in nature. This is not to say that teachers with students on their 'friend' lists are necessarily unprofessional, but they need to consider how their actions are viewed by the general public.
First, teachers must consider what information they post on their profiles. There is a stark difference between Facebook and Hotmail, and it seems to me that not everyone really understands how public Facebook can be. Because of the public nature of social networking, teachers must consider their professional reputations when either communicating or adding information to their profiles. What might be fine to say to one or two friends via email is not okay when it comes to writing on the walls of friends or contacts.
Secondly, teachers must be careful as to who they include as their 'friends'. Teachers should not be 'friends' with students and must be careful to maintain that professional distance. Having social contact with students could easily be construed as a breach of professional ethics. I have also heard some argue that it should be accepted and that as long as the communication between teacher and student is of a professional nature, it should not be viewed as unprofessional. I tend to disagree. In my opinion, teachers and students must not have contact that could be viewed as social in nature. This is not to say that teachers with students on their 'friend' lists are necessarily unprofessional, but they need to consider how their actions are viewed by the general public.
Monday, February 16, 2009
Dangers of Technology
I have, in my professional life, had to deal with the dangers of having children connected to the world at large. The danger really spawns from the anonymous nature of internet use. Because of this, people seem to view things they do online as somehow detached from who they really are. This allows the worst part of people, who may not otherwise have been bullies or predators, to surface. I suppose this speaks to human nature and what exactly prevents people from committing crimes. For many, it is simply the fear of getting caught. When these people are on-line, that fear is removed, putting the public, and especially students, at-risk.
The problem is how to best protect our students. To not allow students access to the internet or to severely limit their ability to on-line information and communication seems anti-intellectual, perhaps akin to a medieval book-burning. The best solutions we have been able to generate contain little that could be categorized as innovative. Specifically, we sent letters home encouraging parents to monitor their children's computer use, we encouraged our own staff to be more vigilant with respect to our supervision, and we had an updated security system put in our computer systems division-wide.
Will any of these precautions affect a change? I doubt it. The fact is that students have almost unlimited access to the largely unregulated world of cyber-space. This provides bullies and predators with ample opportunity to find victims. I realize that negative incidents have been sensationalized by the media, but I have seen the dangers first-hand during this school year and it frightens me.
The problem is how to best protect our students. To not allow students access to the internet or to severely limit their ability to on-line information and communication seems anti-intellectual, perhaps akin to a medieval book-burning. The best solutions we have been able to generate contain little that could be categorized as innovative. Specifically, we sent letters home encouraging parents to monitor their children's computer use, we encouraged our own staff to be more vigilant with respect to our supervision, and we had an updated security system put in our computer systems division-wide.
Will any of these precautions affect a change? I doubt it. The fact is that students have almost unlimited access to the largely unregulated world of cyber-space. This provides bullies and predators with ample opportunity to find victims. I realize that negative incidents have been sensationalized by the media, but I have seen the dangers first-hand during this school year and it frightens me.
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