In our small district, we used to block a lot of sites based upon categories, such as Games, Entertainment, etc. Over the last several years, we have opened up several categories because of the frequent requests to unblock a site to be used for educational purposes.
While we still block the obvious categories as required by law, the ones we have allowed aren't inherently anti-learning. Take "Streaming Media", for example. YouTube falls within this category and I happen to be of the camp that there is a lot to be learned from YouTube. There is also a lot that only serves to distract a person from a learning goal. Some are quick to realize this and claim that sites like this should be blocked. Why? Because we'd rather prevent all distractions then educate our kids how to focus their attention to the task at hand.
At this moment in time, the only reason we would block Streaming Media (or other high use categories) is when it becomes a drain on our bandwidth. We did this during online state testing at the end of the school year, "just in case".
The last category standing today is one called "Online Communities". Sites like Facebook and Twitter fall under this category. We have explicitly allowed access to some of these sites, upon the request of teachers, for example Twitter and Pinterist are open.
As a district, we have our own Facebook Page and, now, a Twitter account. It's a tad ironic that some of the methods we are using to connect with our community are blocked for our kids while they are at school.
As educators, we all see the result of kids using social networking in an inappropriate way. Even when these sites are blocked at school, the problems surface during the school day. If we open up social networking at school, will this lead to more of these problems and possibly put the school at legal risk? Are we able to use this access as a teaching/learning moment and show kids how to use these tools to better themselves?
I'm extremely curious what my readers (as few as they may be) have to say. Please provide your thoughts, your own experiences.
Friday, June 15, 2012
Monday, June 4, 2012
Musings on US Ed Policies
I am a United States citizen; I've been that since the day I was born. I didn't choose this country, but I have chosen to remain a citizen due to the ideals upon which it was founded.
I am an educator. I was not born into this profession; in fact, I did not choose my profession when applying to college. I learned my love for learning during my undergraduate years, thinking I'd pursue a career in post-secondary academia, but eventually was driven toward K12.
More than 20 years ago, I realized that I wanted a career in education. I admired how the most talented teachers could ignite a passion for their trade. I loved (still do) learning new things that excite me, challenge me, and make me want to learn more. I wanted to instill this love for learning in our youth.
But that was college, and I was fortunate to have a socioeconomic background that provided me with, first and foremost, supportive parents with high expectations, providing me with a great secondary and post-secondary education.
Today, I still hold these ideals of education and what true learning can mean for every young person. However, today, I am also saddened that many of the proposed "reforms" in our nation serve only to make our youth hate learning. From NCLB to RTTT, our nation has dictated the inner-workings of our public schools. NCLB proposed an evaluation system for schools and districts, otherwise known as AYP (Adequate Yearly Progress) based upon mostly standardized testing. RTTT promised relief from those chains if states can propose an alternative measure. And the new measure? It's a convoluted quagmire of student growth, teacher effectiveness, college/career readiness, and student achievement, based upon, to one degree or another, standardized tests.
These tests do have a place in measuring our nation's effectiveness in education, but it does NOT have to be every kid. It does NOT have to be every year. Instead of allowing our most brilliant and creative teachers to ignite the same passion for learning that I had, we are forcing them to "teach to the test". Moreover, assessing deep thinking is extremely difficult through multiple choice exams. Any argument that points to extended response questions are missing the point as well; the extended response I want "my kids" to do is NOT in one sitting.
Lastly, the policies proposed, by both sides of the house, are made by people that don't know poverty. They have no clue what a child, a being that did not choose their place in life, endures at home. Forget for a moment that we are speaking of children. For any person, if they are hungry or neglected or abused, will they be productive? It's easy for us to say that an adult in that situation had choices; does a child?
As a child, I did not have choices, I had influences. As an adult, I am choosing to believe in our country. While I'm saddened by trends of late, I have hopes of greater things to come.
Here's to our future...
I am an educator. I was not born into this profession; in fact, I did not choose my profession when applying to college. I learned my love for learning during my undergraduate years, thinking I'd pursue a career in post-secondary academia, but eventually was driven toward K12.
More than 20 years ago, I realized that I wanted a career in education. I admired how the most talented teachers could ignite a passion for their trade. I loved (still do) learning new things that excite me, challenge me, and make me want to learn more. I wanted to instill this love for learning in our youth.
But that was college, and I was fortunate to have a socioeconomic background that provided me with, first and foremost, supportive parents with high expectations, providing me with a great secondary and post-secondary education.
Today, I still hold these ideals of education and what true learning can mean for every young person. However, today, I am also saddened that many of the proposed "reforms" in our nation serve only to make our youth hate learning. From NCLB to RTTT, our nation has dictated the inner-workings of our public schools. NCLB proposed an evaluation system for schools and districts, otherwise known as AYP (Adequate Yearly Progress) based upon mostly standardized testing. RTTT promised relief from those chains if states can propose an alternative measure. And the new measure? It's a convoluted quagmire of student growth, teacher effectiveness, college/career readiness, and student achievement, based upon, to one degree or another, standardized tests.
These tests do have a place in measuring our nation's effectiveness in education, but it does NOT have to be every kid. It does NOT have to be every year. Instead of allowing our most brilliant and creative teachers to ignite the same passion for learning that I had, we are forcing them to "teach to the test". Moreover, assessing deep thinking is extremely difficult through multiple choice exams. Any argument that points to extended response questions are missing the point as well; the extended response I want "my kids" to do is NOT in one sitting.
Lastly, the policies proposed, by both sides of the house, are made by people that don't know poverty. They have no clue what a child, a being that did not choose their place in life, endures at home. Forget for a moment that we are speaking of children. For any person, if they are hungry or neglected or abused, will they be productive? It's easy for us to say that an adult in that situation had choices; does a child?
As a child, I did not have choices, I had influences. As an adult, I am choosing to believe in our country. While I'm saddened by trends of late, I have hopes of greater things to come.
Here's to our future...
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