First off, schools need filters when it comes to the internet. There is a fine line between giving access to kids for sites like You Tube, Facebook and many education sites. The internet has many great teaching tools and You Tube is a great example of a site with educational resources and of course has its share of questionable content. The tough part is when schools nix a site and do not give students a chance to access the material in order to do homework. The problem is when districts are trying to find the right balance between giving students access to information after providing students with technology in terms of laptops, i-pads and other cutting edge technology.
In an article from the AJC, "Most school systems use Internet filtering software and abide by the federal Children’s Internet Protection Act. Passed in 2000, the act was intended to block images deemed “obscene,” or “child pornography,” or material “harmful to minors.” It requires public libraries and schools receiving certain federal funding to install software filters on their Internet-accessible computers."
A huge problem is the balance between creating socially responsible internet users with those that ruin it for those that want to learn. Throw in parents that sue for a school districts position on either side of the fence and lawyers that defend the rights of those with controversial social positions which you can read about in the AJC article below. http://www.myajc.com/news/news/local-education/educators-grapple-with-internet-censorship/nhgT4/?icid=ajc_internallink_myajcinvitationbox_feb2014_accessdigital_post-purchase#2bd3fd5e.3864497.735519
The article concludes with this thought provoking statement where we can take heed.
No comments:
Post a Comment