Submitted by Maddie Davidson (not verified) on April 18, 2008 - 12:09.
I was fortunate to have started teaching just as the internet was hitting the classroom. My Science Dept chair and I were the "tec team." This was also the time pre net-nannies, and it was up to the teachers to keep internet behavior in line. We learned to keep the screens of the computers facing the instructor! We made our own internet use contracts. Use of the full power of the internet gave us some of the best lessons: meaningful, current, memorable.
I understand that the students must be kept off MySpace and youtube on the school's computers, but as a teacher, I do not think that the richness of youtube for instructional materials should be blocked to me. I can plan next year's lessons if I turn in the "unblock" request, but the immediancy that was the best part of internet use is gone. There are other useful sites that are blocked as well. I wish there was a way for teachers to monitor their own use as they develop lessons based on the internet or use the richness of the internet's video, pictorial, and yes, even game!, sites.
Teacher Control
Submitted by Maddie Davidson (not verified) on April 18, 2008 - 12:09.
I was fortunate to have started teaching just as the internet was hitting the classroom. My Science Dept chair and I were the "tec team." This was also the time pre net-nannies, and it was up to the teachers to keep internet behavior in line. We learned to keep the screens of the computers facing the instructor! We made our own internet use contracts. Use of the full power of the internet gave us some of the best lessons: meaningful, current, memorable.
I understand that the students must be kept off MySpace and youtube on the school's computers, but as a teacher, I do not think that the richness of youtube for instructional materials should be blocked to me. I can plan next year's lessons if I turn in the "unblock" request, but the immediancy that was the best part of internet use is gone. There are other useful sites that are blocked as well. I wish there was a way for teachers to monitor their own use as they develop lessons based on the internet or use the richness of the internet's video, pictorial, and yes, even game!, sites.