It is very interesting that as there are more and more
information, tools, and applications put on the web everyday, the school’s firewall blocks more and more of
them from being used. I understand the
reason that sites like Facebook and YouTube are blocked. However, I also know
that there are many educational way to use sites like these and others. At my school we have wireless Internet
throughout the school, while the desktop computers that we have do not have
wireless cards to access them. Even if
you get a USB wireless adapter you can
only connect to the guest network for security reasons. This prevents me from using programs like Air Server
to mirror what I am doing on my iPad.
Each of the algebra and geometry teachers were given an iPad at the
beginning of the year with the new book adoption. With this Air Server it would make this
device much more beneficial to my students.
This is much like when Anna had the two new computers in her classroom but didn’t have the software to take advantage of it. “She found some free and “shareware”
drill-and practice instructional practices and instructional game software
packages, and successfully lobbied the principal to buy others” (Roblyer and
Doering, 3). Myself and other teachers have talked with our principal about the wireless network situation and it
seems like we might be coming to some kind of a solution. I can
only imagine what types of problems that I will face in the future. I think that we will see the virtual classroom
becoming more and more common. With the
evolution of educational social networks like Edmodo, I think education will
continue to have more of a presence in the virtual world. My students already depend on this social
network to get information like homework, test dates, and even turn in
assignments. This virtual world is not
without its own problems. One of the
biggest problems with most social networks and teenagers is cyber bulling. As there are more and more outlets for the
students to have an online presence there are also more ways for them to abuse
the power. I think this will become an
increasing problem in the future. As we
overcome these and other obstacles, I think that the greatest power that these
new technologies bring is in the area of scaffolding. We can use these technologies to reach each
student where they are and help be the best they can be.
It is interesting that you mention firewall. As I was just recently submitting my comments on other blogs I was asked each time to “type in the words” just to make sure that I am “not a robot.” I kept thinking that surely robots would have a way around that by now. Although, I am not sure that situation is technically classified as a firewall or not, but I think it adds to your discussion about abusing the power of technology. It’s aggravating when someone’s hard work is undone by another's carelessness.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I love the idea of letting students access homework, lectures, and the like from on-line. It’s really great for those situations when students miss school but are trying not to fall behind.
I too have been frustrated by firewalls that don't allow my students or me to access particular internet resources. That is one reason it so important to always have a backup plan in the classroom.
ReplyDeleteCyberbullying has become a huge problem at the middle school and high school level. Our school system does a pretty good job in educating students and warning them of the dangers of cyberbullying but it still continues to be a problem.
I completely agree that there needs to be a healthier balance between the protection aspect of the wireless networks in our schools and the ability to get to what we need in the classroom. I, also, agree that it is going to become a bigger problem in the future considering out students are getting smarter and better at using technology every day. My niece, who is 4, can teach me things on an iPad that I did not know. What happens when the students outsmart the firewall and its creator? The fact that the generation gap could reverse to where the older generation are at a disadvantage is creepy. Thanks for this. Nice job!
ReplyDelete