Ros, your school ban on Moodle RSS feeds with local newspapers because of the language used is foolish and short-sighted! In wonder what others think?<br><br>If I can take some liberty at repeating the words I used with a post from last year, Bill Kerr was splendid in his summary of the new tension between
technology freedom and control when he discussed:<br><br><div style="margin-left: 40px;">"This
argument -- that the internet is a place we have to protect children
from -- will become the main argument against the widespread
distribution of netbooks and free software to children in educational
settings. The technology increasingly moves us towards personal and
individual empowerment; the moral argument that freedom is too
dangerous to handle moves us in the opposite direction." <br></div><br>I also noticed some discussion on a WA list about the problems of censoring the Internet based on language. <br><br>Previously,
a word based e-mail filter we used cut out posts from our sister school
out because the Japanese principal had an expletive nicely positioned
in his middle name. I have fallen for the trap with my native Dutch
that calls sugar, Bastard suiker. It is pushing the boundary of this
list and topic but if anybody else speaks Dutch, they will understand
the hillarity of my Dutch grandmother calling out for a tradesman in
Australia.<br> <br>Students here have demonstrated that they can bypass
department endorsed filters using Chinese, Arabic, Russian and even
Khmer and Sinhala. All it takes is a language translation tool,
imagination and search engine to dig up dirt around any filter. We can
easily stop this train with the super powers that teachers acquire from their practice in the classroom.<br> <br>
My sense of smell is now so finely tuned that I can sniff out a smoker
from 100 meters on the school oval and even the chemical residue on
their clothing. The keen eyes we grow on the back of our heads can spot
an inappropriate website from 20 meters away when our front is turned
to the whiteboard. We can even process the fine motor movements and
body language from a student who is not paying attention in class when
they are reading an inappropriate magazine or book under the desk. Our
collective x-ray vision that can even eventually penetrate
inappropriate posters displayed in lockers whilst we are on patrol. Our
sensitive ears trigger an automatic synaptic frown and verbal response
when the boundaries of inappropriate language are breached. <br> <br>
Of course, all this work that you do for the greater good helps to
set standards for appropriate behaviour at your school and it doesn't even
require the blinkered technological response mandated by your school. <br><br>You will need all the super
powers you can muster to identify and battle the dark forces that are
swirling around you. The battle is real and at stake is your freedom to
work and practice as a classroom educator.<br><br>Regards Roland<br><br><div class="gmail_quote">2009/3/11 Ros Meadows <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:ros.meadows@gmail.com">ros.meadows@gmail.com</a>></span><br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">
<div bgcolor="#ffffff" text="#000066">
Hi all<br>
<br>
The moodle site I set up on our web server was inaccessible for some
time today - the message ACCESS: DENIED came up.<br>
Wondering why this was so I spent some time using my mobile broadband
internet connection to log into it and investigate student logs and
profile pics, looking for obscenities etc<br>
In frustration I returned to the home page only to scroll down and see
the RSS feeds (Herald Sun Top Stories and Tech News) featuring articles
on<br>
- NBL player involved in a s&x assault<br>
- Home and Away to feature a le$bi@n romance (It was referred to as
"Home and a Gay")<br>
- Gmail servers down due to p0rn attack<br>
(misspellings here so this email will hopefully get through Kevork's
filter system!!)<br>
<br>
No wonder the filter had banned the site!!<br>
<br>
So I fixed it by completely deleting all of the RSS feeds, but I
contemplated the fact that students in my class could get up and walk
to the other side of the Library, pick up a copy of the Herald Sun, and
read, in full, all three articles. Oh how their minds would become
corrupt by this act!!!<br>
<br>
Yet the whole moodle site was blocked - even though it only displayed
the headings!!<br>
<br>
Double Standards?? Or perhaps we should also ban students from reading
newspapers at school?????<br>
<br>
Sometimes ya just gotta have a giggle!<br>
<br>
Cheers<br>
The Lone Moodler<br><font color="#888888">
Ros Meadows<br>
BentleighSC<br>
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</blockquote></div><br><br clear="all"><br>-- <br>Roland Gesthuizen - ICT Coordinator - Westall Secondary College<br><a href="http://www.westallsc.vic.edu.au">http://www.westallsc.vic.edu.au</a><br><br>"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed it is the only thing that ever has." --Margaret Mead<br>