[Yr7-10it] Re: Open Slather Internet

[Russell Edwards]

On 09/05/2007, at 1:26 PM, Carnie, Sheryl M wrote:

> On a slightly different tack, I'm interested in how other schools  
> are managing the student access to Internet sites.  Educache  
> provides the comfort of knowing there is very little inappropriate  
> material accessible, but then again lots of interesting/relevant/ 
> useful & appropriate sites are not readilby accessible.  Is there a  
> workable compromise between Educache at one extreme and  
> unrestricted access at the other?  I'm finding that delivery of the  
> ICT for Communicating dimension at levels 5 & 6 is difficult (all  
> but impossible) with just Educache access.

I agree, we just had Educache imposed upon us at my school with zero  
consultation.

I believe it's the wrong approach. The problems it is meant to solve  
are a high internet traffic bill and high levels of off-task  
behaviour. I believe the correct solutions to these are shopping  
around for a non-rip-off ISP ($3/GB or less), and insisting on proper  
classroom management. If kids are talking in class, we don't  
physically gag them. Why should we deal with off-task computer  
behaviour in such a heavy-handed manner?

Not only is the blocking of 99% of useful sites a problem. Blocking  
poor quality sites is also a problem, for it denies children the  
opportunity to learn the vital skill of distinguishing between high  
and low quality information sources.

Russell


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