Comments on: Will better school policy provide “traction”? http://thinktime.wordpress.com/2007/10/11/will-better-school-policy-provide-traction/ At the intersection of edTech, media and information literacy Mon, 13 Jul 2009 05:49:34 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: jlubke http://thinktime.wordpress.com/2007/10/11/will-better-school-policy-provide-traction/#comment-1012 jlubke Wed, 28 Nov 2007 10:40:06 +0000 http://thinktime.wordpress.com/2007/10/11/will-better-school-policy-provide-traction/#comment-1012 Jeff, I appreciate testimonials like yours because they keep me grounded. I've enjoyed unfettered freedom as a full-time adult learner using web-based technologies to build out my learning network without a lot of institutional crap to push up against. People ask me if I will go back to the classroom when I "finish" my education. My gut response is, "I don't know how." I don't think I could "go back" to the way things were. It is galling to think that the classroom situation I walked away from in spring 2005 is and will remain relatively unchanged should I decide to return now or even a year from now. In my community I just don't see a lot of vision or leadership on these fronts, just management and staying the course. Pockets of teachers and students, I suppose, are making strides in the right direction. But it is exhausting, as your story proves, to work in isolation cut off by blocks, filters, policies, and the narrow-minded obsession with network stability and security. You have my deepest respect and I hope you will continue to share your stories. Jeff,

I appreciate testimonials like yours because they keep me grounded.

I’ve enjoyed unfettered freedom as a full-time adult learner using web-based technologies to build out my learning network without a lot of institutional crap to push up against. People ask me if I will go back to the classroom when I “finish” my education. My gut response is, “I don’t know how.” I don’t think I could “go back” to the way things were. It is galling to think that the classroom situation I walked away from in spring 2005 is and will remain relatively unchanged should I decide to return now or even a year from now. In my community I just don’t see a lot of vision or leadership on these fronts, just management and staying the course.

Pockets of teachers and students, I suppose, are making strides in the right direction. But it is exhausting, as your story proves, to work in isolation cut off by blocks, filters, policies, and the narrow-minded obsession with network stability and security. You have my deepest respect and I hope you will continue to share your stories.

]]> By: jblack http://thinktime.wordpress.com/2007/10/11/will-better-school-policy-provide-traction/#comment-1006 jblack Wed, 28 Nov 2007 05:50:47 +0000 http://thinktime.wordpress.com/2007/10/11/will-better-school-policy-provide-traction/#comment-1006 Just wrote about this today in my blog in regards to online storage being blocked by my district (http://web20intheclassroom.blogspot.com/2007/11/access-to-online-storage.html). I'm in the trenches doing the work, figuring out how to use these tools to inspire learning and creativity (am teaching a new class this year on web 2.0 technologies to high school students). I do feel as if I have power to influence policy, but it takes so-o-o-o much effort and time that I can't fight too many of these battles. Earlier this year I wrote many emails to our district administrators asking for our caching procedure on our district server to be changed. I've had a website for almost 10 years now, and am plenty aware of possible glitches. But our district wanted to tighten up their filter at the start of this semester, so they installed one that only allows pages to be updated based on a complicated user-request algorithm. So, here's what happened. I go to update my pages for my classes -- I can't "see the update" for three to four more days. I go to update my site for back-to-school night -- can't see the update because the cache filter/server is not letting it refresh. I start teaching students how to blog -- they can't see a simple template change because of the same restrictions, let alone see evidence of "posting" anything to their blogs. I can't tell you the hours it took to get something done. While I'm a seasoned veteran, this is my first semester teaching web 2.0 technologies and any good teacher knows getting a solid start is everything. Finally, the cache/filter issue was resolved, but not without a lot of effort. I just recently tried again to get our district admin let me use Skype -- this time, no one responded to my email request. Have decided I'm not going to fight it right now. I'll just wait -- like I did for them to unblock teachertube.com. If I want to show a really powerful YouTube video on child slavery as an example of great visual impact in blogging, I will continue to have to download it at home, convert it to a .flv, and then send it to my own server to show the students the next day. There are work arounds, but it gets old. It's sad,though, how we all -- students and teachers alike -- miss out while waiting. THe world just passes us by... Just wrote about this today in my blog in regards to online storage being blocked by my district (http://web20intheclassroom.blogspot.com/2007/11/access-to-online-storage.html). I’m in the trenches doing the work, figuring out how to use these tools to inspire learning and creativity (am teaching a new class this year on web 2.0 technologies to high school students). I do feel as if I have power to influence policy, but it takes so-o-o-o much effort and time that I can’t fight too many of these battles. Earlier this year I wrote many emails to our district administrators asking for our caching procedure on our district server to be changed. I’ve had a website for almost 10 years now, and am plenty aware of possible glitches. But our district wanted to tighten up their filter at the start of this semester, so they installed one that only allows pages to be updated based on a complicated user-request algorithm. So, here’s what happened. I go to update my pages for my classes — I can’t “see the update” for three to four more days. I go to update my site for back-to-school night — can’t see the update because the cache filter/server is not letting it refresh. I start teaching students how to blog — they can’t see a simple template change because of the same restrictions, let alone see evidence of “posting” anything to their blogs. I can’t tell you the hours it took to get something done. While I’m a seasoned veteran, this is my first semester teaching web 2.0 technologies and any good teacher knows getting a solid start is everything. Finally, the cache/filter issue was resolved, but not without a lot of effort. I just recently tried again to get our district admin let me use Skype — this time, no one responded to my email request. Have decided I’m not going to fight it right now. I’ll just wait — like I did for them to unblock teachertube.com. If I want to show a really powerful YouTube video on child slavery as an example of great visual impact in blogging, I will continue to have to download it at home, convert it to a .flv, and then send it to my own server to show the students the next day. There are work arounds, but it gets old. It’s sad,though, how we all — students and teachers alike — miss out while waiting. THe world just passes us by…

]]> By: Indya http://thinktime.wordpress.com/2007/10/11/will-better-school-policy-provide-traction/#comment-240 Indya Sat, 13 Oct 2007 04:11:29 +0000 http://thinktime.wordpress.com/2007/10/11/will-better-school-policy-provide-traction/#comment-240 As a member of a school board, I think we tend to worry about worst case scenarios, and create policies accordingly. They are based on fear more than vision. This field is so new to most of us, and so fast-changing, the idea of coming up with a progressive, adaptable, visionary policy is daunting. I look forward to guidance from people like you. As a member of a school board, I think we tend to worry about worst case scenarios, and create policies accordingly. They are based on fear more than vision. This field is so new to most of us, and so fast-changing, the idea of coming up with a progressive, adaptable, visionary policy is daunting. I look forward to guidance from people like you.

]]> By: jlubke http://thinktime.wordpress.com/2007/10/11/will-better-school-policy-provide-traction/#comment-239 jlubke Sat, 13 Oct 2007 02:54:32 +0000 http://thinktime.wordpress.com/2007/10/11/will-better-school-policy-provide-traction/#comment-239 Steve, I *really* like your distinction between policy driven by fear versus policy driven by vision. Please continue to share your work in this area; I'll be listening! Jeff, I agree. I'm simply (ha!) looking for a policy that spells out norms, expectations, guidelines. In Warlick's K-12 Online keynote he spoke about teachers and students "looking for boundaries." Even Warlick said we can't educate this and future generations without boundaries, it won't work. I don't want a policy that designates specific tools. either. What kind of shelf life would that have? Steve,

I *really* like your distinction between policy driven by fear versus policy driven by vision. Please continue to share your work in this area; I’ll be listening!

Jeff,

I agree. I’m simply (ha!) looking for a policy that spells out norms, expectations, guidelines. In Warlick’s K-12 Online keynote he spoke about teachers and students “looking for boundaries.” Even Warlick said we can’t educate this and future generations without boundaries, it won’t work.

I don’t want a policy that designates specific tools. either. What kind of shelf life would that have?

]]> By: Jeff Bailey http://thinktime.wordpress.com/2007/10/11/will-better-school-policy-provide-traction/#comment-237 Jeff Bailey Fri, 12 Oct 2007 22:55:20 +0000 http://thinktime.wordpress.com/2007/10/11/will-better-school-policy-provide-traction/#comment-237 I think you really have a point here. I have been recently examining why I feel unable to do what needs to be done online with students and I all too often blame the filter (and that's the first barrier). However, I do think schools have to get creative in how they adapt AUPs to accept new technologies. Isn't the key teacher discretion? Don't we rely on this in most schools when choosing books, or lab equipment or even classroom pedagogy and even assessment practices? What would happen if a teacher "messed up" in those areas-- isn't there oversight and reprimands for those lapses in judgement? Do we really have to spell out each tool or should we be providing guidelines for general norms? Just some thoughts. I think you really have a point here. I have been recently examining why I feel unable to do what needs to be done online with students and I all too often blame the filter (and that’s the first barrier). However, I do think schools have to get creative in how they adapt AUPs to accept new technologies. Isn’t the key teacher discretion? Don’t we rely on this in most schools when choosing books, or lab equipment or even classroom pedagogy and even assessment practices? What would happen if a teacher “messed up” in those areas– isn’t there oversight and reprimands for those lapses in judgement? Do we really have to spell out each tool or should we be providing guidelines for general norms?

Just some thoughts.

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