- Our Internet service was so slow on Friday that it was unusable for my Financial Life Skills (FLS) students with their stock market simulation and related online assignments. Even this morning, I could use it effectively only for my e-mails and Word document work. I could not even update this blog, whether I was in IE or Firefox
- I discovered earlier in the week that my FLS WetPaint wiki had all of the cool widgets (stock ticker, digital clock, YouTube video) blocked. Apparently, our district filter caught up with me after about a week. I had hoped to use this wiki with my class but it will take a herculean effort to get everything unblocked.
- I was pleasantly surprised to see that I could get to some of the online tools that I tried out yesterday at home. I could access the Money Ning I am using for my paper, and All Things Web 2.0 and managemyideas.com for my other paper. I look forward to trying Money Ning soon with my FLS students and managemyideas with my Business Venture students next semester. I am curious to see if eventually these sites get blocked by our automated district filter that our tech people seem to have difficulty handling.
- I now use my RSS feeds to bring the most current investing news to my 1st hour FLS students. My breakfast includes a scan through the various RSS stock and company news feeds. The information is much more current and comprehensive than my previous newspaper reading.
The News & Observer from Raleigh had this interesting article about a parent denying her 8-year-old daughter Internet access at school. Fascinating piece about differences in viewpoints on the importance of online educational tools. Check it out at this link: Parents, schools at odds over Internet
2 comments:
What an interesting story about the parents not wanting their child to have internet access at school, even when monitored! I wonder if they'll ever let their child have access or will be teaching him/her themselves. I know that in our district we honor that request and tell the students that if their parents signed the NO Internet section of the form, they ARE blocked from using the internet. They also can't use a computer in our district unless they have returned their form.
I think the parents are carrying their case too far, as thinking their third year old student would have access to an objectionable site, since the school districts I know of have to block any access to porn, especially if they want the e-rate funding from the government. What school wouldn't want free Internet access??
Here, again, I think it is a case of "helicopter parents" who need to control every aspect of their child's schooling. If that's the case, why aren't they homeschooling???
I couldn't agree with you more, Denise. I found this surprising as I have never heard of this happening in Menomonee Falls. And here I thought helicopter parents were just too involved in sports, music, and helping too much with schoolwork.
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