Grammatista

Over the past seven weeks all kinds of articles have been filing into my Google Reader account but the articles that come in more than any others are articles that use scare tactics to push parents and school districts away from computer (technology) use. I can’t begin to count how many articles I’ve read that include anti-technology propaganda in it. The most recent article I read was just too much for me not to comment on; so here I go.

This article, Rep. Pushes Internet Safety Policies for Public Schools, in my opinion is the holy grail of anti-technology propaganda. It starts out with this quote:

“You can lock the doors and windows, hold their hand at the mall, and buy training wheels for their bikes. But a major danger facing kids today is right above the keyboard.” The article goes on to say “They [internet predators] groom their victims” (Mason).

In short the article details new legislation that will make internet usage at public schools “safer”, but what does “safer” mean in regards to internet usage? The article never really goes into great detail about what the legislation or schools for that matter plan on doing to make the internet “safer” but one quote in the article leads me to a clear understanding of what “safer” means to the schools.

“Swampscott reminds the user that his or her RIGHT TO FREE SPEECH is suspended when using the school’s network” (Mason).

I am not an overly optimistic person who believes that all students would use technological resources in a productive manner; but when did it get ok to presume that all students were going to misuse their technological resources? To suspend students Free Speech may be legal for schools to do but where are we as a society going to draw the line? Today students can’t write about their feelings on their personal blogs while at school, tomorrow they can’t have personal blogs at all, and next Wednesday they are going to be monitored at all times while on the internet.

From an educational stand point, how is a teacher going to promote the use of a blog assignment when students are not even allowed to access the site to begin with? The ironic part about all of this that I’m advocating the use of technology in classrooms, like blogs or social networking sites, through the use of a social network. I know for a fact that I take my writing more seriously when it is going to be published on my blog because it is out there for the world to see. I would love to have my students feel the sense of accomplishment I get when someone reads my blog and appreciates my ideas but if anti-technology propaganda trends continue I fear they will never know that feeling.

Rep Pushes Internet Safety Policies for Public Schools

by Salem News (Edward Mason)

February 14, 2008