Safe practices with Web 2.0 : Personal safety and homework

There are so many issues to consider with the internet and student safety. Lately, I have been reflecting on the differences between the internet at school and the internet at home. I believe there is a significant difference between the two environments that relate directly to the personal safety of students. Based on compliance by most schools with the Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA), internet access at school is generally safer than internet access at home. CIPA requires internet filtering or blocking on EVERY connected computer and a comprehensive internet safety policy. (Solomon & Schrum) Schools also log all websites and monitor behavior. These measure are greater than what can be found in the typical home internet environment. With that in mind, teachers need to consider the internet environment students will access when completing an assignment that require learners to go online. Teachers must be aware that there is a difference between the two and ensure a safer process for the students.

Here are a few considerations that come to mind:

• Do your homework - It may sound like hyper-supervision, but go through the assignment yourself. Even commonplace exercises like a Google search can go awry. Think of keywords that are relevant to your topic and search the way your students would - check the resulting pages and images and ensure that the websites are what you intended. If not, consider providing your own keywords or creating a customized search engine for your students.
  

• Be a presence - One of the best practices in online and blended learning is for the instructor to be an active participant. For example, when your students are posting/writing to blog or forums, take the time to respond immediately to their posts. This lets your students know that you are partners in their experience and are an active member of the learning environment. Take that step from supervising to facilitating.

• Create a private space - Do not assign any tool that you are unfamiliar using or unfamiliar with the connected community. Learn the tool and learn how to create a private and safe space. If a private space is necessary but not possible, move on to a new tool. After all, the web 2.0 facilitates the experience, it doesn't define it – find another site or tool that helps you achieve your goal.

There is obviously a lot more when it comes to keeping students safe on the internet, but it is important to realize that not all internet environments are equal. When teachers assign internet-based assignments for homework, they must take into consideration the differences between the school and home internet environments.


Reference:

Schrum, L., & Solomon, G. (2007). Web 2.0: New Tools, New Schools. NY: Intl Society For Technology In.

Research and the reflective practitioner: The F2F Experience

Last week I attended a face to face (F2F) workshop called Teachers Teaching Teachers (TTT). It was organized by the Multicultural Resource Center . Ironically, I specifically attended this F2F workshop as part of my research for my Web 2.0 Social Networking class! I looked forward to this workshop because, Gene Batiste - the vice president of Leadership Education and Diversity at the NAIS , was offering a session on the benefits and challenges of implementing an affinity group for an independent school community. The social networking project that I am researching for social networking class is along the lines of affinity group support via a Web 2.0 infrastructure.

So why attend a F2F when there are so many online options? In class we have researched tools and their implementation through sound methodology, but I believe that the practitioner needs to bring their social network to life with some F2F time. We use Diigo, blogs, virtual conferences, etc... to research and reflect but I believe that there needs to be a balance. Personally, I found great value in taking the time to disconnect and meet people, not avatars or user names. And even though I sat through the TTT workshops thinking that this would be more efficient online, I found value in seeing people, shaking hands, and having "real" F2F conversations. Although it may feel as though the primary source of research nowadays is the web, the reality is that behind these sources of research are people. In my case, I tend to forget that the tool or information I am accessing may have another person involved. There is someone, some group, and/or some network of people we are accessing through the web.

No matter how inefficient and limiting a F2F session may be, there is value in a blended approach to social networking. The session I attended with Gene Batiste was fantastic! He had a great welcoming manner, spoke with encouraging confidence, and motivated his participants to believe that affinity group work is possible in even the most conservative environments. The presence he radiated cannot be mined through the Internet. Imagine Obama's election victory speech at Grant Park in Chicago live versus on a screen. The content is the same but the feeling one gets from witnessing and sharing F2F is incomparable.

Overall, as I use the web to research and reflect, it is important to remember the emotional/motivational benefits of being involved in a network that can come to life (F2F) at some point.