In Practice

Surfing the web, one can’t help but notice how huge it really is. One of the results of its size is that there are a multitude of discussions and debates about which program is best, which online resource is more reputable and/or user friendly than the other, what kinds of threats exist with the sharing of too much personal information in regard to personal safety and the prevention of identity theft, etc. For many topics specific to public education, debates rage over which resources districts are allowing, encouraging, or requiring their staffs to use, and which are appropriate resources and tools for students. The chatter reinforces my own belief in keeping the best, and tossing the rest. Life is a sampler platter, a buffet, and so too are the web and the resources it provides. Pick, choose, sample, go back for seconds, all the while knowing that other customers probably enjoy whatever it is on platter number two that you’ve decided to avoid in the future at all costs. As a grown up, I get to choose whether I want brussel sprouts or not, and my employer doesn’t require that I take three bites before I get to entertain the thought of baklava, tiramisu, or plain ol’ vanilla ice cream. It helps that I know the difference between Sunday Brunch at the Pumphouse and the weekly buffet at Golden Corral.

All of this exploration has me wondering: while being online and just a point and click away from the world, how can we as teachers best advocate what we might feel are the most appropriate uses for the worlds available on the web? Students come to us with different computer and internet literacies and experiences, so we have a wide range of reactions to work with when it comes to sitting students down in front of a monitor, keyboard and mouse. Some students point and click with kid-in-a-candy-store abandon, while others, more seasoned, nonchalantly cruise through with been-there, done-that resolve, quickly maneuvering their way to where THEY want to be, where their teachers want them to be, or some combination of both. With so many teachers upset about web filters that limit their teaching resources at school, and yet others grateful that game and social networking sites are unavailable during school hours, how do we find the best way to equalize our students’ resources while also teaching them that there are both public and private ways to use the computer?

Not every student has computer access at home, and not all of those students who do will view the internet as an all-encompassing resource tool. Some use the keyboard, monitor and internet connection as a quick way to keep in touch with friends and family, utilizing mail programs and possibly photo hosting sites exclusively. Some students might have parents who work from home, and only get computer time when they need to use it for school as a giant reference book, akin to the encyclopedias and journals that were the primary (and sometimes sole) references found in libraries. Many students find computers more enjoyable as a form of social exploration and entertainment, watching funny videos, sharing gossip, becoming emotionally tethered to the whims, dramas, and misinterpretations that can happen at their age and with this medium. Others view the internet and computer use the way their parents do, as a way to do online banking, with a touch of web site shopping thrown in for good measure, with “real life” experiences regarded as the most valuable contributor to learning. What about students from cultures or upbringings that haven’t had and don’t expect to develop such a pervasive dependency upon technology? Exposure to web sites deemed dangerous, inappropriate, or emotionally threatening is an additional issue to deal with.

What are many teachers telling students? “How you use a computer at home may be different from how you will be using it here at school.” And out in ChatterLand, what message do many teachers NOT want to be given by school administrators? “How you use a computer at home may be different from how you will be using it here at school.” Sigh.