I have several digital divide issues facing my classroom. First, is the fact that the school I teach at blocks many sites including WIKI pages. I understand the reason that many sites are blocked in my district. While I am sure that I could follow the proper channels and get it unblocked it still represents an additional obstacle that must be dealt with every time I create a wiki page or use another site that is blocked. However, I feel that by possibility joining the technology committee I can bring to lite the advantages a wiki could bring. This is something I am looking into for next year. Google Docs is another example of a site that is blocked in my district that would be very helpful in creating our special education classes as well as our finals schedules for our students. I am currently working with the special education department head to see if we can get google docs started for next year. This seems promising as it would be limited to staff. We are using Moodle as a district so that is exciting and this class is a good opportunity for me to get a head start on Moodle.
Beside the challenges of blocked site comes the challenges of Internet supervision for my special education students. This is a challenge that I look forward to assisting them with in their responsible internet searches. So often my students will go to google do a search and end up citing wikipedia. They will site that as their only source. So I look forward to using the internet with them and helping them to improve their searches and to come out with credible web sites.
3 comments:
Eric
Over protection (my opinion) is such an issue is so many districts it is mind boggling.
What has happened to education that students have to leave school and go home to have access to the real world.
Good luck with that issue in your district.
Connie
I think that your thoughts of joining your district technology committee may offer leadership opportunities while helping your district. It's great for a district to have a special education teacher contributing to the discussion of and planning for technology. Instead of locking down everything, let's ponder harnessing the technology in ways that is beneficial to students and teachers.
Aside from the blocked sites issue, it sounds like we have many of the same digital divide concerns. Hopefully you will be able to gain access to those sites soon. I have found google.docs to be very beneficial in my Basic Communications class. I created a document to share with my students that includes daily journal topics and they have an on-line journal that they share only with me. It's great because if they are absent they can update their journal from wherever they are. I would say that you should push the envelope and be the one to ask for all this computer access, but I know that I wouldn't be that person to "rock the boat" at all. You have to pick your battles, right? :)
Post a Comment