After watching Will Richardson’s blogging video and the Frontline video from PBS, Richardson’s video is saying where we can go with the internet. While the Frontline video is warning us about who is out there watching we we are doing and more importantly what our children and students are doing. As a parent, I was much more interested in the Frontline video because I would not be able to forgive myself if something happened to one of my students or my child if something happened to them because of the internet. The one thing that I learned and couldn’t agree with more is the fact that these people that bad things happen to aren’t just victims, but they are participants as well. The worst thing that people can think is that it won’t happen to me. These people are just naive. So as a parent and teacher if you don’t warn kids and parents about what is out there, then you are part of the problem; instead of part of the solution. In the health class that I teach we watched a video, A Rose for Livy, that dealt with internet predators. This video was done in Rochester and while it was kind of corny for 10th graders, at least it is getting the word out there about problems on the internet. Next year I will try to incorporate the Frontline video into the mainstream of the lesson plan.
While I have opened up to new ideas and designs based around the internet, Will Richardson’s video still scares me a bit. You need to learn about drowning before you get in the pool to learn to swim. I’m sure he points out some disasters in previous lectures, but I this one everything was full stream ahead. If you don’t catch up with the internet, it will pass you by “attitude” may work for people that work with the internet all the time, but for student, children and individuals that like “hard copies” of things I think the Will Richardson’s video is a false sense of security. We need to do this, we need to do that are comments that if we aren’t careful as a society or a community we will be sorry in the long run.
As a parent and a teacher, I guess I am just concerned. Kids are growing up so fast and with the use of the internet and other growing technology, they are growing exponentially. How many kids are now bringing cell phones and iPods into the classroom for personal use? Where are some of these kids learning how to build bombs? Google earth has even been asked to get rid of the street view because certain people are using this to get valuable information on how to attack our naval bases. As a teacher, I find too many teachers walking through the hallways with blinders on. I don’t want the students not to like me or I have to hurry and get to my next class are comments that shouldn’t be heard in schools. However, they are heard way to often by both teachers, administration and parents. So if this is reality, what are our children and students going to find or do next. Fifteen years ago, hats were not supposed to be worn, now it is more common to have one on than not. Cell phones were a rarity to even have one. Now it is rare for a student not to text another student during a class. What will the next fifteen years bring…? And what will our students be bringing into class or school then…?
3 responses so far ↓
Dr. Ransom // March 13, 2008 at 10:20 am
Steve, do you really have to learn about drowning before you learn how to swim? Or do you learn how to swim to prevent drowning? I think there is a significant difference in perspective here. The FrontLine video was very well done and informative. And, it is critical to understand the potential dangers as well as how to use such tools in a healthy and safe manner. But, if we spend too much time on the potential dangers (drowning), then folks will be afraid to learn to use these tools effectively (swim). I totally agree that we can’t be walking around with blinders on. But, we can’t live in fear either. Who knows what the next 15 years will bring, but we need to be ready, present, and participating in the lives of our children and students – their culture. Just think about what parents thought of the hippie movement? Rock ‘n Roll? Jazz, for that matter.
Perhaps Will Richardson’s tone was too out there for those who are just entering in to this conversation. You may have a point there. But, we need to be having these conversations. So, hats off to you for thinking about these issues. Take small steps…. but take them. Big leaps are perhaps not realistic. And, always keep that healthy sense of analysis and caution. But, don’t dwell on drowning or you will never swim with all of the fish out there
paceman2323 // March 14, 2008 at 7:58 am
As far as the drowning comment, that was based more for the parents and not the child. It wasn’t a comment that meant we are drowning in the internet, it was a comment that was meant they we need to take baby step instead of just jumping in. Parents need to watch over their children when they first get on the internet, just as they would hold them when they first entered a pool. Drowning meant kids could get in trouble if they enter information on the internet that could become harmful to both themselves and their families. We need to inform our children of the dangers that can happen around a pool when they can process the information. My son currently has been taking swimming lessons for 2 years. The first year was just getting in the pool and “wading around” with the lifeguard, but as soon as he was ready to go on his own the lifeguard had the talk with him as well as us about the dangers that can happen when you are around a pool if you aren’t careful. Drowning was one of the topics, to me the most important one for my son to learn. I incorporated that into what a child would do on the internet. Sure kids can get on the computer and color, do math questions and even read a story or play with their Webkinz, but when they start to get on the internet by themselves they need to know the dangers. If they aren’t informed they naive, and for that matter so are their parents. When you learn to swim, you don’t just jump in the deep end and start going. Same with the internet, it needs to be a work in progress. I feel that Richardson’s piece was given to an older crowd and that is what it needs to be used for. As far as the video itself, who ever was taping it needed to show what Will was putting or doing on the computer, instead of just showing him typing on it. The one picture shown was a map of who reads his blogs and where they live, to me that visual could have been done without showing it on the screen. I would have gotten much more out of it if they had have shown what he was actually doing on the computer. I am a visual learner, as are many students today, and I missed that from the video.
As far as blinders and fear go, our society is changing ever so rapidly and for me baby steps are just fine. I don’t live in fear of technology, but I would much rather have someone try it before me. If we are too caught up in technology we will miss a lot of important stuff that technology can’t give us and don’t think ever will. Passion, emotion and expression to name a few. So far my computer hasn’t reached out and given me a hug yet. I am perfectly content standing in the water right now watching to see what fish are going to bite and what fish my son can swim with.
Dr. Ransom // March 16, 2008 at 7:42 pm
I agree with your comments about the presentation…. the video didn’t do the resources that he was sharing justice at all. And, of course, we need to be teaching kids healthy and safe use of Internet resources. They are often brash and impulsive and need a great deal of guidance as they struggle toward maturity – in all areas. The Internet is just one more place to guide them. Even if you can send hugs on Facebook, real hugs do mean so much more. It will be interesting to see how culture develops over the next decade.