Welcome back to Web 1.0
Today’s day at work had some stress and strife associated with it; I don’t necessarily understand all the reasoning for me getting uptight, but it gave me an experience of working as some others do.
Today our ISP at work added their own filter which blocked some of our websites folks were trying to get to. Our ISP, is the county. We went into an agreement with them last year to share an Internet connection and save money.
Today they were testing out their own filter, and instead of just affecting the county offices, it affected everyone. Suddenly, folks started freaking out, e-mailing and calling me, wondering what was going on.
Then it hit me: this is what it must feel like at some other schools! No YouTube! No blogs! No wikis! No Google Docs & Spreadsheets! Phew. Welcome back to Web 1.0.
All the sites I needed were quickly unblocked, and the county was very accommodating by letting us “whitelist” sites we needed to use. But that hour or so when we didn’t know what was going on and panic set in, was very educational.
So what does that do for a school or district where… they go to a conference, or read a blog at home, or get a book on using Read/Write tools in the classroom, and they can’t do it at work? Does that encourage innovation in teaching?
I wrote to a colleague today in another district about their laptops being “locked down.” I asked the same question… if the tools you use can’t be innovative, then what’s the impetus for innovating (i.e., improving, changing, differentiating) your instructional habits?
We have our debates too, like other places, I’m sure, about what’s “instructional” and what’s not. Oh well, it’s after hours, time to relax, and to learn from what caused us stress.
April 1st, 2008 at 8:32 pm
As the principal I usually don’t get out too much to the far stretches of our hallways. This week I’ve been guest lecturing in an econ class about my former life as a commodity trader. I put up a blog with some embedded videos. I now discover that our connectivity is so crappy that the videos take five minutes to load. No one has ever complained. I don’t get it. Then i find our we block youtube. Why? I don’t get it. Looks like I’ll be having some talks with IT.
April 1st, 2008 at 9:27 pm
John, tried to demonstrate Google Docs to a class of grad students today in a nearby county (let’s just say it rhymes with Manover). Not only had none of the students ever heard of Google Docs, but when I tried to call it up to demonstrate…blocked. Bloglines…blocked. Harumph.
April 2nd, 2008 at 5:40 am
I know some of the good folks at Manover.
I think the psychological impact of not being able to use all that potential might be profound. I hear from some folks in a county farther away (rhymes with Phenrico) where folks tell me the non-instructional department dictates what folks have access to.
That’s precisely the feeling I encountered today.
I think the struggle between openness and protection vs. security in schools is one that is far from over; it might get worse before it gets better… and it will only likely hold us back as a state/country by the time we figure out workable solutions from all perspectives for the large majority of learners.
April 2nd, 2008 at 10:00 am
Phenrico. Sounds familiar, so does the situation- only without the happy resolution part.
It’s certainly an awful feeling to have teaching and learning constrained by people who know nothing of either under the ominous threat of security. I also find it interesting how vague the idea of security has become. It now basically seems to mean preventing any kind of un-moderated communication.
I think you’re right. It’s likely to get worse before it gets better. The community is too willing to believe the worst, thanks to a mix of ignorance (not in a bad way) and deliberate media manipulation.
My main goal (before I left my last position) was to really work on the PR component. To get the word out to parents about the good, the possibilities, the opportunities and to show the truth about the “dangers.”
I’d like to get the chance to do that properly some day.