Journal #3 - Keeping the Peace IV, V

Levinson, M. (2010). Keeping the peace. Learning and Leading with Technology, 37(5), Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=February_No_5_4&Template=/MembersOnly.cfm&NavMenuID=4495&ContentID=25237&DirectListComboInd=D

            Michael Bugeja noted that parents see technology as information and communication whereas their children see technology as entertainment and a way of socializing. A middle school launched a one-to-one laptop program, which soon became an issue for parents, teachers, and students. There was a disconnect between students, parents, and teachers about the appropriate use of technology at home and at school. The district had to look hard at the pros and cons of IM and eventually banned it.

            Many parents grew increasing alarmed and did not know how to engage their children in conversation around the appropriate use of this technology at home. One teacher also refused to use the laptops in her class because she wanted her students to focus. Some teachers and parents felt that there needed to be more restrictions on the use of technology both in the classroom and at home while others felt it was a good choice to teach children about technology and how to properly use it.

            The school had to make a decision and much to the dismay of many, they decided to block iChat on the school laptops. Students and parents commented on the schools decision. The situation had turned into an issue of freedom of speech but from the school’s perspective, the academic purpose of the laptops had disappeared into a vortex of social networking, especially when it was occurring during the school day. Respect for parents’ ability to make these decisions in their own homes factored into their choice to block iChat.           

            There were moments where the school asked themselves why they ever embarked on this laptop program. Several steps are now in place to prepare everyone in advance for the introduction of new technologies. Adults and children view technology differently, and schools need to figure out how to manage this cultural divide. At the start of each new school year, there is what the school calls boot-up camp, where children attend three mini-workshops that focus on the issues of physical care, guidelines for appropriate use and ethnics. The goal of boot-up camp is to bring together the key constituencies – students, teachers, and parents – to get the community on the same page about laptop learning.

How as a parent would I feel about the choice to ban iChat?

            As a parent I would not want my child to use iChat during the school hours because iChat takes away from learning. At home I don’t mind my children using iChat but that is because I would monitor the amount of time that they used the computer and would keep the computer in a family area so that my children would have a hard time doing something that I would not find appropriate on the computer.

How would I have managed the choice of banning iChat?

            I would have done exactly what the school chose to do in the end. I feel that iChat is not something that children need on a school computer. If they want to use iChat, then it needs to be okay with the parents and on their own personal computer. School computers need to be used only for the purpose of learning and not for any other reason. Parents and students can get personal computers for their own home use if they want to.