Received: from dns1.epcc.edu (dns1.epcc.edu [208.136.233.3]) by literacy.nifl.gov (8.10.2/8.10.2) with ESMTP id e66Etsv27434 for <nifl-technology@nifl.gov>; Thu, 6 Jul 2000 10:55:54 -0400 (EDT) Received: from epcc.edu (nmail.epcc.edu [208.136.233.6]) by dns1.epcc.edu (8.8.6 (PHNE_17190)/8.8.6) with SMTP id IAA29700 for <nifl-technology@nifl.gov>; Thu, 6 Jul 2000 08:55:56 -0600 (MDT) Received: from EPCC-Message_Server by epcc.edu with Novell_GroupWise; Thu, 06 Jul 2000 08:52:52 -0600 Message-Id: <s96448e4.014@epcc.edu> X-Mailer: Novell GroupWise 5.5.3 Date: Thu, 06 Jul 2000 08:52:07 -0600 From: "Andres Muro" <andresm@epcc.edu> To: <shawnusha@earthlink.net>, <nifl-technology@literacy.nifl.gov>, <nifl-technology@nifl.gov> Subject: Re: [NIFL-TECHNOLOGY:1147] regulating internet use Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-Disposition: inline Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit X-MIME-Autoconverted: from quoted-printable to 8bit by literacy.nifl.gov id e66Etsv27434 Status: O Content-Length: 2653 Lines: 29 We had a similar problem in our program. I think that using chat rooms and surfing the web are didactic activities and part of a learning process. Furthermore, for poor students, who may not have access to the internet, the lab is the only opportunity to explore some of these activities. We talk about creating opportunities for students to learn computers, and then we take those opportunities away because they are not following very specific instructions. That is not teaching or creating learning opportunities. That is restricting learning. In our program we had an incident with students going to pornographic websites. The problem was that other students and lab assistants felt sexually harassed. I feel that we should not restrict adults from exploring anything that they want, but at the same time we had to protect people from seeing things that they didn't want to see. We decided to let the students explore the issue and propose solutions to this. We constructed this as a language activity where the students had to get into groups and present plans to address the issue and discuss them with other students. We had several classes getting together and discussing this. The students came up with policies for computer use, and we didn't have to limit internet access. Plus, the people that were visiting pornographic websites realized the problem with this, and the haven't done this anymore. Andres >>> shawnusha@earthlink.net 07/05/00 11:41PM >>> Hi; I've just had a depressing day after returning from a short vacation. All Internet browsing and email software has been removed from the computers in my ABE/GED classroom because of students abuse of Internet access. A teacher in a different session has had difficulties monitoring and controlling the students browsing adult sites and spending time in chat rooms. The Administrators making this decision are very supportive of technology. It is very ironic that a school recently wired with a fiber optic system has Internet access denied to students. While this is a problem limited this to this teacher, I know from previous interactions that addressing this as a training of that teacher will not work. Yes, I feel it is unfair that all should suffer because on one staff member's unmoveable barrier to improving their lack of skills. Once I recover from how upsetting this, I would to rationally approach to the administrators involved and get access back. My instinct is telling me is that unless I present some pretty convincing way of foolproofing Internet access so it is restricted to educational activities I will not get it back. Any suggestions? Shawn Usha
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