Talk, Don't Block

"How do you make sure that all of your students are using your class set of computers appropriately? I don't know that I could trust my students to do that!" 

The short answer?  We constantly have conversations about appropriate use.

This was not always the case. In my former position, I was in a district that made it difficult to have these important conversations in a real context. I taught digital citizenship lessons, discussing appropriate use of technology, but it didn't have as much meaning as it could have. 

Technologies like the chat feature in Google Apps, Thinglink, YouTube, they were all blocked. I get it. It's easy. If students are blocked from using technology that they can potentially use inappropriately, then there will be no instances of students using the technology inappropriately. AT SCHOOL.

The reality is that students are using these same technologies at home, outside of the school environment. When will students learn how to appropriately use these tools? From parents, is the hope. But when we, educators, are charged with teaching children the skills needed to live in our ever changing society, we can't hope someone else is doing the teaching.

When technologies are opened for students, within the parameters of laws, students and teachers can learn appropriate use through the actual use of the technologies. In my first 10 weeks of school in my new position, where the very same technologies are open, my students and I have had such rich conversation about appropriate use.

When students downloaded current Top 40 music from YouTube for a class project, it gave me the perfect opportunity to discuss copyright and ethical use of media. We discussed how we could purchase the same music in iTunes, but if we wanted to use it in published projects we would have to get permission. We also talked about why a song you would have to purchase, is on YouTube for free. And, just because there is a website that helps you convert YouTube URLs into downloadable files, doesn't necessarily mean it is legal.  Do you realize the learning that happened for my students because it was within a real context?

Currently, I have students who are using the chat feature in Google Apps to chat with students in other classes. This can be considered off task behavior of both students. Some may say to turn that feature off, but I love using that feature when working with students in their Google Apps. The answer? Talk about how when they are chatting with students from other classes, it is an inappropriate use of the tool. Explain why they should use it appropriately. This sets the expectation and solidifies the learning, which is how I have handled this situation.

We need to talk, not block. Give students real contexts for learning appropriate use of technology.