Alas, went to work during my hols again today and of course, all social networking sites are blocked to staff, regardless of position in the school. I will request that Twitter is unblocked – and Facebook, but suspect my request will be denied. We are so starved of information about the changes that will take place in schools – laptop and wireless networking rollout – that a few more people on Twitter from DET may help us all understand what is actually going on.
Ira Socol
This always amazes me: Let’s not teach, let’s censor. On the blog of an online friend, I recently talked about how cultural institutions were outdating themselves – http://museumtwo.blogspot.com/2008/07/museums-and-libraries-in-21st-century.html – of course schools are leading that race to the bottom.
darcymoore
Yes, it is paranoia more than anything else and ‘child protection’ from the ‘evil’ of the internet is the prime consideration where social networking sites are concerned. dinosaur media has a vested interest in fanning the flames…
I agree 100% with the ‘not there yet’ slogan.
Tony Searl
I hear your frustration Darcy.
My latest DET filter experience was for them to UNBLOCK my teaching wiki after repeated requests to do so.
http://tsearl.edublogs.org/2008/07/13/is-det-nsw-really-listening/
It took a while but the DET filter meisters did eventually listen. No such luck yet with them unblocking any video media, even my teachertube Vietnam video, I Was Only 19, is still blocked.
My frustration is still there with DET.
Have you had your connected classroom installed yet? I am keen to connect with other DET schools on this project.
darcymoore
We await our ‘connected classroom’ in term 3 (see post at your blog)
http://www.teachertube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=77dd10e20cfc5d140221
Thanks to Tony for this one.
kellimcgraw
I am keen to run a petition during the ETA Annual Conference, calling for the internet be completely unblocked for teachers. Blocking teacher access is not a child protection issue! And as an English teacher wanting to explore new media as text in my classroom, yes I do need access to Facebook and Myspace.
I’m then going to take the petition and move at the ETA AGM that the ETA lobby the DET to unblock the internet for teachers.
Thoughts?
darcymoore
Lets do it!
Emma Le M
At the annual national conference this year, I was dazzled by what was available to Queensland teachers. They all have a det provided wiki for their classes. And we can’t even get wikis unblocked properly!
My blog was unblocked on request, but most of the material is still blocked and students can’t contribute to it at school. Always appreciated when teaching in a disadvantaged area!
darcymoore
I keep hearing about what’s in development – blogs, wikis and MySpace clone – but it has been a long time coming and not here yet.
My DailyLit email today started with the following passage from an article written in 2006 by Richard Waters, “From Japanese girls texting their friends to the BlackBerry-armed executive, it’s now who you are connected to, not who you know. But does this mean greater freedom or loss of control?”
I think the availability of wireless broadband means we are all connected and that is definitely a ‘loss of control’ for school systems struggling to free themselves of an industrial narrative (and a fiscal nightmare). Add the short term political challenges of the perceived threat posed by the internet – and we have stagnation. Perhaps that is about to change though as tipping point is reached and wveryone just knows the paradigm has changed and we need to transform to succeed.
darcymoore
http://kellimcgraw.wordpress.com/2008/09/30/do-you-know-how-to-get-a-website-unblocked/#comment-123
Kelli’s strategy is a good one.