Educational Technology Bill of Rights for Students
This past week I was going through my Google Reader and catching up on my three favorite ed tech blogs. Cindy Danner-Kuhn had posted about the Educational Technology Bill of Rights for Students. The Educational Technology Bill of Rights for Students post was first made by School Technology Solutions. I read it and it was just one of those WOW moments. After trying to figure out my own feelings about some of the points on the list I thought about this class and want to know what YOU think about the post. I come from a time where we did not have computers in classrooms, only in the lab, and an overhead and VCR were fancy. I did not even have an email address until my senior year of high school. Read the link below and tell me what you think.
Educational Technology Bill of Rights for Students
39 Comments
Angie Richardson
9/3/2012 10:33:52 am
This article was very interesting and definately got me thinking about the rights of students. I agree that teachers need to be knowledgeable and up to date in regards to technology. I also feel that teachers should know what communication tools their students are using on the web but the idea that texting, facebook, and twitter be used in the classroom is inappropriate and has nothing to do with learning. Schools have a legal obligation that I don't think this young author took into account. I would like to see more students like this author. He really researched his thoughts and he had some good ones. I do think that teachers should protect students from technology as well and his point on this was well taken. All students should be free from cyber-bullying, personal attacks, inappropriate sites, etc.
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Michelle Unnerstall
9/3/2012 11:05:10 am
I agree with you on facebook, twitter, etc. I believe they would have to be on a communication site that a teacher could monitor what they are saying. Facebook and twitter have to much other information on it not for children. I have a twitter board in my room that students right on instead to post comments about certian topics instead of online where it is hard to keep track of what they are saying.
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Igor Misljenovic
9/4/2012 03:44:53 am
I've recently read an interesting article on the use of facebook (but it can be applied to other social networks). In my opinion, it shows the other side of the coin for young students who are looking to develop their social skills.
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Lauren Robb
9/6/2012 01:44:19 am
This was an interesting article. Some points I agree with very much. At the begining of the article it said that facebook is making people lonely. I agree. Now a days its hard for some young people to have face to face conversations. They are so use to social media and texting that it can make them lonely.
Angel Massie
9/8/2012 10:44:39 am
Angie, I agree with your position on texting, facebook and twitter being used in the classroom. I teach middle school and I have seen how damaging the drama from the use of these sites unmonitored at home can cause. I understand that schools/teachers should monitor the use, but the fact is, the larger the district, the more difficult monitoring becomes. Schools' legal obligations limit this use for a reason. Students cannot access our wifi without a password. I applaud his passion for teaching technology and I agree with letting students use it freely in ways of digital artifacts and bringing in their own technology to use. I just think the internet can be a powerful tool both positively as well as negativelly and should be monitored carefully with slow release of responsiblity.
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Michelle Unnerstall
9/3/2012 11:02:04 am
This student makes a lot of good reasons to back up what he believes. I think students may use their own personal technology as long as a the parents know that the school is not respobsible if it breaks. Also, websites would be blocked that students are not allowed to go on. I feel like it has pros and cons. It would be hard to make a decision on if students could bring their own computers are not. I guess I am biased because I got to use my own personal computer all throughout high school and now this year my high school students can use Ipads. I would love students to submit digital artifacts. How creative and amazing that would be! Students would be engaged, interested, and I bet I would be amazed with their work! I believe students could use some sort of social media at school or after school. However, it would be a type of social media, such as Edmodo , that was used for talking about education and blogging about those topics. I would not allow twitter or facebook because I think students would get distracted and me also! I am trying to teach with technology and I know it is hard to know how everything works. I want students to interact and learn in the environment that they will someday have a job in! I believe this student’s beliefs are somewhat true to an extent! He has good points!
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Chelsea Loethen
9/5/2012 07:39:43 am
Michelle makes great points about students needing to learn about the environment they are going to be teaching in. If students have a good understanding of technology before they leave high school they will have a better chance of being successful in upper level education.
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Angel Massie
9/8/2012 10:48:54 am
Michelle,
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Igor Misljenovic
9/3/2012 11:19:10 am
I personally like the post as a whole, it shows that young people still have spirit and are willing to work for a better outcome. The fact that the student asks to meet the teacher in the middle, asks to be given the permission to submit the best work possible through the tools that he is familiar with, while at the same time he/she is aware that there are inherit dangers with the use of (any) technology. I think that this is brilliant work by a young thinker.
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Chelsea Loethen
9/5/2012 07:24:24 am
I agree. I think this shows good evidence of how students are still critical thinking and are willing to compromise as well. If we students and teachers work together to find common ground this transfer into technology will be more smooth and productive for everyone as a whole.
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Kristi Harms
9/5/2012 01:06:51 pm
I agree that the author is making very good points in regard to the need to use the most current technology. I don't think educators should stick their heads in the sand and pretend that technology doesn't exist but rather embrace it and teach the benefits and the correct uses for technology. Incorporating technology into the classroom will make our students better prepared and educated about the world they live in and how to manage their information more effectively.
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Becky Rose
9/4/2012 10:39:26 am
Well, the blog was very interesting. The author, an elementary technology teacher, is obviously passionate about his career and serving his students. He has some interesting points; although, I don't believe I agree that K-12 students have these "rights." To me, the word "rights" implies something legally binding!
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Daniel Simmons
9/5/2012 10:25:22 am
I 100% agree Becky. Technology is important in the classroom, but the "rights" may have been to strong of a word. Technology is beneficial to both students and teachers, but it needs to be managed. Abuse of technology is something that is likely to happen, the more that technology becomes part of a classroom. It should only be used for the enhancement of learning. Technology is a nice tool, but as the article states, often times the students know more about using technology than teachers do. Because of this technology still needs to be monitored to ensure that the students focus is on the classroom.
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Kristi Harms
9/5/2012 01:11:32 pm
I agree as well that technology must be managed and used as a resource and learning tool. However to limit a student's learning capacity because the teacher is not up to date with the current technology is not fair to the students. It is the teacher's responsibility to provide the best possible learning environment for their students and that means to be knowledgeable and current with how and what is taught.
Michelle Unnerstall
9/6/2012 11:04:00 am
I agree with Kristi. Students need to be taught with technology some even if their teacher feels confident using it. Technology usually always doesn't work. Then, you problem solve and students problem solve how to fix the problem. Students learn how to problem solve and really think about what to do, which in life is what they will have to do.
Becky Rose
9/9/2012 06:57:17 am
Thanks, Daniel. You captured exactly what I was trying to say but struggled putting into words! My point was that technology needs to be monitored to ensure the students focus on the classroom. If not, teachers may use as much technology as is possible, but the outcome will miss the mark as far as learning is concerned.
Mike Tzianos
9/9/2012 12:05:00 pm
I completely agree with your views about #6 on Mr. Flickinger's list. There is a time and place for when technology should and shouldn't be used inside the classroom, and I think it takes a good teacher to decide when that time is.
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Lauren Noble
9/5/2012 06:04:25 am
In this article there are a few parts that I do agree with and some that I do not. I do agree with how teachers need to stay updated on technology in classrooms. This new generation of students is raised all on technology. I don't agree with using Facebook and twitter in the classrooms because let's be honest, what student is really going to pay attention in class if they're on Facebook checking an assignment? Most likely they'll take one looks and start creeping. I do like the idea of a different social chat room or even for schools to all have blackboard for students to access. I don't really care for the Wikipedia right, just because you never do know if it's the truth. At all the universities I've been to we were never allowed to site Wikipedia as a source.
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Becky Rose
9/9/2012 06:53:09 am
Like you, I feel the same way about Facebook and Twitter. I have a hard time believing students would stay only on a Facebook page for their assignment. I'm afraid they'd quickly be on to other social things - sort of like passing notes in the old days! I think a different social chat platform would be a better way to enjoy the convenience of Facebook without providing too much opportunity for distraction away from the classroom.
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Chelsea Loethen
9/5/2012 07:12:54 am
When I first began reading this article my jaw dropped. The reason for this was because I went to school where many of these "student rights" never would have been granted and I only graduated in 2007. Even graduating then a cell phone got confiscated, social media sites where blocked on all schools computers, only available computers were in labs, we only had 1 smart board, most of my teachers used an overhead, and using social media to post assignments would have been laughed at. Also, in my school district there are a large number of people who still do not have at home computers. After my initial jaw drop on this message I began to think about what if I was in high school now. Those items would be as ridiculous now. I feel like some of them are a bit extreme like the use of social media. I do not feel that assignments should ever be included in that. Not only would that hurt the attention span of students but would extremely eliminate the separation between the privacy of a students personal life and their school life. For example if a teacher posted assignments on twitter then they student would have to follow the teacher and vice versa. This is an interesting article and since I am not a high school teacher I would like to know what some of the teachers in this Blog think about these "Rights."
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Angie Richardson
9/5/2012 07:26:10 am
Did you attend a small highschool? My children attend a rural school with the maximum in their classes being about 14. They do not have many of these technological luxuries at their fingertips either. They do use a computer lab but the idea of everyone having their own computer or Ipad seems inconceivable to me. I often worry that they will fall behind their peers at more "technology saavy" schools.
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Brittanee Jacobs
9/5/2012 11:57:05 am
Angie,
Aaron Schroeder
9/6/2012 01:07:31 pm
Angie, I disagree with Brittanee on this matter (no offense Brittanee). I really did not have technology available when I went to school, certainly not at the level we have today, yet I am required to use this technology for my job and for my education, not only in my undergrad, but right now! Guess what, I'm doing just fine. People will always need to adapt and always need to learn to stay competitive in an ever changing world. This is the way it has always been. When our children graduate, the technology that is available to them as freshmen in college will be inadequate to the technology they will need ten years from their graduation.
Igor Misljenovic
9/8/2012 06:28:13 am
I support Aaron's comment. With internet access becoming available to nearly everyone in the world and the prices of hardware dropping I find it hard to believe kids or adults for that matter, will miss out on education or “fall behind”. If that does happen for an odd reason there will be a way for them to catch up at a time that is convenient for them and the rest of us. Elon Musk described it exceptionally well in my opinion when he said “In terms of the Internet, it's like humanity acquiring a collective nervous system. Whereas previously we were more like a... collection of cells that communicated by diffusion. With the advent of the Internet, it was suddenly like we got a nervous system. It's a hugely impactful thing.”
Daniel Simmons
9/5/2012 10:17:57 am
I believe this article does define how many feel about the relationship between technology and teachers. I do agree that teachers should be up to date on the latest technology that their students are using. Prezi and other presentation sites only make learning more interesting or stimulating. At the least, a teacher should know how to effectively run a smart board, and use microsoft word products. One thing I did not like about this article was the use social media in the classroom. While it may be the " new" form of communication, it is a distraction in the classroom. Teachers and students should only use technology to stimulate learning and assimilate technology and subject matter with everyday life.
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Brittanee Jacobs
9/5/2012 11:53:05 am
Daniel, I completely agree. Technology is so crucial for teachers to hold the attention of students and to increase the enthusiasm in the classroom. I am new to Prezi, but just like in our class this evening, it was much more stimulating than a typical lecture or PowerPoint presentation. And I do believe social media is a distraction in the classroom. I personally use it when I'm bored, and if students are bored, then they are not learning.
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Scot Davis
9/8/2012 01:48:18 am
I agree as well, technology will help keep the attention of the students much better than the alternative. However, the ability to access social media when in the classroom is highly distracting because it does not stimulate learning and it leads to lack of focus from students. I looked into the school that this teacher teaches at as well, and it was very shocking to see what kind of school it is. I would never have dreamed an elementary school has the capabilities and style of learning as the one he teaches for.
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Aaron Schroeder
9/5/2012 11:37:07 am
Here we go. I am going to come across as being "out of touch", or a "stick in the mud" but I have several concerns regarding the "Educational Technology Bill of Rights" by Brad Flickinger.
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Aaron Schroeder
9/5/2012 11:47:21 am
Oops, I should have proof read. There are some typos in there. Maybe I should look at number 8 again. :)
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Angie Richardson
9/6/2012 12:17:26 pm
Aaron, you really have a way with words. In many instances you read my mind. In regards to #5/6, so many of us (often times myself) have put too much time and effort into social media sites such as facebook. I think it is important to remember that these sites are a hobby or "fun thing" and not a necessity especially within the classroom.
Brittanee Jacobs
9/5/2012 11:49:44 am
1. Students should be able to bring laptops, iPads, etc. when working on assignments which require technology--especially if the technology of the student is more advanced than what the school has to offer. I'll get to cell phones later.
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Lauren Robb
9/6/2012 01:18:22 am
I agree with your thoughts on each right. Social media is definitely a distraction. I believe using their labtops or Ipads would be acceptable as long as they use them for educational purposes. I think technology is so useful in the classroom and students have every right to use it as long as it is for learning and understanding.
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Mike Tzianos
9/9/2012 11:54:59 am
I liked your #5 Brittanee. I have the same feelings about using social media in the classroom. It should be used outside of the classroom.
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Kristi Harms
9/5/2012 12:59:33 pm
I found the blog very interesting and enlightening as to the potential student perspective/voice. I think educators need to meet their students at their level and if that means using and incorporating the technology that students are familiar with and that they use on a daily basis then that is where the teacher needs to be educated and knowledgeable. As discussed in earlier blogs and as a general rule, I think the use of technology has to be managed and it is the teacher's responsibility to ensure that technology is used in a productive manner and as a meaningful tool and resource. Teachers need to be aware of and knowledgeable in the latest technology to ensure that they are teaching in a "real world" environment so that students are prepared when they graduate and must make real world decisions.
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Lauren Robb
9/6/2012 12:59:05 am
These "student rights" are very different from any rights I ever had in school. I only graduated high school in 2008 but still we never had rights like these. Our cell phones were pretty much outlawed in the classroom and would get taken away if a teacher saw us using them. I remember on the library computers facebook was blocked and I'm sure twitter was too even though I probably didn't know what twitter was back then. Also the "right " about wickipedia made me smile. I really remember teachers saying never to use that site and how you can't trust anything on it. However, today I use it pretty frequently. Overall, I like these rights. I think teachers need to keep up with the technology of today and be aware of how much more it can help in the classroom rather than hurt.
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Scot Davis
9/8/2012 01:36:55 am
I am in the same boat as you. We could have been given a detention if we were caught with our phones, but normally it was just taken away from us. I did not use the schools computers too much, but all the social media sites were typically blocked from us being able to use them while at school. Wikipedia used to be pretty bad back we were in high school; however, I believe now it is very reliable, especially since where it used to be. I use it nearly daily when I am searching a specific thing.
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Scot Davis
9/6/2012 02:29:20 am
I completely agree that teachers should be up-to-date on technology and know how to effectively teach using it properly. We do live in the 21st century and it makes perfect sense that students should be capable of using computers and technology because most desired careers require the usage of it. However, I do not believe that students should be able to access social media when they are at school because it is very distracting. I have been sucked into social media when I am in class and I have also been completely taken away by a computer game while I am meant to be paying attention. I do not have a problem with a student bringing his/her computer to school, but I feel that the time to use it should be regulated because even if certain websites are blocked by the school's internet, they can still have games downloaded onto their computers. Also, if you allow students to bring their laptops or iPads, students who do not have these options should have the right to access a computer before or after school. Because the effectiveness of allowing computers to be brought into school would be to use it to teach, and I feel that every student should have the equal chance to access a computer. Also, I use Wikipedia for many of my questions about a certain thing and I love it.
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Angel Massie
9/8/2012 10:39:07 am
I agree with many of the points Mr. Flinkinger made in his "Bill of Rights" however, as a teacher AND a mother, I found part of #9 a little hard to swollow. I do NOT meet my son in the middle when his safety is concerned. I do not think that most high school, middle school, and elementary students have the cognative ability to understand what is safe, who to trust and realize the dangers of merely posting one tiny piece of information can put them in. I believe that even the most trustworthy student could have the tendancy to trust the wrong person or push bounderies.
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Mike Tzianos
9/9/2012 11:43:41 am
I am sort of indifferent about Mr. Flickinger's thoughts about students technological rights in the classroom. Technology has grown tremendously over the past decade, but that doesn't mean that all of it is appropriate in the classroom. I don't think that students should be able to use their own technology at school. I feel that what students are provided will suffice. Social media networks should not be implemented in the classroom. I feel that social media would get "out of hand" in an educational setting. Don't get me wrong, it is a great tool, but for social purposes only. Mr. Flickinger states that, "Teachers and schools should take advantage of this and post announcements and assignments using social media — you will get better results." You know what maybe he is right, but I feel that that it can take away from students just being responsible. Write the assignments and announcements down on a piece of paper. Maybe I'm to old school, but I would still much rather call or talk to someone in person, than text or email. However, Mr. Flickinger makes some excellent points in his blog. I have never really had a problem with using Wikipedia as a source, or at least getting a few useful tips from the sight. I also, liked what Mr. Flickinger said in #6. Teachers should, "know how to manage the use of technology in their classrooms." It is very important to teach students when to use technology, and when to just go to the library and look it up.
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Class BlogThis blog is for class conversations for Ed 514 at Central Methodist University. We invite input form other teachers about how they use technology in their classrooms. Archives
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