Written by I teach a research design course to a group of doctoral students in a local middle school. I wanted to demonstrate Google Docs to them and encourage them to use it since they’re working in small groups on a research project. 4 people, 1 report; perfect situation for Google Docs. But, sure enough, when I went to demonstrate it during class…denied/blocked. One of my students asked her IT dept. why. She was told that Google Docs is blocked because “it is an online file sharing service that is outside the district and on the web…We have to be careful to protect student data and information, and cannot do so outside the confines of the [district abbreviations] domain.”
Really? If a student created a “work product” with Google Docs, it would only be visible to invitees unless the student publishes the work to the web. I guess that’s potentially a problem, but how is that different from posting student art work all over the school or around the community? In the university building in which I work, there are paintings on the walls all done by local school children with their names, grades and school names.
Believe me, I understand privacy concerns. I do. But, isn’t this a case of throwing the baby out with the bath water? Don’t the potential benefits to students and especially teachers and administrators strongly outweigh the costs? Isn’t there a more sensible approach here?
Is there any difference between students using Google Docs and using WikiSpaces? Thankfully, our Intermediate Unit (who controls our filters) allows Google Docs, and I’ve been suggesting it’s use more and more recently.
Our Disney trip itinerary (for the music dept) has been emailed, edited, emailed, edited, email…bah! You get the point. How nice would it be to give the directors and travel agents all the invite to contribute to the Google Doc!
There is a better way.
I wouldn’t be surprised if WikiSpaces is blocked too. I couldn’t access my Bloglines account there either. How would I learn if I were an employee there?
The reason given (excuse) sounds like a generic boilerplate answer. I’m not the school law professor, but don’t the kids have the (copy)right to their own work done in school?
We have begun investigating and using Google Apps for Education. I haven’t tested or found out what kind of control I might have as an administrator over student accounts.
At any rate, I wrote on a similar topic as I was leaving work today.
While this doesn’t address the larger concern I mention myself, if I was in that school district, I’d ask the IT department:
“Who is this filter for? Me? Or the kids?”
Jon – The students might be able to talk with one another without teacher supervision and plot to overthrow the school if they aren’t blocked out of google docs. (tongue in cheek humor) I was lucky and the It types are more reasonable where I teach (thank you Luke & Craig) But it is simply about who has the power and control, not about good pedagogy or allowing professionals (us teachers) to use the appropriate tools to ensure that our students are prepared for their future.
Harold
The truth is, if you have teachers posting things they shouldn’t, then you’ve got a much larger problem. If we are trusting teachers to teach and interact with students, then we have to be able to trust them to use the Internet responsibly.
Blocking any site that a teacher could possibly misuse only punishes teachers who would use those sites effectively and appropriately to teach. Teachers who are going to misuse websites will always find a way to do it.
That’s a good point, and I agree, Dave. I think the real concern here, however, is about students publishing work products to the Web. And, to John Hendron’s point, I don’t know if students can “waive” their FERPA rights by publishing something to the Web and opening it to the public. This school law professor needs to look that up…
Sometimes the excuse of privacy helps people who are change averse justify their stagnation. I hear the security concerns all the time from administrators who don’t want to change. I always share with them my fear of being sexually harassed by the fax machine.
Those fax machines can be cheeky.
I like the way the article is been organised with such important information, i would like to thank the author for the posting.