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Hello, all. Thanks to all of you who shared your thoughts about Internet recess and computer games in the library. I'm including all the responses here, and there were a wide range of ideas and reactions. It's clear that we've all wrestled with this one at one time or another. I have shared your ideas with my district, and I have gained several ideas that I think will help my situation this year. My apologies for the length of this post, but I didn't want to leave anything out. ****Answers to my first question, about how you control "Internet recess" in the library:**** Sounds to me like your district made the common mistake of getting the computers before you knew what you were going to do with them. That said, let's see what you can do to help the situation. First of all, don't think that anything you can do (short of removing all computers) will eliminate all inappropriate or unnecessary Internet activities. However, by having some good policies in place AND ENFORCED CONSISTENTLY you will cut down on the nonsense. I'd suggest that you might want to limit personal email to before and after school. That will keep the computers free during the day for school work. Teachers need to keep students in class unless there is a good reason for the student to go elsewhere. Sending a kid to the library to play on the computer because the kid is finished is not a good reason. If someone is done with the current assignment before everyone else, send them to the library to do something else - find information on some topic, get a picture for something, etc. Whatever the reason, it needs to be on the pass so that you know why that kid is there. We do not permit students to skip lunch to come to the library, even though I'm right across the hall from the cafeteria. If someone doesn't want to eat with the class, fine, but they still STAY with the class. I think you see what I'm getting at. Teachers need to be teaching and challenging ALL their students, not just a few. Almost all textbooks these days have lots of enrichment activities planned, so teachers just have to pick something and assign it. I would also suggest using the Big6 or similar model to actually PLAN the work, rather that just running to the computer first. Hope this helps. ************ :-) I first used the phrase "Internet recess" back in 2002 and could not be more :pleased to see others using this phrase. This is especially helpful now, because :my primary focus is on cyberbullying -- which I believe is occurring through :school Internet systems and which raises concerns of liability. Some thoughts on addressing Internet recess: The foundation to addressing Internet recess is professional and curriculum development to ensure that all teachers can effectively lead kids in the use of the Internet for exciting, high-quality learning activities. (Said this back in 2002 also.) So here are some tests to see where you are on this: Who is managing your professional development for teachers in the use of technology? Your computer services folks or curriculum and instruction department? While there will always be a role for computer services folks to provide training on new software applications, the professional development activities related to the instructional use of technology should be coordinated through your curriculum and instruction department. Does your curriculum planning address the effective use of instructional technology integrated into other curriculum activities? ie. Use of outlining, word processing, and Powerpoint as an instructional objective under language arts, use of Internet and other online information resources to conduct scientific research. Or are your technology curriculum goals still separate and do they look more like technical skills training? [While we are on the systemic issues, who is managing the development of your Internet use policy? The computer services folks or your safe school committee? The MAJOR concern you need to be paying attention to with respect to student misuse of the Internet is misuse for cyberbullying. Your safe schools committee should be in charge of all issues related to student behavior, including Internet use. But, this obviously presents a major concern because many times, these folks have very limited understanding of how the Internet works and what the concerns are, so teachers who are competent Internet users, librarians, and computer services folks need to work with the safe schools committee. (Big Hint for librarians who are frustrated with illogical actions of computer services folks -- here is your chance for better influence.)] Having an Internet use policy that limits non-educational use is also important. But this raises a concern. Just as student should be free to explore the library looking for resources on subjects they have a personal interest in, so should students be allowed to explore the Internet looking for high quality information about subjects they are interested in, but are not currently studying. For a long time, I have been recommending separate standards for the\acceptability of online activities: Totally prohibited: porn, prurient, adults only, advocating illegal. Restricted: Potentially controversial material, such as a hate site, that is accessed only by older students in the context of specific learning activity under the guidance of a teacher with permission (opt out) by parents. (How are they going to learn about online hate and how to recognize and avoid it if they do not look at it?) Limited Access: Material that could be considered non-educational or entertainment, that can be accessed in the context of a specific instructional activity (creative teachers can use "non-educational" sites for highly creative learning activities) or for limited periods of time that the school or a teacher may choose to designate as "open access." Personal high quality research: Research of subjects that may not be currently covered in a class. This should be considered "educational use" just as reading a book or a magazine in the library would. The standard to enunciate for this kind of activity for students could be that if they are looking for information that is of the same kind and quality as information found in the library, this is considered to be personal high quality research. Class-related: Research or activities that are tied to specific instructional activities assigned by a teacher. You may note that in this list, I am placing much more control over what students can and cannot access on teachers and librarians than on filtering told implemented by the computer services folks. The only kinds of sites that should be blocked by a filter are the categories that clearly include the totally prohibited sites. The next step is to include this list in the Internet use policy. The next steps are management. I have long advocated the use of "safe gardens" approach for elementary students -- limiting their access to pre-reviewed sites at the primary level, with some more open access with specific instruction on how to avoid accessing inappropriate material for intermediate students. By the time students are in middle school, I highly recommend the use of an intelligent content monitoring system -- a system that can review all Internet use and will report on instances of use that are suspected to be in violation of the district policy. Once this is established and the students know how it works, they will be significantly less inclined to engage in inappropriate activities. To get students thinking (always a goal) about what they are doing, you might consider some sort of computer check-in process in any open lab environment. The students would be required to sign in and note briefly the purpose of their Internet use: Time in -- Student name -- Instructional activity or personal research objective Just some thoughts. ****************** The results of this study provide ample insight into the concern of too much Internet recess: COMPUTERS IN SCHOOLS, BUT NOT ALWAYS FOR TEACHING A new study indicates that computer usage by U.S. schoolteachers is rising, though technology is more frequently used for administrative purposes than for teaching. The study, conducted by Scholastic subsidiary Quality Education Data, found that 70 percent of teachers communicate with parents using e-mail and that a majority use computers for tasks such as attendance, according to CDW Government. Just 54 percent said they have incorporated technology into their teaching, and more of those who use technology in teaching are at the elementary level than in middle or high schools. Teaching with technology appears to be correlated with training: 85 percent of respondents said they have received training in applications such as the Internet, word processing, and e-mail, while 27 percent said they have had little or no instruction in how to include computers in their teaching. CNET, 29 August 2005 http://news.com.com/2100-1032_3-5844057.html ***************************** Hi, Robbin, One thing you might look into is getting NetOps or something similar (our technology coordinator tells me there may be some shareware available that is similar), which can be used both to monitor computer screens and to teach. It gives you the ability to control your students' screens. Also, having a strict acceptable use policy that has clear consequences will help a lot. Both our students and their parents sign. The first infraction brings a week banned from computer use; the second two weeks, with a note to parents; and so on. It's been very effective. One thing that I think would help me in my situation is a U-shaped computer configuration. Right now, our library computers are in two double rows, meaning that it's difficult to see what's happening from one side or the other. I hope this helps. **************** I have come up with a solution to this problem. By choosing a library theme each week, we incorporate a changing display of books and also post appropriate websites related to that theme. A month of themes are posted at one time by typing the month in BOLD LETTERS at the top, then each week with that theme listed next. These are xeroxed onto a transparency and this is taped onto the top of each computer monitor. It hangs in front of each monitor each morning as a reminder. Then it is flipped up over the internet throughout the day. A few weekly themes last year were: Famous Persons, Crafts and Hobbies, Substance Abuse/Drugs, Wildlife, Sports, New Technology, Presidents, Poetry, World Cultures, Fast Food Facts, Music, etc. About 5 great websites are listed for each weekly theme, typed up, xeroxed, and taped onto each CPU. Students can come in before school and lunch, etc., and practice their researching skills by using these websites. We try to pick websites which have activities on them and info that would be of interest to a junior high student. So far, so good. We tell them we are not a video arcade but we do want them to use the computers so this is how they can utilize them. This year I will incorporate one week per month of some kind of character education theme such as responsibility, courage, etc. ************************ Dear Robbin The first thing you need to have is a clear Acceptable Use Policy that all parents must sign before their child can access the Internet. Our policy is at http://www.palmdps.act.edu.au/info_docs/aup.htm I don't believe that an opt-out only policy is sufficient in this circumstance(where the parents only have to sign if they don't want their child using the Internet) because you really need the parents to know what it includes and the consequences for breaches if you have to invoke it. It might be less administrative work but when the crunch comes, and it will, the parent can't argue against something they have signed. Here, all parents of students under 18 have to sign it; those over 18 can sign for themselves. Next, you have to have an explicit instruction session where students are made aware of the contents of the policy so they know what constitutes unacceptable use and the consequences of breaches. This needs to be done each year. Make sure students are aware that you can track every page and site they go to, and every email they send even if they are using their own username and password. Encourage students to come and tell you if someone is off-base so you can investigate. You also have to staff your labs so that student use can be monitored, again to cover yourself if anything happens. Some do this through the layout of the lab ensuring all screens are visible and having a teacher physically present, others do it through some sort of video monitoring system. Here, because of our duty of care regs, which may be different to yours, we have to have a staff member physically present in the lab whenever students are using them. Set up a page on your school site that has links to pre-approved sites that they can go to for games or whatever - don't let them rely on Google. Also, set up pages of links that support their studies - I see this as one of the most important parts of my collection development. But include explicit, specific lessons on searching the Net efficiently and effectively in your program. Teach them the difference between content and ads - young children can't tell - and investigate some sort of filter program like Content Keeper that blocks these. No doubt others will have other suggestions, but these have worked for us in the elementary sector for 10 years. We have only had one breach, and because of the policy that the parent had signed, they had to agree to the consequences, which was being banned from all school-based computer use for a term. The boys are really finding out how much this affects them because they are expected to do the work at home to keep up. ********************************** ****Answers to my second question: how do you draw the line between games and educational websites that looks like games (or includes non-educational games on the same site):**** Yes, there is more and more of a gray area. Basically, if a kid is in the library on his/her own and caught playing any kind of game, they're ousted for a period of time--we're only lenient when we truly think a student is ignorant. Occasionally, a teacher will bring a class in and go to some kind of game-looking site and that's ok. My assistant thinks computer games are actually addictive for some people (she herself claiming she was at one point addicted). Those students who are caught more than once do seem to have a hard time staying away from what they know is illegal. I'm waiting to have NetOps or something similar installed on my computer. I think students knowing I have such a thing may also lessen the infractions, although, no, I don't relish the role of computer police! ********************* I solved some of my problem by creating a library website with lots of good things for students to do. I have an ezines page that also incorporates some gaming. I also have an extensive collection of websites arranged by Dewey #s that kids can access. Kids know that they can go to any of those sites, but if I catch them on one that's not "approved" (not linked from my page) then they lose their computer privileges. And no one's allowed to have the sound on unless they use headphones (and many of them bring them from home). Here's the link to my ezines page http://cfbstaff.cfbisd.edu/librarybush/Ezines.html and to my DeweyLinks http://cfbstaff.cfbisd.edu/paciottib/deweylinks/index.htm ***************************** this has always been a tough one. I tend to allow games- not shooting or role playing- at lunch. after all, lunch is a break time. I tried limiting it to homework only but it didn't work- I was policing like crazy and the computers were not being used and those that wanted to play games only saw empty computers. So I decided to let them go for it. It's been no problem. I make a list of acceptable sites and they can go to any of those sites. I include 'educational' games also. If anyone want to do homeowrk on the computers, someone playing games has to give it up. it's really been no problem. Once I gave up on the adult 'ought to's about the the whole thing!! ******************************* You are right ... the challenge is that the overlap between recreational and educational games is large .... some people will argue that ALL games have some educational value (problem solving/keyboard skills etc.) Have a look at the page http://www.shambles.net/games/ You'll find links to advice, policy and research on this topic. Hope this helps (look forward to a HIT) ****************************** The only games I allowed students to play in the computer lab were those which were specifically assigned by a teacher. That was the only way I could handle the games which students discovered on their own and advocated. *************************** Hello-- I have a "no games" policy, but otherwise it's difficult to argue that someone's interest in shoe shopping is less valid than someone else's interest in a sports team. I'll be interested in what you find out. *************************** Thanks again for all the thoughtful responses, Robbin Price, Librarian Tillicum Middle School Bellevue School District Bellevue, WA 98006 (425) 957-9081 pricer@bsd405.org -------------------------------------------------------------------- Please note: All LM_NET postings are protected by copyright law. You can prevent most e-mail filters from deleting LM_NET postings by adding LM_NET@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU to your e-mail address book. 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