District Administration - February 2007 - (Page 61)

Warning : session_start : The session id contains invalid characters, valid characters are only a-z, A-Z and 0-9 in /mnt/data/www.nxtbook.com/fx/config_1.3/global.php on line 9 Warning : session_start : Cannot send session cache limiter - headers already sent output started at /mnt/data/www.nxtbook.com/fx/config_1.3/global.php:9 in /mnt/data/www.nxtbook.com/fx/config_1.3/global.php on line 9 Warning : Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by output started at /mnt/data/www.nxtbook.com/fx/config_1.3/global.php:9 in /mnt/data/www.nxtbook.com/fx/config_1.3/global.php on line 10 TheOnlineEdge • hr is Lehmann, principal of the Science Leadership Academy in Philadelphia, had a problem. Some of the students at his ﬁ rst-year public high school had begun using the iChat instant messaging program on their school sponsored laptops in various inappropriate and disruptive ways. Students and teachers at the school were becoming upset by the messages, and, as Lehmann wrote on his Weblog, “we saw a creepi ng loss of a sense of safety” at the school. For many school administrators, what happened next would have been a no-brainer: ﬂ ip a couple of switches and say goodbye to iChat. But Lehmann took another tack, a much messier yet potentially effect ive one: start a conversation, and let the school community work toward a collaborative solution. Leh ma n n is not alone in faci ng these types of issues, brought on in large part by the way recent technologies have facilitated the creation and publication of content and online communication. But in this Web 2.0 world where districts are grappling with everything from Wikipedia to MySpace to YouTube, to about a million other sites where unedited, user-generated content is popping up, what is the best solution? A number of factors are muddyi ng the waters, not the least of which is the extent to which many students have made tools and Web sites like these a part of their daily practice outside of school. A recent Pew Internet and American Life study showed that 87 percent of students ages 12-17 use the Internet, and over half go online on a daily basis. Three-quarters use instant Will Richardson what our students are coming to expect as a way of life: ubiquitous connections. What we risk is “a creeping sense of irrelevance” in their eyes. The reality is that in growing numbers, when our students leave our buildings at the end of the day, they will simply turn on what we have turned off. Who will have taught them to make good decisions and act appropriately in those moments? To Block, or Not to Block Education, not ﬁltering, may be the best answer C When students leave our buildings at the end of the day, they simply turn on what we have turned off. messaging programs like iChat, and an estimated 50 million teens have MySpace accounts. In other words, these tools have become a part of their culture, an expected and effect ive way for them to communicate and learn. Choosing Wisely A s with most other aspects of life, succeeding in the Web 2.0 world is largely about choosing wisely. Yes, there is plenty of risk, and we have to protect our students. But there is also plenty of potential reward by teaching our students responsible use about the content they not only consume but create and share with each other. The students and faculty at the Science Leadership Academy are working through these issues together, with the iChat switch still on. It is not an easy choice, but the students will be better off. DA Will Richardson is a contributing editor of DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION and The Pulse: Education’s Place for Debate, www.districtadministration.com/pulse. U biquitous Connections In addition, the nature of these fastevolving Web technologies is decidedly social and collaborative. Wikipedia is just one example, now boasting over 1.5 million entries in its English version, each of which has been written and revised by anyone with an Internet connection and an inclination to contribute. Being literate, as Wikipedia shows, now means being able to edit as well as read. And as we enter a more and more deeply linked world through cell phones, laptops and other online devices, it’s only going to become more and more difﬁcult to shut off RESOURCES Chris Lehmann’s Weblog Pr ac ticalt heor y.or g / ser endipit y / MySpace M y s p a c e.c o m Pew Internet & American Life Project www.pewinternet.org Science Leadership Academy s ci e n c e l e a d e r s h i p . o r g Wikipedia w ik i p e d i a .o r g YouTube y o u t u b e.c o m www.DistrictAdministration.com February 2007 61 OnlineEdge_207.indd OnlineEdge_207.indd 61 1/17/07 10:34:46 AM Warning : Unknown : The session id contains invalid characters, valid characters are only a-z, A-Z and 0-9 in Unknown on line 0 Warning : Unknown : Failed to write session data files . Please verify that the current setting of session.save_path is correct /var/lib/php/session in Unknown on line 0 http://www.districtadministration.com/pulse http://Practicaltheory.org/serendipity/ http://Myspace.com http://www.pewinternet.org http://scienceleadership.org http://wikipedia.org http://youtube.com http://www.DistrictAdministration.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of District Administration - February 2007

Contents
Editor's Letter
Update
Inside the Law
Curriculum Update
Tackling Health Care Together
Administrator Profile
District Profile
Curriculum Hotspots
New Information Systems Track Student Progress
Students Wanted!
Spread the Word
Mentors Boost Student Reading Levels
The Online Edge
Speaking Out
Research Corner
Problem/Solution
Leadership Books
New Products
Calendar of Events
Professional Opinion

District Administration - February 2007