I do remember one time at school I was looking for information on sharks (I forget way), and the first site I tried was blocked because it was apparently a porn site. It got reported and I got detention, they never asked me why I'd attempt to find porn by entering 'sharks' into google.
But really, if it was important for our work then it was either not blocked or the teacher unblocked it beforehand. If you want to waste time on the internet, do it at home.
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Comic Talk and General Discussion *
School blocking sites... Bad... or for our own good...
And as far as socializing, etc., yeah okay that's a valid point when I read that in context of elementary or middle schools, but I think if a high schooler chooses to spend time on computers during his lunch break, go ahead. Like I mentioned before, if the computers are on anyway it wouldn't actually make a difference.
Actually I think socialization is equally important (if not more so) in high school. Maybe it's the school I'm teaching in right now that's shaping my opinion but some high school students have terrible social skills. Even a LAN gaming club is a socialization opportunity. It isn't an isolated activity.
For me, I like the idea of having blocks on at all times and having school computers designated for academic use only at all times. Sure it may be lunch time and sure you don't have to socialize. However I found in my experience that if you give an inch, some students take a mile. There are also students who benefit from firm and clear rules. The computer's intended use should be for academics and educational purposes. It shouldn't be "academics unless you're relaxing."
Added to that are the practical reasons involved. Who wants to be the teacher who has to come in to turn off the web blocking, then come back before lunch ends to kick the students off the computers and turn on web blocking? Have you ever tried to kick a student off a computer while they're playing games? I have and it's not fun. Instead of teaching, I become the Internet police.
I know I sound a bit on the ranting side but it's almost 3 AM and God I'm so utterly disappointed at my class (and utterly tired.) I am a teacher, not the Internet police. I should not have to waste my time kicking them off Facebook/YouTube/whatever just to get them to do their job. So now I've pulled my class out of the computer lab indefinitely. If they cannot work responsibly on the computers, then they will have to work without computers. The computers are a privilege and a resource, not a right.
Actually I think socialization is equally important (if not more so) in high school. Maybe it's the school I'm teaching in right now that's shaping my opinion but some high school students have terrible social skills. Even a LAN gaming club is a socialization opportunity. It isn't an isolated activity.
For me, I like the idea of having blocks on at all times and having school computers designated for academic use only at all times. Sure it may be lunch time and sure you don't have to socialize. However I found in my experience that if you give an inch, some students take a mile. There are also students who benefit from firm and clear rules. The computer's intended use should be for academics and educational purposes. It shouldn't be "academics unless you're relaxing."
Added to that are the practical reasons involved. Who wants to be the teacher who has to come in to turn off the web blocking, then come back before lunch ends to kick the students off the computers and turn on web blocking? Have you ever tried to kick a student off a computer while they're playing games? I have and it's not fun. Instead of teaching, I become the Internet police.
I know I sound a bit on the ranting side but it's almost 3 AM and God I'm so utterly disappointed at my class (and utterly tired.) I am a teacher, not the Internet police. I should not have to waste my time kicking them off Facebook/YouTube/whatever just to get them to do their job. So now I've pulled my class out of the computer lab indefinitely. If they cannot work responsibly on the computers, then they will have to work without computers. The computers are a privilege and a resource, not a right.
as a teacher, doesn't it upset you that you too, are restricted because you have to work on the network as well? i remember my physics teacher pulling his hair out because they would block sites for his computer too (a wireless laptop) for some sites that would have no reason to be blocked.
yes, i do think kids should socialize, do more practical, constructive things with their free time, but you shouldn't make someone. i would love it if kids read a book in their free period, but some kids need a breather, need to relax for a moment, and it shouldn't be a tryanically staff watching over making kids do things.
i think a big fault of high school is teachers and many adults hold the students hands too much. and then upon entering college kids have so much freedom that they never have had before, many fail, drop out because they are so used to people telling them what to do. so i don't know.
high school students are many different ages and at many different stages of development, to slap a all-incompassing stop sign to every student when some of them are 18 years old and should have the right to make those decision for themselves i believe is wrong. on the other hand you have 14 year olds who want to laugh at 'boobies on tv'. but their has to come a point when adults start to loosen the grip on high schoolers and let them make mistakes, choose what they will with their time because they are going to very soon anyway.
I think there was only one instance where the network totally turned my lesson plan upside down but besides that, I've generally planned things that were pretty flexible. I'm teaching an English class and I don't necessarily need a computer to do it. There are certainly perks to having an English class in a computer lab but as it stands right now, the disadvantages outweigh the advantages.
The fact is is that I'm teaching a high school class and not a college class. What happens in the workforce or in post secondary is something I much rather leave for those in the workforce and post secondary. Those people are not legally responsible for them. They don't have to answer calls from parents asking why their child failed (and actually have to answer!) They don't have parent-teacher interviews or have to worry about attendance. They don't have to model good work habits/behaviours or think about how legally they are suppose to act in the stead of their parents. Their professor/boss is not going to care why they skipped and call home about it. They're just going to fail/fire them.
I do agree that ultimately students have to make a choice and that for many of my students, there have been too much hand holding. That does not mean however that I should provide an environment for them that enables their poor work habits to foster and/or continue. What it does mean though is that if I've done everything I could and they still refuse to hand in their work, then they have chosen to fail. I will respect that choice and fail them.
18 year old students, while legally adults and therefore I can't do things like call their parents, also have to make a choice. Just because you are 18 years old it does not mean that the classroom/school rules do not apply to you. If you are not ready for school, then as an 18 year old you do not have to be in school. Go home. Go get a job. Come back to school when you are ready. In the real world, if you want something you cannot expect people to accommodate you. If you want a high school diploma, you must accommodate the school and not the other way around.
I know some of my posts in this thread may come across as mean-spirited or springing from bitterness but it's not. If I didn't care much about their success, then we could have stayed in the computer lab. We would have all been happy! They would get to do whatever they wanted and possibly like me for allowing them to do so, and I get less work to take home since none of them would hand in anything.
The problem is that when the end of the term comes around, I'm probably going to be the only person still happy.
My school blocked Google.
Recently (about a week and a half ago) a 4th or 5th grader somehow got onto a porn site and the parents threatened to sue the school unless a blocker was put up. Since my school runs k-12 the high school was effected by the blocker too. And the stupid thing BLOCKS GOOGLE.
My Chem lab class went to the library on Tuesday to look up information to make posters; Not only was google blocked (which was everyone's homepage… which made actually getting online intersting) but so were about 90% of the other sites I tried to acess for information about Magnesium.
Project turned into a take home thing due the next day because of how sensitive the blocker was.
I mean, blocks are fine so that 10 year olds don't find porn and kids stay off myspace in math class, but I think schools should look into what exactly these things block rather than just installing. The really ironic thing about this block is that none of the proxy sites are blocked (but no one can use them because the teachers and librarians have been instructed to watch our moves and check our tabs every 5 minuets. >>)
I remember back when I was in High School they blocked Myspace and sites like it and the stuff you would expect them to block (porn,ect). And I didn't really care, seeing how the only classes we had computers in was so full of class-related work that we didn't have enough time to mess around on the internet anyway.
Why do kids need to be surfing the web when they should be doing work anyhow?
I remember back when I was in High School they blocked Myspace and sites like it and the stuff you would expect them to block (porn,ect). And I didn't really care, seeing how the only classes we had computers in was so full of class-related work that we didn't have enough time to mess around on the internet anyway.
Why do kids need to be surfing the web when they should be doing work anyhow?
because, some websites are actually useful. for reports and stuff. because i don't like opening up books that don't have the words "dystopian future" and "cyborg army of doom" in them.
My school blocked Google.
While I do think that's absurd, all my hard-core teachers discouraged us from using Google for research at all. And Wikipedia. ESPECIALLY Wikipedia. We had school access to big research databases like ProQuest, and uhm, a lot of stuff I have since repressed.
Though my AP World History teacher DID admit that a lot of the historical articles on Wikipedia are totally valid, as long as you look at them as tertiary-source materials. Hooray for compromising teachers! She was awesome…
I agree with a lot of people. Just do your work and don't worry about the websites you can't go to. When I'm at school, I do my work, then I go to MS paint and doodle if I have time. Just find something to do if you're bored. The reason why they block websites is to prevent you from fooling around, not doing your work, and destroying the computer with viruses. Sure, they sometimes block websites that you actually need to use, but there are tons of websites around that. Internet = Deus ex machina. Just remember that.
I remember back when I was in High School they blocked Myspace and sites like it and the stuff you would expect them to block (porn,ect). And I didn't really care, seeing how the only classes we had computers in was so full of class-related work that we didn't have enough time to mess around on the internet anyway.
Why do kids need to be surfing the web when they should be doing work anyhow?
because, some websites are actually useful. for reports and stuff. because i don't like opening up books that don't have the words "dystopian future" and "cyborg army of doom" in them.
Heh, I do agree that the web shouldn't be blocked altogether. But I do think it should be un unuseable until a project needs to be done.
Because if someone is going to choose not to do work in their class they shouldn't get to surf the web you know?
[rant mode on]
Just shut up about the blocked sites. The ones they block are the ones that have no business in a classroom. I should know. I was the net admin for a couple schools. And the IT department isn't a brick wall. If you need a site unblocked just fricken ask. If you can't think of a good reason why a site should be opened you don't need it (exceptions aside of course). Wikipedia is not always accurate either which is why the teachers ask to have it blocked. If you're doing your job as a student and go on to university, you'll learn that its not a citable source.
And to repeat an earlier comment. Why the hell are you asking to have myspace unblocked when you can't even spell! get off the stupid computer forget any supposed "projct yur doin bout te inernez!t" and learn your english!
[Rant off]
*whew* Any websites a school will block can wait till you get home. When you join the workforce (assuming you do better than minimum wage) you'll find that companies do the same blocking so get used to it. You can bitch when the ISP does it to you at home.
I'm going to sound like a stick in the mud. ;___;
I actually don't like students using Wikipedia. It's not blocked or anything but I wouldn't want it listed as a source. It's a great tool to use as a starting point to research or to find out odd facts but the problem is that a lot of students use that as the start AND end point to their research. Your research should never end at Wikipedia.
I'm a high school teacher so…
BLOCK, BLOCK, BLOCK!!!
Within reason though…our school has a "white list" that keeps preferred sites and Websenses the hell out of anything not on the list. Anything NOT pertinent to education or research. Myspace? BLOCK IT! Youtube? BLOCK IT! Google and Yahoo allows you to stream videos and music - BLOCK THE HELL OUT THEM!!!! Other forces of mass distraction and PROXIES (sneaky bastards) - BLOCK IT! Wikipedia? What is it you kids say? Meh??? Now there's a word I wish I could BLOCK!
It's SCHOOL…not an Internet Cafe. I don't know why students get so pissed when something is blocked. It's usually blocked because chances are, half of the students in the school are loading up the bandwith with crap, bringing the network to a crawl and/or are abusing the system - never mind the potential threats that are out there (I'm talking to you LIMEWIRE users out there). That's why they make students sign usage contracts.
You'd be amazed how functional people were in school before the Internet came along!
Not trying to be a jerk but from an educator's stand point, it can and does become a disruption in the learning environment.
I'm going to sound like a stick in the mud. ;___;
I actually don't like students using Wikipedia. It's not blocked or anything but I wouldn't want it listed as a source. It's a great tool to use as a starting point to research or to find out odd facts but the problem is that a lot of students use that as the start AND end point to their research. Your research should never end at Wikipedia.
Same thing my teacher did while I was in school. I remember she saw a few people using it and logged on and changed the words, just to teach them a lesson.
We could use it, just not as a lised source in our work. (we had to list at least 4 sources)
[rant mode on]
Just shut up about the blocked sites. The ones they block are the ones that have no business in a classroom. I should know. I was the net admin for a couple schools. And the IT department isn't a brick wall. If you need a site unblocked just fricken ask. If you can't think of a good reason why a site should be opened you don't need it (exceptions aside of course). Wikipedia is not always accurate either which is why the teachers ask to have it blocked. If you're doing your job as a student and go on to university, you'll learn that its not a citable source.
And to repeat an earlier comment. Why the hell are you asking to have myspace unblocked when you can't even spell! get off the stupid computer forget any supposed "projct yur doin bout te inernez!t" and learn your english!
[Rant off]
*whew* Any websites a school will block can wait till you get home. When you join the workforce (assuming you do better than minimum wage) you'll find that companies do the same blocking so get used to it. You can bitch when the ISP does it to you at home.
Like I said, mine blocks almost _everything. EVEN USEFUL SITES. Not all schools block the same sites, you know. My school's retarded program even blocks a few teacher-suggested web sites, and why? Who the hell knows.
Maybe instead of using these over sensitive web blockers (which more times than not block perfectly exceptable site for, say, school work you are asigned to do in class) Schools should take the computers out of the classroom.
If you take the majority of the computers out of the classroom and put them in a designated computer lab it's much easier to watch what students do online. If you have a teacher and an aid whose job it is to sit there and make sure people do their work walking around it makes it that much harder for kids to access black listed sites.
That worked at my school for years, it was only recently that a 5th grader accidently accessed Spongebob porn and ruined the internet for everyone (because now, not only does the elementary school have two computer labs, the 4th, 5th, and 6th grade classrooms all have 10 computers in them that students are free to use when ever they wish. Aside from 4 computers in the back of the science lab, no classroom in the high school has computers other than the teacher's personal computer.)
But, putting the computers in a separate room means someone has to watch them and OMG! The school has to pay someone more money! They can't have that! DIE PROPOSEL DIE~!
;P
Amazingly, I managed to get all the way through school, finish all my school projects, learn a great deal of stuff and discover a great deal of information pertinent to the subjects I took, without ever once having access to the internets.
Good god, people. Anyone would think before the internet was invented, there was absolutely no means of communicating information - and that there's no other way to obtain it! Do you believe all of us educated before your precious 'net somehow gained knowledge through osmosis, or some kind of bizarre psychic power?
The internet is not a reliable source of information, because anyone can publish on it. Schools shouldn't have it.
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