Teaching students and adults the true nature of research / filtering on the web takes access... takes practice... just like Steve’s quote attached to his email message:
"When we study music, we practice... because there is no other way to become a musician. Neither can we become engineers by just studying a textbook, because practical experience is needed to correlate the so-called theory with practice." Charles Franklin Kettering
We can’t expect students to do develop research skills if we do it for them. We can’t expect to model appropriate use if their is no access. Nor can we expect that innovation or every idea worth pursuing or downloading always happens between 9pm – 1am.
Ah... I see the messages coming in now about overrides and such. Excellent solution. Defining access by groups is possible, as is by machine or by user. Advanced access could be given to a grade level, lab or a class list – whatever fits. Advanced access should certainly apply to every adult. The idea of adults having restricted access with no means around those barriers in schools is... Just very old school at this point.
I’ve followed this fellows writing for some time. Reading this thread made me think of an article I read in ‘06.
http://www.districtadministration.com/viewarticle.aspx?articleid=931&p=1#0
Adam
From: Stephen Barner <[log in to unmask]>
Reply-To: School Information Technology Discussion <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Tue, 9 Oct 2007 04:55:08 -0400
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Conversation: more on youtube.com
Subject: Re: more on youtube.com
Ray,
I still think the signal to noise ratio is too low. For most teachers, stopping to do a search on YouTube for "metal floating in mercury" on the chance that they might find something useful is not necessarily a good use of very limited class time. The value of that kind of spontaneity doesn't outweigh the risks of having students wander off, watching all sorts of videos that have nothing to do with the science class. YouTube is designed to distract with all its offers of additional "related" clips. Much of it out of context and almost all of it of dubious validity.
Teachers are professionals and know that they need to work outside the contract day in order to accomplish their jobs to the standards required. They should not be doing their class prep in front of the students. Research and exploration should be part of any class, but putting YouTube out there as a significant resource for science is a bit of a stretch.
*************************
Stephen Barner
South Burlington High School
550 Dorset Street
South Burlington, VT 05403
(802) 652-7015
(802) 652-7013 (Fax)
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"When we study music, we practice... because there is no other way to become a musician. Neither can we become engineers by just studying a textbook, because practical experience is needed to correlate the so-called theory with practice." Charles Franklin Kettering
From: School Information Technology Discussion on behalf of Raymond Ballou
Sent: Mon 10/8/2007 12:13 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: more on youtube.com
Dear List:
I happen to be in the science room today, and the teacher mentioned the value of you tube again today.
This morning he showed the class a video of a spoon melting in tea. The spoon is made form an element that melts at low temperature.
His students asked about doing the experiment in class, and he said it would involve somewhere between $800-$1,000 in the element. The video is free ...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QaJ_Yxj9bG8
The 2nd video he mentioned was about mercury. Mercury is apparently dense enough that despite being a liquid, an iron wrench will float on it. In this case not only the cost involved, but safety. Having students handle mercury is certainly less safe than watching an entertaining video about it. In this case the person shooting the video took on all those risks related to handling.
He then said and 'anyone not using YT is missing out on a very valuable resource'
And finally I shared with him other school policies about either blocking YT, or requiring off-hours access and downloading a video for use later.
His response was something like, 'well there goes spontaneity, I would not be able to answer student questions so well on the spot, while they are engaged, and would instead have to say, tomorrow if I remember ...'
He graciously made no mention of having to take even more work home with him ...
R.
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