I am a strong proponent of technology and its role in educational institutions. The Linworth AP has taken a huge leap this year by implementing WiFi throughout the school available to all its students and staff. As with almost any privilege given, there is always the risk of abuse. With the popularity of social networking website like Facebook and Myspace and access to email and instant messaging, there is always a risk of this abuse. Students around Linworth regularly use these services to stay connected with the world around them, often times keeping up their friends or using these tools to maintain a healthy social life. I believe these tools are essential in this new world of web 2.0 applications, and when used responsibly, can help people achieve great feats by instantly connecting people all over.

I believe Linworth should keep the network open and unrestricted to its students. The Linworth philosophy is to create a tight-knit community based on trust. This encourages responsible behavior from students. There are no filters currently installed to regulate student activity online and through the network and students seem to be using their resources responsibly. There has been tremendous criticism over the internet filters implemented at both the home schools in Worthington. They block relevant educational research material and filter important information. I personally remember researching information on body decomposition for BESS (Biology) last year. BESS, the firewall (yes it has the same name), would not display the website because it was related to death.

Of course along with any freedom or privilege, there is inherently the risk of abuse. The Linworth community has its own system of checks against people abusing their privileges. Instead of policing students, the community has instigated an honors system, so if one student violates the rules, another student will see that as unfair and take action.

I believe students should only check their email, use facebook or myspace, or access YouTube if they are doing something constructive and useful. I do not necessarily believe that all bandwidth used by students must be for academic purposes, since Linworth's philosophy is based on experiential learning. There are many things that students can learn outside of the school environment, and the internet is a great resource. I cannot count the number of times I have looked up tutorials or demonstrations on YouTube, or collaborated with students on Facebook to seek help on homework or hold meetings. Technology is an important part of the daily lives of students and staff alike. As long as this technology is used responsibly, there should be no reason to revoke the privilege.

Students should be free to use the tools available on the school machines, but they should not keep other students from finishing their work. I believe you can learn from every life experience, especially from browsing the internet and reading things. School bandwidth, when used responsibly, is the best investment in the education of its students. Since Linworth didn't have the budget to buy new machines for the school, by opening up WIFI the students can now bring in their own machines and utilize the resources on the internet. These resources are extremely valuable, since the internet is an endless source of information.

Posted in 0 comments Posted by Umang Patel at 10:00 PM