What's easier: Breaking into Fort Knox or Logging onto your Facebook account at school? (Firewalls and why we don't need them in schools)

During an administrative Elluminate session on Wednesday the topic came up regarding the firewall that prevents some schools to not have access to specific sites.  Personally I taught in two different schools (one Catholic, one Charter) both of which DID NOT have a firewall.

I did teach middle grades in both schools, I had 2 classroom computers in my one and six in the other.  Over the course of seven years, I had only ONE incident where a student used the computer inappropriately, and, in reality, it wasn't even a major issue.

Did kids go on sites they shouldn't have been in ever?  I can honestly say I doubt it.  Why and how?

1. GROUND RULES WERE SET... "Free" time (if there ever was any) students were allowed to go on one of five sites that were bookmarked already for them under "Fun".  They included sites that were deemed fun by the students, but also APPROPRIATE.
 
2. When the technology was being used, IT WAS MONITORED...  Too often I believe the "problems" associated with an open network stems from a lack of teacher involvement and monitoring...  The teacher needs to make the norms of the classroom by both modeling and setting the expectations from Day One.
 
3. THEY WERE EDUCATED...  From parental handouts, to a separate "web safety" section of the monthly newsletter, to the technology and classroom teacher STRESSING "netiquette", to the D.A.'s office coming in warning of the dangers, to a bunch of other events...

IT EVENTUALLY BECAME THE "NORM" OF THE SCHOOL....

The web should not be treated like Fort Knox, it should be treated as a resource that is invaluable for both student and teacher use, but there needs to be an education piece that goes along with the use of it.  Recently I was in a school that had You Tube blocked.  A resource as valuable as this should never be blocked.  At this same school, web 2.0 tools such as wallwisher.com, edmodo.com, and wordle.net were also blocked.  How can we expect our teachers to explore and learn when everywhere they look there is a big

Homework? My Dog Ate It...

Homework.  Kids hate it and Parents (at least of elementary students) aren't big fans either.  The problem that I continue to see though is not that homework is necessarily a bad, evil, thing...

The problem is the lack of understanding of what MEANINGFUL homework looks like.  The lack of student ownership on many homework assignments is a start as to looking what is wrong.  The old paradigm or pointless, rote, worthless homework is now shifting to the new Homework Paradigm that includes the designing of quality homework tasks that include:

• Academic Purpose - tasks should have a clear academic purpose
• Competence - tasks should have a positive effect on a student's sense of competence
• Ownership - tasks should be personally relevant and customized to promote ownership
• Aesthetics - tasks should be aesthetically pleasing (Vatterott, 2009)

This leads to student ownership of homework.  The groundwork for all teachers homework assignments should include:

• Allow for choice
• Offer students an opportunity to personalize their work
• Allow students to share information about themselves and their lives
• Tap emotions, feelings, or opinions about a subject
• Allow students to create products or presentations (Vatterott, 2009)

 Examples that look like:

• Students design their own method for learning multiplication tables that they then share with others - making cards, writing, reading, drawing pictures, or creating a song, rap, or poem.
• Students write a story or newspaper article showing that they know the meaning of the 15 vocabulary words for the week
• Students create a Jeopardy! game that covers the main ideas at the end of the unit
• Students write directions that can be used by other students for how to use a balance beam
• Students create a board game that signifies events of the middle ages (Vatterott, 2007)

What are your thoughts and your school's philosophy on homework?  Is everyone on the same page?  What has worked for your schools?