I usually don't write much about the philosophy and politics of school leadership because it doesn't really fit with the purpose of this blog. But Dr. Scott McLeod put out a call for all edubloggers to post their thoughts about school leadership today. This post is my contribution to Leadership Day 2009.
In my work with special education students over the last six years, I have consistently heard from special education teachers and administrators the refrain of "creating a least restrictive environment for students." The idea being that in a least restrictive environment students have the most opportunities to experience new things, explore their creativity, and grow personally and academically. I completely agree with these ideas.
The irony I see in school leadership with regards to technology in the classroom is that often, by imposing strict internet filters, school leaders don't create a least restrictive environment for their faculty. Some of the most restrictive environments that I've heard of include the blocking of wiki services, gmail, and Google image search (which recently added Creative Commons search). By restricting access to the internet, including such innocuous things as Yahoo mail, schools limit the ability of teachers to use their creativity in lesson planning.
I understand that schools are worried about lawsuits arising from student access to the internet. At the same time if school leaders are filtering the internet out of fear or misunderstanding of the law they are not helping their teachers prepare students for life after high school. (Please note that I did not say "prepare students for the 21st century." We're a decade into the 21st century we should stop saying "21st century skills" and just say "skills" or "skills for academic and professional success.") To address these fears and misunderstandings, Wes Fryer and others created Unmasking the Digital Truth. If you're a school administrator or a teacher who works in a district that doesn't create a least restrictive internet environment, please visit Unmasking the Digital Truth.
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Least Restrictive Environment for Educators
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6 comments:
I love your analogy to "least restrictive environment." In fact, by blocking so much, administrations are often imposing a "most restrictive environment" on teachers and students. When we cannot access the resources that will make us more informed and well-versed educators, we are doing our students a huge disservice. Thanks for sharing!
I appreciate this post and the links. It's good to know I'm not alone in being in a district where the IT leaders have an unhealthy fear of the internet. Plus, I actually did not now that fear was the formal term for leaders who "generalized feelings that web 2.0 sites and technologies are bad / evil".
I've been generally ashamed to be in a district where the leaders have said aloud that web 2.0 products are "evil", thinking we were being served horrendously by ignorant leaders. Now that I know there's an actual term for it I can sense there may be a cure for this disease someday =:-)
That is just a phenomenal phrase for us to all use: teachers deserve to teach in the least restrictive environment possible... not just in regard to internet filters, but in regard to being given freedom to not teach from scripted lessons, freedom to adjust daily schedules to meet students' needs (which seems obvious but is not permitted in some districts), etc., etc.
AWESOME idea.
Good points. Our school blocks the teachers using sites that somebody has labelled "occult", so there goes research of superstitions around the world... I've always seriously wondered if they think that if I accidentally click on the wrong site I might change into a devil worshipper
Wow! What can I say. My district cut access to Discovery Education after paying $10,000 to have district access. It took 2 months to get them to unblock the site.
They block all sites dealing with any kind of faith, Native Americans, Camping, and some history related sites.
You can FORGET anything that has the word "game" on it me post that on this website might get it blocked at school.
I would have to say I teach in one of the MOST Restrictive Environments for Teachers as it relates to Internet Use in the nation.
I teach at a Junior High and because they ordered the same computer textbook for the high school and the junior high they just cut out Computer class in the junior high so the students could have new content in the High School.
The things they block and chances to get kids really learning they blow every day makes me sick thinking about it.
Great post, I am going to share the link for Unmasking the Digital Truth with those who demonstrate the most fear in our district.
Even for those in the RCSS district that do graduate high school and move on to a college environment are lost because they have migrated from a locked down education environment to colleges and universities that are using social media.
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