The Ed Norman Syndrome:
There would be several issues if we had a person like Ed Norman at our college. First, by restricting the Internet access, the students would probably just attend another community college by choice, preferably one that did not treat their students like children. I understand the importance of monitoring the Internet and making sure that students do not download files that contain malicious viruses to the computers, but at a community college, you cannot restrict student access to the Internet, especially the way Ed Norman decided to do this by submitting a request to visit a URL 2 weeks in advance!
There are many times while I am teaching that I will pull up the Internet during class and show the students how to access various textbook publishing websites or websites that contain math tutorials that will help them understand the materials covered in class more thoroughly. Also, the students feel that if they are paying tuition, they should have access to the Internet. I agree with them, and that is why our school library has free Internet access for students with a student ID card. The students would enter in their student ID number with a password to access all websites on the Internet. They are allowed to access music sites, myspace, email accounts, etc. as long as they input their student ID number and a password they create for themselves. If the student visits an inappropriate website, the computer will keep track of who the student is. I think this is a good way of monitoring the Internet and also keeping the students honest about which websites they visit at school without actually restricting their access.
All students at our school have a school email account, but if the school were to eliminate this, I feel the students would simply use their personal email accounts. Our school is trying to eliminate as much paper that gets mailed home as possible, so they try to send as much information electronically as possible. If they eliminated the school email accounts, then a portion of our students without Internet access at home, would be unable to receive this information that was previously sent by mail. Therefore, I serious doubt our school will eliminate school email before they eliminate our "Ed Norman."
Our school's "Ed Norman" would monitor the infrastructure of the school's network similar to the way it is monitored currently. In our labs, we have staff and monitors that walk around the computers to "keep an eye" on the students work. In our library, the students must enter in valid student ID numbers with a password to access the Internet. That way the student know the computer is keeping track of the sites visited by that student.
Activity Log for the week of February 19 - February 25
Monday, February 19: downloaded week 7 podcast and listened to it. Started transcribing notes for the lecture.
Tuesday, February 20: emailed Myla for prices on PRS clickers for a classroom set. Received a reply.
Wednesday, February 21: published blog entry for the week. I will continue by work on project 3.
Thursday, February 22: respond to classmate's blog entries for the week.
Friday, February 23: continue my work on project 3
Saturday, February 24: check classmate's blog entries and respond to as many as possible.
Sunday, February 25: begin writing proposal for a classroom set of clickers.
Project One: Using Technology.
Here is a link to my web page for Project One.
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9 comments:
Hi James,
I agree with you that you cannot restrict access to the internet in a community college because you are dealing with adults. Adults are responsible for their own actions and this helps decrease the liability of network administrators in regards to what students are able to access.
Hi James,
Ed Norman is quite commical, in todays society there is no way that Internet access could be restricted in a public or private educational institution.
I work at a prison, where it was difficult to monitor Internet access so the institution barred all Internet access computers. Students had User names and PINs but this did not stop access nor was this "security" secure in a prison setting. Many students either sold or were coerced into selling or giving their username and PIN to the more physically or psycodic dominate person that punishing someone became more of a legal problem than Internet access.
Any student or person who can produce the URL that they will visit in two weeks, does not need to be monitored. They are the ones you let light up the Internet searching beyond Cyberspace.
Hello James,
Ed Norman does not stand a chance at your school. From the description you provided, your school is very progressive, yet balanced. Your experience at this school is a positive one.
It would be very nice if all schools were as Ed Norman free as yours. Unfortunately, some of us know this is not always the case. We can always remain optimistic and do something about Ed Norman. If our efforts to get rid of Ed Norman prove futile, then considering the option to leave such environment is a healthy choice as well.
I agree that by entering their student id number it can track them. But I think that since the students at a community college are adults they dont need to be blocked from the same content that young children need to be blocked from so I think that is a great way to keep an eye on them by tracking them.
James,
You make the connection of having Ed Norman's actions equal to that of how we treat children. Great comparison and I fully agree. When someone does not trust me, I feel as if they are considering me on the same level as a child, and frankly I resent that and become defensive and angry. I think there are more persuasive ways to meet the same goal.
Davena
Hi James,
I guess we are both teaching at JC and the policy of both colleges are similar. We cannot shut down or standardization our students from this electronic information world. I would say that nowadays, every students would have at least two e mail accounts. The e-mail account is free.
It is hard to apply the standardization to students. Those who suffer are the staffs.
De Nguyen
Hi James,
I can't even image how you would feel at the college level. I understand a little when you are working with elementary teachers, but college professors having to get permission, would be insane.
Great post!
Great reading. I agree with you about the internet access at a community college. Very interesting.
Yes, the conditions at colleges tend to be different than in K-12 schools. That's to be expected as college students are adults.
Still, there are surely some good security policies in place in a college setting that might get taken too far aren't there?
Ask me to tell you a story about a college professor who was using TOR (anonymous surfing) so he could discuss it with his students who got visited by the campus security!
No, this wasn't me!
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