March 17, Chapter 7

This chapter goes through an assortment of information for expanding a knowledgebase and acquiring best practices for online safety and security. Topics of discussion include school legality, cyberbullying, oversight, CIPA, NCLB, COPPA, FERPA, Creative Commons, and AUPs. I believe we need more educators with vision to anticipate the issues and policies that are important to the safety and achievement of our students. When we discuss "keeping students and data safe and secure are important-ethically and legally", it is not just the school's job to do so. Our schools need legal direction from Board policies so the school's can determine how and where to begin. The author writes, “School districts have to do everything in their power to prevent problems before they start and cyberbullying may be the online equivalent of bad schoolyard behavior, but it is no less hurtful and dangerous” (2602, Solomon & Schrum). Politically this week, the White House has turned its attention to cyberbullying. I read one headline that said “New law may require Principals to monitor Facebook” (Fox News). I believe those that do not want “big government” so-say “intruding on local matters”, well then those local agencies and districts need to be proactive in doing the job before they are forced. Solomon and Schrum point out with good cause that “the tools used to enhance the classroom experience are not hosted by the school system, however, and there is no ability for administrators to exercise oversight effectively over teachers’ and students’ appropriate use of these tools. Some districts use E-Rate as the handcuffs that is preventing them from using these tools, hover, I have read the E-Rate documentation and it provides room for the school to implement the necessary tools. Security, awareness, online safety, ethical behavior and implementation of tools all require stakeholder collaboration of parental involvement. With respect to how problems are handled; in a study done by Douglas Levin, senior director of education policy for cable in the classroom, showed that 71% of parents believe that a major portion of the responsibility for ensuring children’s safety on the Internet falls to schools, 49% to government and law enforcement, and 94% had taken their own steps (2846, Solomon & Schrum). Does this mean our parents believe that they should have majority of the responsibility? Interpretation is a matter of who and how one looks at it.