How to coax administrators and parents who challenge blogs?

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Permalink Reply by Sue Davis on September 4, 2007 at 4:23pm

I have found that the blocks on all social networking sites works systemically in our state and recently I went through a very lengthly process to try and get access to a members only wiki space unblocked for a limited time only - then we found that we needed to get each page unblocked each time we created a new page. In the end we gave up trying to access the space at school and encouraged students to use it from home. We were asked by the 'system' to confine our in school activities to spaces behind the 'wall' and for example to use Blackboard which now has a wiki tool. The point with these 'safe' spaces is that nobody else can see or share the work. In future I'm thinking of setting up both kinds of spaces - one inside the wall (that can be used at school) and a members only space using a web.2.0 tool that students can use from home. But basically school access to most web 2.0 tools is extremely limited and it's just about impossible at present to challenge this. I guess we need very influential people in high places to get this on the agenda!

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Permalink Reply by Michael Misovec on September 5, 2007 at 11:37pm

The link below is a wiki that includes blogs, whiteboards and is designed and configured for school use. The services and support are provided by a nonprofit education company.

Changes are able to be monitored in real time and pages may be restored to previous versions. Unlike many other blogs and wikis, user accounts may only be created by teachers and school administrators. In addition, your wiki and blogs may be copied on to a school server as an option. Advertisements are disabled once logged in. You must be a teacher or school administrator to activate and try your free wiki account. Once you try it and spend some some on the site, you will certainly be more prepared to address questions about compliance and policy issues.

www.K12.bz

College example

High school example

Memberships

I hope this helps.

Sincerely,
Michael Misovec
Program Director
Helping Students Education Corp. 501(c)(3)

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Permalink Reply by Adam Dugger on September 8, 2007 at 6:33pm

Good information here! I am putting together an 'introductory plan' both for my students and their parents so that our class can begin blogging.

These are some great examples and facts that prove its worthiness.

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Permalink Reply by una raimondo on August 7, 2008 at 9:42am

Wish you were in my school district. I cannot wait for teachers to pioneer this - I opened a blog as an inspiration to them ................ We will have a social studies blog for high school students up and running by the first week of school. I think fear of publishing is a real misunderstanding also, fear of liablility and global criticism. Go to my blog and look at posts on philosophical understanding, lunch box project and blog roll out. I would love to read your comments. I have tried to address stumbling blocks to blog rolls outs. Right now parents are not an issue because teachers are my focus.

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Permalink Reply by Ms Munroe on August 27, 2008 at 4:23pm

Hello from a newbie,
I just joined this community so I could join this conversation. My school district is very anti-open ware. I spent all summer building wiki's for all of my classes and they are not happy about. 160 hours of volunteer work that I won't be able to use. I'm sending an email where I request to pilot this project but overall I'm not hopeful. They want me to use the D2L software and I built everything on PB wiki. I hate D2L and love PB wiki...(for all the obvious reasons, mostly student motivation). I'm from Canada so things are slower here, but I feel like by the time they allow me Pb wiki I'll have moved on. What can I do to overcome this?
Karena Munroe

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Permalink Reply by Ms Munroe on August 27, 2008 at 4:50pm

Ps
I intend to use everything you've already suggested. Thanks for posting it.

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Permalink Reply by Derek Baird on December 18, 2008 at 12:02pm

I think the best way to get them to understand blogging is to have them start their own blogs. Once they start posting (which is really another form of writing), reading their colleagues blogs and leaving comments, it will be much easier for them to connect the dots. Actually using the technology will provide them with some context.

I had a friend who held a Blogging 101 class for parents. He found that after reviewing with the parents how he was going to use the blogs, showing that there were safety features built into the blogging client and then helping parents set up their own blogs. After educating the parents on blogs and other social computing tools, he had a complete turn around in support from the parents. They were the ones pressuring the school principal to allow students to use these social tools.

Most people still have no idea what a blog is (let alone a wiki, yackcast or podcast are) or why you would use it in school. They didn't use it in school and have no clue why their kids need to use it. For most, it's this undefined, ethereal thing that they heard on the news was dangerous (thanks Dateline NBC!). So their reaction is to be against it. It's up to all of us to educate the parents, admins and students how to use these tools in a effective and appropriate context for school.

I've attached a few research articles that may help you plead your case! Go get em!

Attachments:

• iKid.digital.learner.pdf, 3.5 MB
• Instructional Blogging- Promoting Interactivity, Student-Centered Learning, and Peer Input.pdf, 22 KB
• edu.blogging.pdf, 309 KB

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