I have been using googlereader for just a few weeks. Some of the articles that come up are pretty cool. I found some neat stuff without having to wade through the "crap". I have found the ability to see everyone's blog posts. I can see what folks are learning, and it can be a good reminder that I should be doing something besides read the news, my own news... I heard a suit on some news show discussing the demise of newspapers as an industry. They no longer dictate to us what news is. We decide what the news it! Go googlereader!
ACCESS via Twitter I believe???
"Website access for us teachers versus the students"
Several of us in the Tech-Know at our school would love to use sites that are unfortunately blocked to us as teachers. I understand how they should be blocked to students, but not to teachers. Our tech people in our district (the two of them, I don’t know how they do it) can only limit websites to everyone. I really would love to use Youtube and facebook at school for great resources but they would not allow us to have regular access. We can email them and get sites unblocked for a time, but then the kids have access to them during that time. They can at least do that, but the kids still have access there has to be a better way! I have been saying that there should be different security levels for teachers than there are for kids. Nobody can figure it out though. I came across this blog that discussed this exact issue…
http://explodingsink.com/
“My school district has finally been able to distinguish a teacher from a student, at least in terms of their online access.
We recently received an e-mail explaining that teachers would be able to access previously blocked sites (i.e. YouTube and many blogs) for educational purposes. In order to get this access, teachers will have to sign a form explaining they understand what “Acceptable Use” and “Educational Purposes” mean.
The district is responding to staff requests for increased access privileges. At this time, the district will provide access to the previously blocked resources of YouTube and external blogging. The district will open additional resources that are identified and approved for educational purposes.”
So my tech help showed me teachertube which is supposed to be “as good as youtube” only safer and more appropriate. No offense intended to the makers of teachertube, but is nothing close to youtube in terms of oh every measurable parameter.
To be clear, Websense (our internet filter) will still be in place. When teachers come upon a site that is blocked through Websense, they will be able to pass through - offering them a gentle reminder that there is reasonable cause to have the site blocked in the first place.
Under the district’s interpretation of CIPA, students will not be granted this level of access.
Finally, I feel like a professional who can make decisions about what should and shouldn’t be used in the classroom.”
I think that's all I have for now!
Jasper
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You may be able to get around the filter. I personally do not know how to do it but guess who does...our students! there are sites out there that do just that,you go to that site and it feeds the info from facebook or youtube, or whatever right into the class. I had a students do that for me once but can not remember the site- ask a teenager, they will know :)
ReplyDeleteThe teachers in our building have unlimited access which can cause trouble. I was once helping a female student search for images to do a poster (on my computer) and a Google image search led to a very inappropriate image being displayed. I immediately called the principal and showed him how it had happened. Fortunately no more was said about it ... but it sure taught me something.
ReplyDeleteI think I went a bit overboard with my Google reader. I put every website that I regularly look at and now I feel overwhelmed. Every time I log in I have like 40 posts to read. I feel bombarded yet I like it!
ReplyDeleteStephen, I made the same mistake... I had to go through them and be a little more selective.
ReplyDeleteBlocking access' to websites sounds so backwards, it seems unconstitutional...
Our tech folks are on top of the proxy servers etc. The kids find a way around filters and they are cut off by the next day or two
ReplyDelete