Schaffhauser, D. (2010, December 1). It's time to trust teachers with the internet: a conversation with Meg Ormiston. Retrieved from http://thejournal.com/Articles/2010/12/01/Its-Time-To-Trust-Teachers-with-the-Internet-A-Conversation-with-Meg-Ormiston.aspx?sc_lang=en&Page=1
Restraining internet policies and lollygagging IT departments are making some teachers’ lives a world full of stress. Current teachers have faced a nearly impossible scenario; they are required to incorporate modern teaching techniques into their curriculums but aren’t allowed to use the tools that the job entails. Meg Ormiston, who has had various positions in education, consults with schools on adopting a modern, computer based curriculum to tend to the technology savvy students of today. Although Ormiston agrees that there are some obstacles to surpass to use computers in class such as the limitation of bandwidth, she believes that the primary reason that technology isn’t implemented in schools is because schools just don’t trust teachers. One of the reasons is because some they feel that some teachers can’t draw the line between which websites are and which aren’t acceptable for their students. From a parent’s point of view, Ormiston believes that the children’s well being and protection is a priority. She also feels that as long as the proper sites are blocked then responsible computing needs to be taught. Students need to learn about social networking and how to make the right choices as far as networking resources go. Ormiston thinks that sources such as YouTube should be filtered. Although YouTube has a lot of inappropriate videos, they also have many educational ones.
Q: Do you feel that most students’ parents would support Meg Ormiston’s argument?
A: I feel that Meg has a very solid point. Our generation and the generations to come will be doing a lot more typing than writing. Some of my peers have already forgotten how to write in cursive because the write so seldom. Also, everything that comes in book form is now available in iBook form. Research is far more commonly obtained on computers than in actual books nowadays.
Q: Do you think that Meg Ormiston’s suggestion/argument will soon become actuality?
A: I do believe that within the next ten years technology in classrooms will rise at an alarming rate. I do not feel that typing will overcome writing in a primary and secondary school basis anytime soon. With the way our nation’s capitalistic ideals are, not all students (lower class) will have the opportunity to be exposed to these resources.
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