[LM_NET] HIT:Internet Recess and Computer Games (long, but interesting, I think)

[Robbin Price <drdandrjp@AOL.COM>]

Hello, all.
 
Thanks to all of you who shared your thoughts about Internet recess and computer 
games in the library.  I'm including all the responses here, and there were a wide 
range of ideas and reactions.  It's clear that we've all wrestled with this one at 
one time or another.  I have shared your ideas with my district, and I have gained 
several ideas that I think will help my situation this year.  My apologies for the 
length of this post, but I didn't want to leave anything out.
 
 
****Answers to my first question, about how you control "Internet recess" in the 
library:****
 
Sounds to me like your district made the common mistake of getting the
computers before you knew what you were going to do with them. That
said, let's see what you can do to help the situation.

First of all, don't think that anything you can do (short of removing
all computers) will eliminate all inappropriate or unnecessary Internet
activities. However, by having some good policies in place AND ENFORCED
CONSISTENTLY you will cut down on the nonsense.

I'd suggest that you might want to limit personal email to before and
after school. That will keep the computers free during the day for
school work.

Teachers need to keep students in class unless there is a good reason
for the student to go elsewhere. Sending a kid to the library to play on
the computer because the kid is finished is not a good reason. If
someone is done with the current assignment before everyone else, send
them to the library to do something else - find information on some
topic, get a picture for something, etc. Whatever the reason, it needs
to be on the pass so that you know why that kid is there.

We do not permit students to skip lunch to come to the library, even
though I'm right across the hall from the cafeteria. If someone doesn't
want to eat with the class, fine, but they still STAY with the class.

I think you see what I'm getting at. Teachers need to be teaching and
challenging ALL their students, not just a few. Almost all textbooks
these days have lots of enrichment activities planned, so teachers just
have to pick something and assign it. I would also suggest using the
Big6 or similar model to actually PLAN the work, rather that just
running to the computer first.

Hope this helps.

************
 
:-) I first used the phrase "Internet recess" back in 2002 and could not be more 
:pleased to see others using this phrase. This is especially helpful now, because 
:my primary focus is on cyberbullying -- which I believe is occurring through 
:school Internet systems and which raises concerns of liability. 
 
Some thoughts on addressing Internet recess:
 
The foundation to addressing Internet recess is professional and curriculum 
development to ensure that all teachers can effectively lead kids in the use of the 
Internet for exciting, high-quality learning activities. (Said this back in 2002 
also.)
 
So here are some tests to see where you are on this:
 
Who is managing your professional development for teachers in the use of 
technology? Your computer services folks or curriculum and instruction department? 
 
While there will always be a role for computer services folks to provide training 
on new software applications, the professional development activities related to 
the instructional use of technology should be coordinated through your curriculum 
and instruction department.
 
Does your curriculum planning address the effective use of instructional technology 
integrated into other curriculum activities? ie. Use of outlining, word processing, 
and Powerpoint as an instructional objective under language arts, use of Internet 
and other online information resources to conduct scientific research. Or are your 
technology curriculum goals still separate and do they look more like technical 
skills training?
 
[While we are on the systemic issues, who is managing the development of your 
Internet use policy? The computer services folks or your safe school committee? The 
MAJOR concern you need to be paying attention to with respect to student misuse of 
the Internet is misuse for cyberbullying. Your safe schools committee should be in 
charge of all issues related to student behavior, including Internet use. But, this 
obviously presents a major concern because many times, these folks have very 
limited understanding of how the Internet works and what the concerns are, so 
teachers who are competent Internet users, librarians, and computer services folks 
need to work with the safe schools committee. (Big Hint for librarians who are 
frustrated with illogical actions of computer services folks -- here is your chance 
for better influence.)]
 
Having an Internet use policy that limits non-educational use is also important. 
But this raises a concern. Just as student should be free to explore the library 
looking for resources on subjects they have a personal interest in, so should 
students be allowed to explore the Internet looking for high quality information 
about subjects they are interested in, but are not currently studying.
 
For a long time, I have been recommending separate standards for the\acceptability 
of online activities:
 
Totally prohibited: porn, prurient, adults only, advocating illegal.
 
Restricted: Potentially controversial material, such as a hate site, that is 
accessed only by older students in the context of specific learning activity under 
the guidance of a teacher with permission (opt out) by parents. (How are they going 
to learn about online hate and how to recognize and avoid it if they do not look at 
it?)
 
Limited Access: Material that could be considered non-educational or
entertainment, that can be accessed in the context of a specific
instructional activity (creative teachers can use "non-educational" sites for 
highly creative learning activities) or for limited periods of time that the school 
or a teacher may choose to designate as "open access."
 
Personal high quality research: Research of subjects that may not be
currently covered in a class. This should be considered "educational use" just as 
reading a book or a magazine in the library would. The standard to enunciate for 
this kind of activity for students could be that if they are looking for 
information that is of the same kind and quality as information found in the 
library, this is considered to be personal high quality research. 
 
Class-related: Research or activities that are tied to specific
instructional activities assigned by a teacher.
 
You may note that in this list, I am placing much more control over what students 
can and cannot access on teachers and librarians than on filtering told implemented 
by the computer services folks. The only kinds of sites that should be blocked by a 
filter are the categories that clearly include the totally prohibited sites.
 
The next step is to include this list in the Internet use policy.
 
The next steps are management.
 
I have long advocated the use of "safe gardens" approach for elementary
students -- limiting their access to pre-reviewed sites at the primary
level, with some more open access with specific instruction on how to avoid 
accessing inappropriate material for intermediate students.
 
By the time students are in middle school, I highly recommend the use of an 
intelligent content monitoring system -- a system that can review all Internet use 
and will report on instances of use that are suspected to be in violation of the 
district policy. Once this is established and the students know how it works, they 
will be significantly less inclined to engage in inappropriate activities.
 
To get students thinking (always a goal) about what they are doing, you
might consider some sort of computer check-in process in any open lab
environment. The students would be required to sign in and note briefly the purpose 
of their Internet use:
Time in -- Student name -- Instructional activity or personal research
objective
 
Just some thoughts.
 
******************
 
The results of this study provide ample insight into the concern of too much
Internet recess:
 
COMPUTERS IN SCHOOLS, BUT NOT ALWAYS FOR TEACHING
A new study indicates that computer usage by U.S. schoolteachers is
rising, though technology is more frequently used for administrative
purposes than for teaching. The study, conducted by Scholastic
subsidiary Quality Education Data, found that 70 percent of teachers
communicate with parents using e-mail and that a majority use computers
for tasks such as attendance, according to CDW Government. Just 54
percent said they have incorporated technology into their teaching, and
more of those who use technology in teaching are at the elementary
level than in middle or high schools. Teaching with technology appears
to be correlated with training: 85 percent of respondents said they
have received training in applications such as the Internet, word
processing, and e-mail, while 27 percent said they have had little or
no instruction in how to include computers in their teaching.
CNET, 29 August 2005
http://news.com.com/2100-1032_3-5844057.html
 
*****************************
 
Hi, Robbin,
 
One thing you might look into is getting NetOps or something similar (our 
technology coordinator tells me there may be some shareware available that is 
similar), which can be used both to monitor computer screens and to teach. It gives 
you the ability to control your students' screens. Also, having a strict acceptable 
use policy that has clear consequences will help a lot. Both our students and their 
parents sign. The first infraction brings a week banned from computer use; the 
second two weeks, with a note to parents; and so on. It's been very effective. 
 
One thing that I think would help me in my situation is a U-shaped computer 
configuration. Right now, our library computers are in two double rows, meaning 
that it's difficult to see what's happening from one side or the other.
 
I hope this helps.
 
****************
 
I have come up with a solution to this problem.  By choosing a library theme each 
week, we incorporate a changing display of books and also post appropriate websites 
related to that theme.  A month of themes are posted at one time by typing the 
month in BOLD LETTERS at the top, then each week with that theme listed next.  
These are xeroxed onto a transparency and this is taped onto the top of each 
computer monitor.  It hangs in front of each monitor each morning as a reminder.  
Then it is flipped up over the internet throughout the day.  A few weekly themes 
last year were:  Famous Persons, Crafts and Hobbies, Substance Abuse/Drugs, 
Wildlife, Sports, New Technology, Presidents, Poetry, World Cultures, Fast Food 
Facts, Music, etc.  About 5 great websites are listed for each weekly theme, typed 
up, xeroxed, and taped onto each CPU.  Students can come in before school and 
lunch, etc., and practice their researching skills by using these websites.   We 
try to pick websites which have activities on them and info that would be of 
interest to a junior high student.  So far, so good.  We tell them we are not a 
video arcade but we do want them to use the computers so this is how they can 
utilize them.    This year I will incorporate one week per month of some kind of 
character education theme such as responsibility, courage, etc.
 
************************
 
Dear Robbin
The first thing you need to have is a clear Acceptable Use Policy that all parents 
must sign before their child can access the Internet. Our policy is at 
http://www.palmdps.act.edu.au/info_docs/aup.htm
I don't believe that an opt-out only policy is sufficient in this 
circumstance(where the parents only have to sign if they don't want their child 
using the Internet) because you really need the
parents to know what it includes and the consequences for breaches if you have to 
invoke it. It might be less administrative work but when the crunch comes, and it 
will, the parent can't argue against something they have signed. Here, all parents 
of students under 18 have to sign it; those over 18 can sign for themselves.
 
Next, you have to have an explicit instruction session where students are made 
aware of the contents of the policy so they know what constitutes unacceptable use 
and the consequences of breaches.  This
needs to be done each year.  Make sure students are aware that you can track every 
page and site they go to, and every email they send even if they are using their 
own username and password. Encourage students to come and tell you if someone is 
off-base so you can investigate.
 
You also have to staff your labs so that student use can be monitored, again to 
cover yourself if anything happens.  Some do this through the layout of the lab 
ensuring all screens are visible and having a teacher physically present, others do 
it through some sort of video monitoring system.  Here, because of our duty of care 
regs, which may be different to yours, we have to have a staff member physically 
present in the lab whenever students are using them.
 
Set up a page on your school site that has links to pre-approved sites that they 
can go to for games or whatever - don't let them rely on Google.  Also, set up 
pages of links that support their studies - I see this as one of the most important 
parts of my collection development. But include explicit, specific lessons on 
searching the Net efficiently and effectively in your program.  Teach them the 
difference between content and ads - young children can't tell - and investigate 
some sort
of filter program like  Content Keeper that blocks these.
 
No doubt others will have other suggestions, but these have worked for us in the 
elementary sector for 10 years.  We have only had one breach, and because of the 
policy that the parent had signed, they had to agree to the consequences, which was 
being banned from all school-based computer use for a term.  The boys are really 
finding out how much this affects them because they are expected to do the work at 
home to keep up.
 
**********************************
 
****Answers to my second question: how do you draw the line between games and 
educational websites that looks like games (or includes non-educational games on 
the same site):****
 
Yes, there is more and more of a gray area. Basically, if a kid is in
the library on his/her own and caught playing any kind of game, they're
ousted for a period of time--we're only lenient when we truly think a
student is ignorant. Occasionally, a teacher will bring a class in and
go to some kind of game-looking site and that's ok.

My assistant thinks computer games are actually addictive for some
people (she herself claiming she was at one point addicted). Those
students who are caught more than once do seem to have a hard time
staying away from what they know is illegal.

I'm waiting to have NetOps or something similar installed on my
computer. I think students knowing I have such a thing may also lessen
the infractions, although, no, I don't relish the role of computer
police!


*********************
 
I solved some of my problem by creating a library website with lots of
good things for students to do.  I have an ezines page that also
incorporates some gaming.  I also have an extensive collection of
websites arranged by Dewey #s that kids can access.  Kids know that they can go to 
any of those sites, but if I catch them on one that's not "approved" (not linked 
from my page) then they lose their computer
privileges.  And no one's allowed to have the sound on unless they use
headphones (and many of them bring them from home).

Here's the link to my ezines page 
http://cfbstaff.cfbisd.edu/librarybush/Ezines.html

and to my DeweyLinks  
http://cfbstaff.cfbisd.edu/paciottib/deweylinks/index.htm



*****************************
 
this has always been a tough one. I tend to allow games- not shooting
or role playing- at lunch. after all, lunch is a break time. I tried
limiting it to homework only but it didn't work- I was policing like
crazy and the computers were not being used and those that wanted to
play games only saw empty computers. So I decided to let them go for
it. It's been no problem. I make a list of acceptable sites  and they
can go to any of those sites. I include 'educational' games also. If
anyone want to do homeowrk on the computers, someone playing games has
to give it up.  it's really been no problem.  Once I gave up on the
adult 'ought to's about the the whole thing!!


*******************************
 
You are right ... the challenge is that the overlap between recreational and 
educational games is large .... some people will argue that ALL games have some 
educational value (problem solving/keyboard skills etc.)
 
Have a look at the page
http://www.shambles.net/games/
 
You'll find links to advice, policy and research on this topic.
 
Hope this helps (look forward to a HIT)
 
******************************
 
The only games I allowed students to play in the computer lab were those which were 
specifically assigned by a teacher. That was the only way I could handle the games 
which students discovered on their own and advocated.  


***************************
 
Hello-- 
  I have a "no games" policy, but otherwise it's difficult to argue that someone's 
interest in shoe shopping is less valid than someone else's interest in a sports 
team. 
  I'll be interested in what you find out. 
 
***************************
 
Thanks again for all the thoughtful responses,
 
Robbin Price, Librarian
Tillicum Middle School
Bellevue School District
Bellevue, WA 98006
(425) 957-9081
pricer@bsd405.org
 

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