Session 7
Ed Norman Syndrome:
First off I want to state that I was so shock listening to this podcast. I can't believe those types of restrictions. At my school site... I would say that we are pretty easy when it comes to downloading, uploading, using and abusing the computer. Lets face it, most of us learn through trail and error. If we upload the wrong thing and we get a virus or in some cases the "blue screen of death," then we learn to maybe check with someone first. We are not given permission to do personal activities on work computers (bills, surf, shop, email) but many of us do. We are there at work for more than half of our day and some of us (like me- who drive an hour and half- one way- to get work) spend more than that. We allow teachers to use their own computer software in the classrooms that they are in. We don't encourage pirating software and using it all over the school- so when they rotate out of that classroom, we ask that they remove it off the computer. Being on the tech committee, I wish less people would download those free screen savers onto their computers. Those will slow down your computer something fierce and you can never really get rid of them because of the viruses that they install. But the teachers love them and they want their computers to be pretty.
As far as our students using the computers, they have a log in and password of their own and with that come certain Internet blocks to regulate what they are viewing, but they are able to surf at will.
I am not sure how I would react to someone like Ed Norman, that would drive me crazy, especially because I have a background in computers. It is such a waste of money to purchase something that you strict so much that no one uses. That is like the school purchasing a nice jungle-gym for all the kids at the school, and because you don't want it to loose its shine or because for heavens-sake a kids falls off....that you don't allow them to use it. What a waste of money. What better way to learn, than to mess up a few times and get that second chance. I highly doubt that there is anything that a teacher can do to a computer (without wanting to) that would destroy a computer beyond fixing. So as far as Ed Norman, I pray that I never meet him or wind up a school that has that many restrictions. I think that that is rediculious and too "big brother."
Ed Norman Syndrome:
First off I want to state that I was so shock listening to this podcast. I can't believe those types of restrictions. At my school site... I would say that we are pretty easy when it comes to downloading, uploading, using and abusing the computer. Lets face it, most of us learn through trail and error. If we upload the wrong thing and we get a virus or in some cases the "blue screen of death," then we learn to maybe check with someone first. We are not given permission to do personal activities on work computers (bills, surf, shop, email) but many of us do. We are there at work for more than half of our day and some of us (like me- who drive an hour and half- one way- to get work) spend more than that. We allow teachers to use their own computer software in the classrooms that they are in. We don't encourage pirating software and using it all over the school- so when they rotate out of that classroom, we ask that they remove it off the computer. Being on the tech committee, I wish less people would download those free screen savers onto their computers. Those will slow down your computer something fierce and you can never really get rid of them because of the viruses that they install. But the teachers love them and they want their computers to be pretty.
As far as our students using the computers, they have a log in and password of their own and with that come certain Internet blocks to regulate what they are viewing, but they are able to surf at will.
I am not sure how I would react to someone like Ed Norman, that would drive me crazy, especially because I have a background in computers. It is such a waste of money to purchase something that you strict so much that no one uses. That is like the school purchasing a nice jungle-gym for all the kids at the school, and because you don't want it to loose its shine or because for heavens-sake a kids falls off....that you don't allow them to use it. What a waste of money. What better way to learn, than to mess up a few times and get that second chance. I highly doubt that there is anything that a teacher can do to a computer (without wanting to) that would destroy a computer beyond fixing. So as far as Ed Norman, I pray that I never meet him or wind up a school that has that many restrictions. I think that that is rediculious and too "big brother."
posted by Jennie O'Kelley @ 9:37 PM
4 Comments:
At 5:39 AM,
James said…
Jennie,
Great examples to explain Ed Norman. We also have logins and passwords for the students who use the computers at our school. I believe that is the best way to go, because if a student wants to explore the internet, they should be able to. Not all students have internet access at home, so the school setting may be the only time they can explore the internet and become familiar with it. There should be a way for the IT person to monitor if a site is visited by a student that should not have been seen at school, and it should be recorded.
James
At 1:34 PM,
Rosa said…
Hi Jennie,
I am glad you have not encountered the Ed Norman Syndrome. It is always great to work in an environment that allows creativity and exploration. I like you analogy of the Jungle Gym. It does put this issue in a perspective many people can see.
At 5:35 PM,
Edgar Chabolla said…
Hi Jennie,
I agree with you, it seems that what ed does is a bit extreme. In my network and analysis design courses we identified many of what Ed conducted and we saw it as perfect solutions for establishing network security. Your example seems a bit extreme as well, allowing for all employees to have administrator rights can put the integrity of a network in danger as many software programs and sites allow for adware and spyware programs to affect yor network. Remember Ed comes from an industry that requires this restrictions, it is up to administrators to come to a middle ground and establishing leadership to establish better communication between employees and IT personnel as Ed so that we can establish network security and better access to resources for teachers.
At 11:22 AM,
dr.bnewberry said…
The jungle gym analogy is perfect! Edgar makes some good points. Ed will do what he knows how to do. It is up to the leadership to guide him.
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