Comments on: The Nazi in the Classroom Blog: Policy Questions Seeking Answers http://beyond-school.org/2007/07/18/the-nazi-in-the-classroom-blog-policy-questions-seeking-answers/ . . . and beyond "schooliness" - notes of an uncensored teacher Fri, 29 Aug 2008 21:27:49 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.1 By: Danielle http://beyond-school.org/2007/07/18/the-nazi-in-the-classroom-blog-policy-questions-seeking-answers/#comment-2534 Danielle Mon, 10 Mar 2008 16:18:17 +0000 http://beyond-school.org/?p=289#comment-2534 Wow this is a tough question. I don't think I would be able to cope with it differently. The moderation before publication is a lot of work but if these incidents continue you'll have no choice. I don't think the children have the tools to know which YouTube videos are balanced and which are biased. A class discussion might be in order. Wow this is a tough question. I don’t think I would be able to cope with it differently. The moderation before publication is a lot of work but if these incidents continue you’ll have no choice. I don’t think the children have the tools to know which YouTube videos are balanced and which are biased. A class discussion might be in order.

]]> By: Clix http://beyond-school.org/2007/07/18/the-nazi-in-the-classroom-blog-policy-questions-seeking-answers/#comment-326 Clix Thu, 19 Jul 2007 19:11:00 +0000 http://beyond-school.org/?p=289#comment-326 I am attempting to set up a classroom blog in which approved contributors can post and comment as much as they like; visitors may comment, but comments will be moderated.<br/><br/>However, only the blog manager (that's me) would have edit/delete privileges.<br/><br/>Thus, I won't have to worry about visitors being nasty; I can just cull the nastiness. And if students misbehave, they cannot later claim not to have done so. If I can't figure out how to screencap the evidence before removing it, I'll just take a photo. ;p I am attempting to set up a classroom blog in which approved contributors can post and comment as much as they like; visitors may comment, but comments will be moderated.

However, only the blog manager (that’s me) would have edit/delete privileges.

Thus, I won’t have to worry about visitors being nasty; I can just cull the nastiness. And if students misbehave, they cannot later claim not to have done so. If I can’t figure out how to screencap the evidence before removing it, I’ll just take a photo. ;p

]]> By: diane http://beyond-school.org/2007/07/18/the-nazi-in-the-classroom-blog-policy-questions-seeking-answers/#comment-321 diane Tue, 17 Jul 2007 15:55:00 +0000 http://beyond-school.org/?p=289#comment-321 Clay, When we venture out into the world, it can follow us back home. The type of response your student got is exactly what some of our administrators and parents fear when teachers advocate for fewer blocks and more freedom on school networks. <br/>My daughter and I have been having discussions regarding my plans to use a variety of techtools in the classroom.(She is in her twenties, a college graduate, and works in a public library). When I mentioned e-mail accounts, she reminded me to caution students about spam, chain mailings, and scams. Obviously, education in cyber safety is a given before any online interaction. We can't shield our students from everything; we need to arm them with information, provide guided learning, counsel them if they feel confused or threatened, and prepare them for life in their 21st century environment. Clay, When we venture out into the world, it can follow us back home. The type of response your student got is exactly what some of our administrators and parents fear when teachers advocate for fewer blocks and more freedom on school networks.
My daughter and I have been having discussions regarding my plans to use a variety of techtools in the classroom.(She is in her twenties, a college graduate, and works in a public library). When I mentioned e-mail accounts, she reminded me to caution students about spam, chain mailings, and scams. Obviously, education in cyber safety is a given before any online interaction. We can’t shield our students from everything; we need to arm them with information, provide guided learning, counsel them if they feel confused or threatened, and prepare them for life in their 21st century environment.

]]> By: Clay Burell http://beyond-school.org/2007/07/18/the-nazi-in-the-classroom-blog-policy-questions-seeking-answers/#comment-320 Clay Burell Tue, 17 Jul 2007 13:12:00 +0000 http://beyond-school.org/?p=289#comment-320 Thanks, Jeff. It is tricky. I hope more ideas follow. Thanks, Jeff. It is tricky. I hope more ideas follow.

]]> By: Jeff http://beyond-school.org/2007/07/18/the-nazi-in-the-classroom-blog-policy-questions-seeking-answers/#comment-319 Jeff Tue, 17 Jul 2007 12:29:00 +0000 http://beyond-school.org/?p=289#comment-319 Tricky.<br/><br/>My first instinct would be to respond to the commenter with something along the lines of "if you're not into having other people bring up your viewpoints just to knock 'em down, then you don't get to write about the Holocaust." But that's not the right idea.<br/><br/>It's tough, because this is such an emotional issue. As someone who would have had a LOT more guests at his Bar Mitzvah if it weren't for the Nazis (a lot of my mom's family didn't get out of Dresden in the 30s, and my dad's ancestors are from some <i>shtetls</i> on the Ukrainian/Polish border that were utterly annihilated), it's really hard for me to look at this in a purely educational fashion.<br/><br/>But then I realize that that's probably okay. I would encourage the student to write a response to this person (a response that I would offer to read before it goes live) either as a comment or as a new blog post. I strongly believe that we need to equip our kids with the knowledge to confront racism (which we already do, to some extent) and, more importantly, the courage to do so.<br/><br/>That said, I fear that certain people at my school would call for the immediate shutdown of all student blogs if this ever got out, so there you are. Tricky.

My first instinct would be to respond to the commenter with something along the lines of “if you’re not into having other people bring up your viewpoints just to knock ‘em down, then you don’t get to write about the Holocaust.” But that’s not the right idea.

It’s tough, because this is such an emotional issue. As someone who would have had a LOT more guests at his Bar Mitzvah if it weren’t for the Nazis (a lot of my mom’s family didn’t get out of Dresden in the 30s, and my dad’s ancestors are from some shtetls on the Ukrainian/Polish border that were utterly annihilated), it’s really hard for me to look at this in a purely educational fashion.

But then I realize that that’s probably okay. I would encourage the student to write a response to this person (a response that I would offer to read before it goes live) either as a comment or as a new blog post. I strongly believe that we need to equip our kids with the knowledge to confront racism (which we already do, to some extent) and, more importantly, the courage to do so.

That said, I fear that certain people at my school would call for the immediate shutdown of all student blogs if this ever got out, so there you are.

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