Hello, EDC921 Colleagues:
Before I immerse myself totally into this course, I feel compelled to at least mention some of my misgivings pertaining to blogging, technology in general, and a course such as this. If writing, in its most ideal form, is a democratic process unfettered of censorship and a true exercise in free speech, and blogging is the act of eternally etching one's thoughts and words into the digital archive for future retrieval, we should be aware of the risks we are exposing both our students and ourselves to, and those risks go beyond privacy issues and the ever lurking cyber predators. In this current plutocracy, free speech is a Constitutional right that has been slowly eroding and may be on its way to complete abrogation. So if we ask a student to blog, and he/she reacts to a conflict with a teacher, administrator, peer, a parent or even our government in a way that reveals a desire for violence, even if fantasized, or if a student reacts in a blog to an emotionally disturbing passage in literature with the similar feelings, are we to protect the democratic writing process, that student's right to privacy and freedom from possible future persecution, or should we become thought police and turn the student in to the authorities, thus saving our own necks and possibly the lives of others?
There are other unsettling issues pertaining to the digital age as well. It is well documented that computer overuse has promoted illiteracy rather than literacy, and sentences with characteristics such as the following: "I love this course b/c w/o it I wouldn't write" are turning up in essays everywhere. This is the incipient trend of Orwellianspeak, and that slippery slope may inevitably lead to a government fiat insisting on "doubleplusgood" replacing real colorful words such as "outfreakinstanding."
Yes, this rant reeks of excessive paranoia, but there's another issue to consider here. We live in an era of "globalization," which is the economic term for capitalist imperialism, and Big Business considers labor unions collectively as Public Enemy No. 1. I'm assuming we are all in a labor union, or aspire to be. To the plutocrats, there is no better way to dismantle public schools and their concomitant costs, including salaries and benefits given to educators, than to allow students to earn their diplomas on-line. The prospect of privatizing education and outsourcing our jobs to degreed and certified teachers in low-wage, developing nations makes the Big Business mavens salivate. Our taking this course is tantamount, in my mind, to the sheep fattening up on the farmer's feed before the slaughter.
Of course, there's the other side of the coin. The potential for both personal and professional growth is immense in a course like this, and I am approaching it with this attitude foremost in my mind. I chose a technological goal to be part of my professional development I-Plan to remain certified, so this particular blog smacks of hypocrisy. Nevertheless, digital technology allows the Maximum Lawman's significant reach to extend far into the future, and our relentless quest for this knowledge may eventually prove to be a Faustian bargain. I hope I'm wrong. See you all in Session 3. jack
June 1, 2008 5:08 PM
3 comments:
Some powerful statements Jack! I look forward to helping alleviate some of your concerns this semester, as well as creating new ones :-)
DF
Hi Jack,
I also have some concerns about the students rights and responsibilities in regards to their freedom of speech. It's a different world we're living in with the advances in technology and the increase of violence in the schools. I'm thinking that if the students are using this technology already the best that we can do is to learn along with them and hopefully steer them in the right direction. Let's hope!
Hi Jack!
I enjoyed your blog post and found it quite thought provoking. I see your point. You made me think, especially with the prospect of our jobs being outsourced. That was a scary thought! But I have to make a point regarding your statement here:
"…if we ask a student to blog, and he/she reacts to a conflict with a teacher, administrator, peer, a parent or even our government in a way that reveals a desire for violence, even if fantasized, or if a student reacts in a blog to an emotionally disturbing passage in literature with the similar feelings, are we to protect the democratic writing process, that student's right to privacy and freedom from possible future persecution, or should we become thought police and turn the student in to the authorities, thus saving our own necks and possibly the lives of others?"
How is this any different from hand written work? While grading a poetry writing assignment, I found myself faced with a similar dilemma. A student wrote a poem expressing a desire to commit suicide. Poetry? Creative expression? Exploration of feelings and moods? Or a cry for help?
I don't think blogging creates any more of this problem except for the fact that kids may be actually writing more, so exponentially, there could be more circumstance of this kind of pickle.
PS. I’d vote for “outfreakinstanding” anyday over doubleplusgood. Some things will just never go out of style. :)
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