Photography by Mikey G Ottawa courtesy of Creative Commons at www.flickr.com/mikeygottawa
Getting my project proposal could have come at a more critical moment for me. My thesis is on the resistance of using social networks in schools due to the fear that people carry about the possibilities, rather than realities, that the Internet can carry. My solution is a net-based Digital Citizenship course that would show that the world of social networking has power and is a positive medium for students, parents and teachers alike. I say that the project proposal came at an opportune time because several students of mine believe that just because they have it a few settings on their home page, there is no risk of anything that they say or do on social network sites coming back at them. They also do not understand how something posted in their own home is fair game for employers, schools and law enforcement to potentially use against them.
Since I started even considering this area for my thesis I have run into roadblock after roadblock. Parents have been hesitant to allow social networking to be taught due to the fears that come from the occasional story in the news. Administration has been hesitant due to the fear of legal action. The consequence is what we see mentioned previously, students with no knowledge of what is right or wrong, safe or dangerous when using the Internet. This is about educating young people; it is not about dictating morality. It is about showing them how networks operate, not scaring them into behavior. It is about extending the concept of citizenship with all of its rights and responsibilities into the digital realm.
Getting my project proposal could have come at a more critical moment for me. My thesis is on the resistance of using social networks in schools due to the fear that people carry about the possibilities, rather than realities, that the Internet can carry. My solution is a net-based Digital Citizenship course that would show that the world of social networking has power and is a positive medium for students, parents and teachers alike. I say that the project proposal came at an opportune time because several students of mine believe that just because they have it a few settings on their home page, there is no risk of anything that they say or do on social network sites coming back at them. They also do not understand how something posted in their own home is fair game for employers, schools and law enforcement to potentially use against them.
Since I started even considering this area for my thesis I have run into roadblock after roadblock. Parents have been hesitant to allow social networking to be taught due to the fears that come from the occasional story in the news. Administration has been hesitant due to the fear of legal action. The consequence is what we see mentioned previously, students with no knowledge of what is right or wrong, safe or dangerous when using the Internet. This is about educating young people; it is not about dictating morality. It is about showing them how networks operate, not scaring them into behavior. It is about extending the concept of citizenship with all of its rights and responsibilities into the digital realm.
Excellent project idea.
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