[K12OSN] Re: OT: "MySpace.com" or "policies for when computer use

[Mark Goodridge]

RiE wrote:
> On 1/27/06, Mike Ely <mely at rogueriver.k12.or.us> wrote:
> 
>>Thanks to all for a very interesting and enlightening discussion.
>>Ultimately, what it came down to for me is that while myspace might have
>>some uses (I see more now having read this thread), we're saturating our
>>dual-T1 uplink as it is, and so it's necessary to cut the fluff where
>>possible.  

I've stayed off this thread until now because my experience with myspace 
in our school was too alarming but here goes.

Myspace-type use of the Internet is something that I was, until last 
spring, unaware of and uninterested in. I'm a different generation 
(grandparent class) and Wizardry was the last non-professional use of 
computers that really excited me. I guess I'm too old for the newer stuff.

Last spring, entirely by accident, I discovered a student's myspace 
page. One of our middle school girls had posted an enticing picture, 
personal information (enough to locate her), and a daily log that 
detailed, among other things, her romantic interests and activities.

I saw the page and freaked, printed a copy, carried the paper to the 
principal's office and left it to him to clean up the mess.

This child had just finished a unit on the dangers of posting personal 
information on a web site. Got a good grade too. I know because I taught 
the class.

Since the entries were date/time stamped, we could tell what classes she 
was in when she was updating her journal (math on Monday, English on 
Wednesday, social studies on Friday, etc. as well as evenings and 
weekends at home.)

I blocked myspace and all similar web sites I could identify (and I now 
troll for new web sites with similar uses and block them too.) Then we 
talked to the faculty and the principal talked to the parents.

The student thought it would be OK to do this (during math class if you 
please) because her web page was "password protected." As I said at the 
beginning of this post, I found it entirely by accident (some password 
protection). Until I saw her web page I had never even heard of Myspace.

Problem Areas Identified:
Teachers who do not closely monitor student computer use.
Parents who do not closely monitor student computer use.
Technology manager who never dreamed how naive seventh graders could be 
about technology and how advanced they are about more fundamental 
physical activities (and what they would publish on-line).
Adults and children who believe that there is any such thing as a 
"private web page" on the Internet.

We don't have that problem anymore (because I've blocked the web sites) 
but I've heard through the grapevine that the student is still 
continuing her experiments in technology and human relations but as 
extra curricular activities.

So basically we've deflected or hidden the problem but we haven't solved 
it.

I realize that our experience with myspace is a sample of one, but I 
have no interest in further trials to increase the sample size.

-- 
Mark Goodridge