Fitness Assessment

Scenario 1: Collaboration = Harassment?
A student is using Google Drive as a writing and collaborative tool for peer reviewing. Juan and Jeremy have used the platform instead to exchange comments that involve name-calling and racial slurs. Jeremy’s parents object when his account is suspended claiming it will negatively impact his academic progress.

This first scenario is one that I really struggle with right now. I am having a hard time knowing where my boundaries as a teacher start and stop. In this scenario, things are happening within an assigned online interaction, so this is clearly the teachers responsibility to step in, but I often hear about things that were said on facebook, or comments posted on pictures in instagram. They really having nothing to do with school, but these are kids that I care about, and cyber-bullying is a real issue. It isn't realistic to be policing over a hundred online lives, but I do feel some responsibility for how my fifth graders treat each other, regardless of where they are, and what means of communication they are choosing.

The obvious issue here is that students are taking an education tool and using it inappropriately. Like with anything, expectations need to be crystal clear about how this tool is to be used when you are first presenting it to the students. It would be very beneficial to pull some real life examples of inappropriate and appropriate dialogue; sadly the first will be must easier to find than the latter. If expectations were clear from the beginning, and students understand that using the online forms of communication is not a right, I would hope the parent would understand that this is an appropriate natural consequence. The student should be given an opportunity to earn back that privilege 

I fortunately haven't had any real issues with appropriate communication online (for school related activities). I hope that by continuing to have clear expectations, and modeling what it looks like, I will continue to see good choices made by the students.    

Scenario 6: Course Management Overload
Ms. Carlson is excited to use Edmodo, a course management system similar to Moodle with her students.  Although Edmodo isn’t officially supported by the tech department like Moodle is, she is excited to use it because she finds it much more intuitive to use and she likes the interface better than Moodle.  Ms. Carlson is vigilant about the privacy settings, has informed her principal and parents of her instructional goals and objectives. Her students jump on board and post to the discussion at record numbers. Ms. Carlson is pleased to see such motivated dialogue on a novel that had previously felt like pulling teeth.  Two weeks into the unit, she receives a parent complaint. The complaint is as follows: 
     Dear Ms. Carlson, Mr. Miller, Mr. Hamilton and Ms. McIntyre,
     Although my son is a motivated and active participant in all of your classes, I am concerned that the school does not seem to have a unified course management system. He is using Moodle in Math, Edmodo in English, Schoology in Science, and Kidblog in Social Studies. Furthermore, all of these sites require different logins and passwords. As a parent, I am having a difficult time keeping this all straight and am requesting that the school discuss this issue and figure out a more streamlined approach. 
     Thank you for your consideration,  
     A supportive but confused parent

I chose this scenario because I feel it is very applicable to the issues currently facing school districts across the country. There will be major pressure to choose the right programs, and provide adequate training to get the greatest possible return on investments. The challenge lies in how rapidly the tools available to educators and parents are changing. It will be important to not just go with the wind and adopt every new technology that comes along, but it is equally important to not get stuck and let innovation pass us by. 

When I originally started reflecting on this scenario I was going to write about the importance of having continuity across schools/programs/districts, but the more I thought about it, I'm not sure that is what is best for the student. While it would make life easier for over-involved parents, a situation that is that controlled does not help prepare students for what students will experience after graduation. Because the technology landscape is so rapidly changing, our students need to develop perseverance, determination and troubleshooting skills. This year, when (not if) technology issues come up, rather than be apologetic, I am going acknowledge the situation as a part of the technology learning process, and engage the students in solving the problem with me. In the case of this scenario, it could be as simple as creating an assignment where each student has to develop a system for organizing and accessing all of their logins and passwords online. 

In response to this concerned parent, I would write her a message explaining the value in requiring the students to be able to navigate in a variety of platforms. Emphasizing the connections to the issues they will deal with throughout their lives. You might also want to help that parent see that each class has different needs, that are best suited by different course management systems.