Remote Access Comment - Clarence Gets It Right...Again

Clarence Fisher, in my opinion, is on a role.  Several great posts recently.

Here's his most recent.

http://remoteaccess.typepad.com/remote_access/2009/04/accents-and-skin-tones.html

Here's my comment:

Terrific Post!

I'll add something from a pedagogical and ethical point of view.

If we learn from prior knowledge, and there is little to no background knowledge in the lives of our students, then the opening of restricted sites should be compulsory. If students and teachers are denied information that can build background (albeit second-hand) then the educational gap will only widen in an era when the tools you mention could bring the gap closer.

If we allow (and dictate) the gap to widen in this era, we not only fail to provide an education, we systemically have made the choice to do so.

What becomes our fiduciary responsibility to our students and their families?

-Ric-

I have really been wondering how schools, schools systems, (and yes, the government) are able to "get away with" the denying the access to information.  I'm not a "Tea Party" kind of guy (I don't really trust anyone in politics), but using excuses like bandwidth, safety, and attaching eRate funding to a "block now ask questions later" philosophy seems anti-democratic to me.

We are in an instant information world.  The need to request permission and wait for a ruling from non-classroom "educators" should no longer be an option for teachers who seek to provide current information, and build background knowledge for their students.  Where's that revolution?

Posted via email from rrmurry's posterous