CASE STUDY

REFLECTIONS OF AN INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNOLOGY DIRECTOR

IN ILLINOIS

The world around us is changing at a rapid pace. Students today have access
to tools, resources, and information that was not available for previous generations.
As educators, we must ensure the appropriate, safe, and effective use of these tools
by our students to ensure they become well-rounded digital citizens.

Many school districts today struggle with Internet filtering policies,

plagiarism, and appropriate Internet use. School districts invest thousands of
dollars in equipment, resources, and personnel to block inappropriate content and
access. The Childrens Internet Protection Act (CIPA) requires school districts to
block access to such content as pornography, gambling, or obscenity. Every school
district is required by law to block such content, and we do that fairly well; but
what about the other content? What about the social media/networking sites?
YouTube? Twitter? Facebook? Many school districts today block access to those
sites because they dont want to deal with potential distractions, or incidents
that might occur from their use. School districts spend hours each day searching
log files, blocking new sites, and disciplining students according to acceptable use
policies. Wouldnt a better use of our time, energy, and resources be educating our
students [on] how to appropriately utilize these tools to enhance their educational
experience?
A better utilization of our time as educators and a better outcome for our
students would be to focus on educating students [on] how to appropriately and
effectively utilize these tools to enhance their communication, collaboration, and
productivity. Students today struggle with understanding how the content and
material they place on the web can impact their future. They dont comprehend
how an image or comment can be viewed three to five years later by an employer
or university, which could have a significant impact on their future. As educators,
we should be teaching our students how to utilize these tools both inside our walls
and outside. In order to do so, students have to have access. Obviously, as with any
institution or environment, you will have some who choose to abuse the privilege
they are given. But why deny access to the majority, when the minority chooses to
abuse? Educate all and allow those who choose to disobey rules, regulations, and
teachings to suffer appropriate consequences.

School districts today must have appropriate acceptable use guidelines for
overall communication practices for both students and teachers. Districts need to
outline appropriate and inappropriate utilization of communication tools, such as
text messaging, social networking, email, and even voice communication. By
providing best practice guidelines, students and teachers are able to reduce risks,
and utilize the appropriate tool for the appropriate time and conversation. Keeping
parents informed and engaged during these conversations is critical. Allow parents
the opportunity to provide feedback and guidance on the process and how they
view the communication between a student and teacher at all grade levels. School
districts today must take a strong position when it comes to cyber bullying.

Educating our students and teachers on what cyber bullying looks like,
where it takes place, and what the consequences are when it occurs provides
opportunities for conversations and discussions between educator and student. This
has to be an embedded part of every school districts curriculum at all grade
levels. The earlier we start educating our students on what is appropriate and safe,
the less likely they are to take part in inappropriate actions. We cannot wait until
students are in junior high or high school to begin our education programs; it is too
late. These conversations and discussions must start at the elementary levels, with
grade-appropriate topics, building upon each other.

In Naperville District 203, we partner with the local Naperville Police Department
through our Learning Resource Centers to provide a comprehensive education
program that spans grades 3 to 12. Our elementary schools have developed a
curriculum that is reviewed and updated on an annual basis. Students at the junior
high and high school level apply the concept of digital citizenship throughout the
regular curriculum during projects and assignments. They also discuss and review
appropriate Internet safety and digital citizenship concepts with school resource
officers throughout the school year. As a district, we keep our parents, community,
and school board abreast of our continued growth in this area through community
seminars, anti-cyber bullying campaigns, web-based content, and partnering with
our student government associations.

Naperville District 203 has also invested significant time and resources to
the development of our Electronic Communication Guidelines. These guidelines
were developed through focus groups of students, teachers, administrators, and
parents. The guidelines are intended to, first, provide best practices for teachers
and students to communicate and collaborate with one another regarding
district/school business; and, second, provide a safe and secure vehicle to allow the
utilization of Web 2.0 social networking tools in the classroom for instructional
purposes where appropriate. This represents a significant step forward for our
district in allowing the appropriate utilization of communication and collaboration
tools that extend [beyond] the walls of our classrooms and create a global
education community for teachers and students.
We as educators must be active in the digital education of our students. We
cannot rely on the world, web, or peers to educate them on these matters. Creating
a culture of safe, smart, and secure digital citizens is a responsibility of every
school district across this great nation. Students today live on these tools. If you
remove access it doesnt enhance their learning: it inhibits their creativity,
collaboration, and communication. Teach them how to appropriately use it in the
classroom and enable the technology in their lives to enrich the learning
experience. They are our future, and they deserve the appropriate education and
understanding on what it means to be a true digital citizen.

Source: John David Son is currently the director of instructional technology for Naperville Community
School District 203 in Naperville, Illinois. Naperville is approximately 30 miles west of Chicago and the
school district serves nearly 20,000 students in 21 schools, from kindergarten to high school. Prior to
this, John was a chief information officer and public relations director in Benton, Kentucky, where he was
responsible for a large Management Learning System and successfully installed and implemented
complete wireless coverage for all schools in the district. Naperville Community School District is
consistently ranked high in student achievement by the U.S. News & World Report, the Chicago
Tribune, Chicago Magazine, and the Chicago Sun Times and is consistently ranked among the top ten
largest school districts in Illinois.