Fighting the Tech People

Ok, not so much fighting, but trying to build an argument. Our tech people do not want teacehrs using wikis in their classrooms because of concerns about control. I'm looking to build up a great argument to present to the Superintendent so that we might be able to win this battle. All suggestions are welcome!

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Comment by Mike on September 24, 2008 at 1:12pm: If your central office folks take a look at the control you may put on a wiki or blog I don't see how they could make a negative statement. When you can lock who can view and edit control is easy. I always use this illustration when making an argument for wikis and blogs. I spent 30 years in the Elementary School Classroom. Over the years I have discovered a lot of writing on the boys lav walls. Johnny smells - Mary stinks. You name it. However I never found anyone sign their own name to these kinds of comments. Wikis and Blogs can be lock in such a way as to only allow comments by users and those comments will contain traceable information. - Just like signing your name on the bathroom wall.

Comment by Steve Maher on September 30, 2008 at 5:41am: Mike brings up a good point. Tech-illiterates don't realize that any online environment maintained by a school has more accountability than most other locations in the physical building. How many instances of communication happen between students in a school in a given day? In addition to the graffiti on the bathroom walls and desks, how many conversations are there between students?

Students are being introduced to anti-social behavior, profanity, and drug-use in countless conversations in the school that no authority figure will ever hear. In contrast, every conversation in an online environment is tracked.

Does this fear of a student posting inappropriate language in an online environment also motivate the administration to cancel assemblies and lunch because a student may shout an obscenity?

How many times