Flickr-ing IN?
At 217,581,912 images as of the time of this post, Flickr is here to stay. It's not going anywhere, and with that level of participation and exponential growth, you can't label it a fad. Flickr contains some amazing photography and it also contains some inappropriate images. So, given that, does it belong in a school?
Those of you who follow this blog know I'm a Flickr supporter. I've even been labeled a "gung-ho" Flickr supporter by Miguel, who is not. But I wouldn't characterize myself as that -I understand that there are some photographs that some might find unpleasant and distasteful-so I always approach my Flickr perspective with that in mind. But back to the original question-should Flickr be available to students?
So, let's consider the most important question. Who makes the decision to make Flickr available or not? There are many potential answers, but I think there's only one real choice.
Some school districts allow the filter software to make the decision for them. I respectfully suggest that this is not the best course of action.
Some school districts let the IT staff decide-again, not my choice.
Some let a single technology director or coordinator make the decision. Not the best idea, especially when that person may have personal beliefs that force the decision in a particular direction.
What about a technology committee? Perhaps