School without Google? (Techlearning blog)

It is amazing to learn what school districts block on their Internet content filters these days. In the last month, I've learned about several school districts in both Oklahoma and Texas that block the entire Google website. I think most digitally-saavy educators can understand why Google Images might be blocked or at least filtered to comply with CIPA, but it strikes me as amazing that some districts block the entire Google domain.

Just think what that means. No Google Internet searches of any type. No Google Maps. No Google Notebook. No Google for Educators, which includes links to Google Documents and Spreadsheets, Google Earth, Blogger (now in version 2 with more privacy features for school blogs,) SketchUp, and more.

Google is a disruptive influence on the traditional school experience, as well as economics as we knew them in the 20th century. Its power caused Tom Friedman to cite it as a major "flattener" of the world in his book, "The World is Flat." So what would you call a classroom without access to Google at all?

Maybe "education as usual." Despite the amazing power and resources of Google, I am regularly struck by HOW LITTLE educational experiences have changed in many classrooms. Readers of this blog are likely not in the category I'm describing, but many teachers are. How many teachers do you know that could just as easily have taught their lessons in 1957 as in 2007? Maybe they actually are still using the same lesson plans. Let's hope not, but it is not out of the realm of possibility in many cases.

Would students notice if Google was blocked at their school? They certainly would when conducting Internet searches. But how often are students really online at school, unless they are fortunate to attend a school implementing a 1 to 1 laptop project? Not much. That is why a digital divide still persists in the United States and around the globe. Schools need to provide more opportunities for students to acquire and refine digital literacy skills at school, because large numbers of students (especially those from lower socio-economic environments) don't have computers and connectivity at home. Even those students WITH computers at home are often not as digitally literate and tech saavy as many adults think they are. Young people may be more fearless when it comes to navigating DVD remote controls, cell phones and computers, but a navigational learning style does not always correlate to digital literacy and media literacy.

What effect would your IT department or administration's decision to block the entire Google domain at your school have on your instruction and the learning of your students on a daily basis? Perhaps this could be considered a litmus test for digital teaching in 2007? If a content filter block on the entire Google domain wouldn't significantly affect your life or the lives of your students at school each day, I think it's safe to say your school is ignoring the flat world that has many legislators and business leaders up in arms about American competitiveness and economic security in the decades ahead.

It's certainly true that many people create a lot of trash that is shared online. But the contrary is also true: A great deal of amazing content is being created and shared online on a daily basis, and Google is the most powerful portal available to access that content. We don't want students accidentally encountering offensive information or images when conducting Internet searches, and I certainly agree that a web portal like NetTrekker is much more appropriate for elementary-age and even middle school students to use than Google. That said, however, I think our high school students should definitely have access to Google for searches at school. And students at all levels should have access to the other powerful Google tools. If an administrator agrees with this sentiment, why are all students in grades K-12 typically given the same set of limited access rights to Internet content on district content filters? The answer may be it is always easier to block and ban than understand and differentiate.

Working online without Google is analogous to someone trying to swim without using their arms and just kicking their feet. It may be possible, but you certainly won't go very far or acquire the skills you'll need to be proficient in the open water of the "real world" outside of the pool or the school.

Comments

Wesley:
Great article, I just did a pair of presentations to Graduate students in Education and Google was a MAJOR part of the presentation. I think your post brings in all of the issues that surround why districts block Google, but I think we need to find ways to make this work for the students we teach. Blocking the entire domain is unacceptable. In lieu of that, we need to take some steps on our end to allay the fears of the IT gods!

1) Insitiute Digital Citizenship classes or modules within current coursework to make the students more savvy consumers of the content.

2) Work with Google to make the 'safe search' option easier for teachers and students to use.

3) Show IT directors the huge number of tools they are blocking by shutting off the entire domain!

I know I am preaching to the choir...

Hope to see you soon!

Posted by: Kyle Brumbaugh | February 25, 2007 5:43 PM

Wesley: Great post, but i wonder if the people that need to be reading this are making it to the blog. It sounds like you wonder the same thing.

We recently beat back an effort to block everything under the sun. Successful in keeping most things open, including Google images (despite the potential to see something harmful).

Some vocal teachers want to create an artificiaL environment where everything is controlled. Students at the high school level are taught to do research using BigChalk and Webfeetguides. Two search engines only accessible in the district, which means not useful in life.

Thanks again for the great post.

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