This discussion may seem a little out of place for this blog but I thought I would share it anyway. Jacqui Strachan and I were getting ready for the Parents as Partners webcast and I asked her opinion about a discussion going on in this blog . I wanted Jacqui’s impression about how much the Internet was a concern for parents. Things like cyberbullying – facebook and did she have an understanding about classroom blogging. Her answer supported my observation I that conveyed in the aforementioned blog. Jacqui is a quick study and willing learner and very in tune with parents in her role as a parent inclusion manager for People for Education. She was not familiar with classroom blogging and the parents she worked with were concerned with live – meaning not online – bullying.
I am a strong advocate for online communications – you can read about my ideas in www.classroomblogging.com. So my comments to the people who were outraged by a closure of a classroom blog coincided with Jacqui’s experience with parents and supported what I said.
I call this phenomenon the fear factor. It is not unusual for administrators to tighten the belt when children seem to be at risk. Having been on the perceived other side as a school board trustee, I know the anxiety attacks that befall administrators when controversy hits. The media does not help either. You are using the Internet to show your support but the unschooled are not on the Internet. Following along with that thought, in my experience many administrators do not use the Internet; are not comfortable with computers and like any child are afraid to ask for fear of feeling foolish. Newspapers don’t sell newspapers based on good news stories. Cyber-bullying and online predators are all over the place. If one parent complains, the school board is at risk for any and all legal ramifications. I listen to the frustrations of educators trying to deal with administrative shut downs but I have also heard the other side whose job it is to maintain discipline – staff and students. Blogging in our supportive community – in my opinion is not enough. One hundred and thirty some comments written here are not going to change the way school boards feel when threatened. I suggest creating a media campaign across the planet to raise the awareness of blogging benefits. Imagine the impact, if all the shining examples of educational bloggers and their supportive community all wrote a letter to the editor. Make newspapers do the job for you. I am going to take this discussion to the Parents as Partners webcast to-night at 9:00 PM (GMT-5) at www.edtechtalk.com/live.
There was a reaction to my comments that said even if the comments in the blog didn’t make a difference they still showed support for Al Upton and I responded.
Hello all – I do not think that I was clear in my comments about communicating in this fashion – making comments – pseudo petition. Of course this is all fear and narrow thinking and I support the concerns voiced here. I was trying offer a solution – so we can make difference. As well as spending the time and energy to write our comments I was suggesting another way to change public opinion. If enough voices use a medium that the non-techie world uses to communicate – the newspaper – the awareness is raised and this message can be conveyed to more people – more opportunity for change and a respect for a teacher whose views can make a difference for students. 154 + newspapers around the world will attract some attention. And I add this other piece of advice do not target any one person or any one school board in your protest. This is an issue for teachers around the world not just in Australia. My opinion as a former trustee – I have seen too many petitions go nowhere.
So what is my point? Advocating for what you believe in while others don’t agree – will be fail to move the mountain unless you put yourself in some one else’s shoes and look for other alternatives. Unless you demonstrate respect for the people you are dealing with – change that to working with – you are only going to get frustrated. What was I thinking advising people to use the press as a change agent? I will repeat if you do not personalize the issues and focus on the over all benefits to students you can make a difference. If you are really a gluten for punishment read the 150 odd comments in the response to “Order for Closure And when you do read the online petition translate that into “school closure”, how you can be involved as a parent and the same principles apply.
