Imagine the uproar if school’s were to ban students from taking driver’s education while students at the school. Driving is a central component to life in America. We think driving and safe driving is so important that communities have taken the responsibility to to work with our young students to help develop safe driving habits and become safe drivers.

Despite our best attempts, some students still get tickets, are involved in minor fender-benders and despite our best efforts some are killed. Some will drink and drive. Some will pick up hitch-hikers. Some will tell you they are going to the mall but will actually go somewhere different. Are these experiences exasperating? You bet. Some parents and teachers will be mad and some will be disappointed. But, and this is a big but, we still let them drive. Despite all the things that can go wrong, schools still do their best efforts to have students learn to drive cars so they can participate in a society that is automobile based.

So let’s summarize, schools and communities insist on schools offering drivers education so our children can be empowered to go off and do an activity that could lead to their death. We should ban drivers education. Why should the schools be involved in any endeavor that places students at risk?

Ok, let’s look at another activity that involves risk but if used safely is the key to accessing information. Using the internet. Many schools have blocked internet or severely limited internet access. Who is responsible to teach our students how to negotiate this highway? The internet is dangerous. - But real danger is whenever one of our young drivers gets in a car, straps on the seatbelt and starts the car.

Can a student be distracted while using the internet? Sure, just like a student might while driving a car and his friend is punching him in the arm while the car is moving. Can someone die using the internet? Don’t know about that one, but clearly many students die each year while driving cars.

Because the internet is a central component to today’s life, it is essential that people be educated how to use the internet. Will a student always go to the correct web site? No. Will they get side-tracked and explore other sites and listen to music? Yes Sir! That is why we should restrict student access to the internet. - NO IT’S NOT!

That is precisely the reason we as teachers and educators should be helping our students learn to drive the internet. We want them to develop the skills to recognize inappropriate sites and to have the critical thinking abilities to know if what they are reading is true or not.

As parents, at some point we turn our children loose with the car and the keys. We hope they have learned to make good decisions, to recognize and avoid danger and we hope someone else does not run into them and cause injury or worse.

A Really Different Place Web Site

This “blog” page is one of the best I have seen and serves as an example to teachers. Students maintain there own blogs and others are free to make comments. There is a set of guidelines each participant must follow. This is social networking at work! In the words of the site itself:

“There are several student outcomes targeted by use of this site. Students will learn to be safe and responsible social networkers. They will understand intellectual property and copyright issues. Students will have the opportunity to write real and relevant content which is viewed by an authentic audience. The content may be original thoughts or stories, comments in response to peers or response to reflection questions posted by teachers as blog entries or threaded discussions. RSS News feed articles may also be used for inspiration!

Parents and teachers, be sure to check in often to see how your students are progressing in their thinking and writing.”

So go ahead and have a look.  I appreciate your comments and feedback.