School Boards Rule, Internet No Longer Dangerous 238
destinyland writes "Good news. The National School Boards Association, which represents 95,000 school board members, just released a report declaring fears of the internet are overblown. In fact, after surveying 1,277 students, "the researchers found exactly one student who reported they'd actually met a stranger from the internet without their parents' permission. (They described this as "0.08 percent of all students.") The report reminds educators that schools initially banned internet use before they'd realized how educational it was. Now instead they're urging schools to include social networks in their curriculum!"
Sure (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Sure (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Sure (Score:5, Interesting)
I didn't see it, but someone was telling me about it. They interviewed these kids about what they would do if they were to find a gun. They said stuff like they would never touch it and they would immediately tell an adult. They then put the kids in a room without adults and with a see thru mirror and left a gun laying around. Their parents were on the other side of the mirror watching them. Of course, the kids picked up the gun and starting playing it.
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The McMartin preschool criminal trial is a better example than the 20/20 episode you mention. In the McMartin case, hundreds of children told investigators they were abused because the children thought that was what the investigators wanted to hear. Apparently, all the abuse allegations turned out to be false:
http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials /mcmartin/mcmartin.html
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Now we can visit grammar sites (Score:4, Funny)
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Re:Now we can visit grammar sites (Score:5, Funny)
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Re:Now we can visit grammar sites (Score:5, Funny)
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In a long ass sentence, using commas is like shaking it out at the urinal. Zero is too few, 3 is too many.
Re:Now we can visit grammar sites (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:Now we can visit grammar sites (Score:5, Funny)
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That's some powerful stuff (Score:3, Funny)
No, really. (Score:2)
At least that what kids said when the School Board asked them. They also said the Internet was no longer dangerous.
Sigh... (Score:2, Funny)
0.08 percent? (Score:2, Interesting)
Public education -- a series of tubes down the drain.
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I wouldn't be so sure. There are plenty of sites that can help [purplemath.com] with basic math, if you just look for them. I guess you belong to the "overblown" club, huh?
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1 / 1277 = 0.0007830853563038371182458888018794
Move the decimal over two places for percent display:
0.07830853563038371182458888018794%
Round up a little and you have 0.08%, as reported by the article.
I am curious as to what fundamental math is being quested here.
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Mine apparently.
Here is what is even more funny: I scored a perfect Math SAT as a Senior.
Here is what is even more funny: As a Junior I took the test, and paid to have the answers I got wrong explained to me (several weeks after test, mailed to me). I missed two questions.. both were addition problems.
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But...that doesn't add up.
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This is a very small sampling to making any broad judgements from, but what if this small sample represented the USA? If this study scaled up to an 8 million kids, that would be 6,264.7 kids would have met someone off-line. I pray that the numbers are not truly that bad, otherwise, we have done a poor job of raising our children.
Re:0.08 percent? (Score:4, Funny)
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Social Networks Educational ? (Score:2, Insightful)
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Ok, now you got me scared too!
Local Social Networks (Score:2)
If a school level social network was available, different students could meet and get to know each other in a different context. You are limited to people you could actually meet, not across the country or a continent away.
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This used to be my great argument that Facebook was not evil -- I found it a great (and also not ugly) way to keep up with friends who had gone to college or whom I hadn't seen in a while. Then Facebook added regional networks, and started letting anyone on, and that argument became inv
The 3 R's (Score:4, Funny)
OMG mathz rulz. I have mad science skillz, lolz!2!@! check out my blogz. c u guyz at da mall. ;)
While I agree with the sentiment (Score:5, Insightful)
I'm hardly surprised that a study funded by that group would decide the Internet is safe. And less surprised that social networking sites should be used. Perhaps using Myspace from your Vista PC on your Verizon broadband connection isn't so bad!!11
Just like the real world (Score:5, Funny)
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Re:Just like the real world (Score:5, Funny)
The internets be edjucationel (Score:5, Funny)
The internet improving the writing skills of children? That's unpossible!
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Fixed.
.08%? (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:.08%? (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:.08%? (Score:5, Funny)
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1/1277 = 0.0008
0.0008 would be 0.08%
Remember that the '%' stands for '/100' That's why it's a percent. "Per Centum". So,
0.08% = 0.08/100 = 0.0008
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1/1277 = 0.0008
0.0008*(100%/1)=0.08%
so
1/1277=0.08%
See proof positive that the internet is educational.
Good news?? (Score:3, Insightful)
I would think this is a fundamentally flawed survey. What student hasn't heard the message that giving out personal information is considered risky?? I remember getting surveys in school that involved some rule or restriction that was unpopular and organizing group responses in the hope of getting those restrictions lessened.
Why on earth would you need to teach about social networks in school? Isn't it easy enough to pick up outside of school? Their success would indicate that to be true.
"84% of school districts have rules against online chatting in school" - TFA - OH NOES, my freedom of speech!!!!!!! Seriously maybe you should be learning where Iraq is on a world map instead of talking about your latest crush in IM.
This is why I pay for private school. Freaking tax dollars going to rubbish like this
Why teach about social networks (Score:4, Insightful)
Of course I don't expect the teachers to know anything about social networking, just like in High School I suspected that the teachers were pretty clueless about sex as well.
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Ummm... I gave Slashdot my email address. Should I be concerned now?
A new low in misinformation (Score:5, Insightful)
And
Internet != Social Networking
Geez, you'd think that a user on
When do I get to mod an Article "Stupid Summation"?
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All that unsafe stuff was thrown out.
XoXo - The Internet/Web
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Instead you bring it out in the open, talk about it, and help people use it more responsibly.
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NSBA==BSA? (Score:2)
Children "who reported" x,y, or z (Score:4, Insightful)
I'm all for a free internet, but that requires no one declare it "safe," because then fat politicians will feel compelled to attempt to make it so, even though that's mathematically impossible.
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You assume they want the 'truth.' (Score:3, Insightful)
Doing a non-anonymous survey is a good way to skew the results the way you want. If you're looking to make the internet seem "safe," do all the interviews with the kids' parents sitting next to them. Nope, no porn on that Internet, no-siree.
Comment removed (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Wherever there is a kid getting in trouble onli (Score:2)
I don't have kids myself, but I met a woman recently that was very tech savvy. She and her husband had everything in the home network going through a proxy server and everything being logged. Then they actually read the logs. I thought that was a great idea.
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I agree, that is a great idea. I can't think of a better way to teach kids about the benefits of encryption.
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I'm going to set up a proxy server for my kids. It will be like a cat and mouse game. They'll try to gain access to things they shouldn't, and I'll try to stop them. I can't think of a better way to teach my kids about computers and the Internet.
To put it another way: I'm less concerned about them talking to strangers than I am about them not learning valuable skills.
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#5 is something that my wife and I have already agreed to with our kids. They can be on the Internet all they want/need, but they will not be doing it in their room where no one can watch them. It's possible that they could sneak downstairs while we're asleep, but if they can just get out of bed and go to their desk, that makes it virtually impossible for us to police them.
When I was a kid, my parents had internet access in my room :) I think we're seeing the first generation now where a significant proportion of parents are more computer savvy than their kids. In my case, I got into trouble for using more that 500MB of 'internet' every month because I spent 3x as much time on the computer as my parents. It didn't matter that I was writing C++ code and they were sharing family pics with the whole world (including some of me as baby in diapers). Fortunately, they weren't arre
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But you still have essentially the same rather clueless parents with little time to spare to make li'l Billy's computer pron safe, and li'l Billy (and his friends) with a lot of spare time to work
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I wouldn't necessarily say that the current generation knows so much more about the internet (compared to its kids) than the previous one did. The average knowledge rises, but so does the average knowledge of their kids. Also, the quality of tools and easy of use did increase incredibly during the last 10-20 years.
Your point makes sense. One one hand you have people in their late 30s who are starting to become parents of teens. They experienced the growth of the internet in THEIR youth and are well versed in its use. On the other, you have myspace kids who think using meebo makes them better than the AOLuser. I sort of forgot that the latter aren't usually born to the former.
I'm 21, and I'm expecting teen children in about 20 years. I also fully expect them to kick my ass at using technology since they'll know ('Wha
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Re:Wherever there is a kid getting in trouble onli (Score:2)
That should keep them under control of them if they are technically inept. If, however, they are smart enough to circumven
Re:Wherever there is a kid getting in trouble onli (Score:2)
I mean, I agree with most of your points, but learning how to handle privacy is an important part of maturation. Privacy gives kids the freedom to explore and develop their own identity. If you've done your job as a parent, you have nothing to fear from the internet. If you teach them right and wrong, they'll know it when they see it, whether they're on the int
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I'm not a parent yet. However when I do, they can do whatever they want when they are independent adults. However while I am still legally responsible for their wellbeing, and they are still living in my house, they will have to abide by whatever restrictions I believe
Unbelievable... (Score:2, Insightful)
If you're reading articles, sure, it can be safe (but exposure to non-appropriate material is still an issue), but when you engauge in social activities (chat, IM, etc) - it goes to a whole new level.
Just simply...WOW.
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Yeah, I'm in mortal danger every time I click that mouse button. Please, someone does actual research and you counter with common sense? I guess any idiot knows the sun moves around the earth too.
If you're reading articles, sure, it can be safe (but exposure to non-appropriate material is still an issue)
Exactly what danger is posed by "exposure to non-appropriate material"? Seriously, what kind of damage will be done to a child
Banning social networking not about student safety (Score:4, Insightful)
It's also about network security. Giving a thousand high school students unfettered internet access is just asking for trouble, no matter how hard you try to protect your network.
Hell, they are more likely to be abused (Score:4, Insightful)
While we do get some sensational stories on occasion, usually involving hottie female teacher or some male gym coach, there are hundreds of cases that never get national press attention. There are some estimates that children are more in danger from teachers and other school employees than any other source (they were comparing to the scare on churches)
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Finally, he was "transfered". In other words, he's now probably in another school, molesting the girls there. No, he wasn't interested in boys. Would've made getting through history and geography a lot easier...
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With all the scaremongering around random strangers abducting children off the Internet, the statistics are telling. In one year in Canada (2005 or so), there were thousands of abducted children reported. 5 were taken by strangers. 5. Abuse figures are similarly telling.
If we ever cared about protecting children, we'd keep them as far away as possible from parents, family members, and family friends. But it's more fun to whip people into a frenzy over som
The internet is not dangerous (Score:3, Insightful)
Speaking as a teacher and future school administrator, schools are legally and morally obligated to protect the children in their care. No principal wants to be known as the "Porn Principal" who allows high school students to surf for pornography. No principal wants to have to answer calls from the media regarding why little Amber was allowed to chat with a previously-convicted pedophile from the school library and ended up kidnapped and molested as she walked home (What do you mean you don't know why? What kind of unsafe place is this?) The odds of these things happening is small, but it's a simple risk analysis. What do school administrators have to gain from granting students total access to the internet? Sadly, not much, really. So, sometimes they go a little overboard.
Children, however, have to be taught responsibility in a controlled environment. Generally, most school buildings can be rather well-controlled (doors locked, visitors checked, metal detectors, etc.). The internet, however, opens up access to the school and reduces the control of the administration, which is something most administrators are very afraid of. Combined with the slight possibility of things going terribly wrong, we pay to have the filters block out most "objectionable" content.
Tell that to other censors (Score:2)
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Lord help us! (Score:2)
... Only 20% said they'd seen "inappropriate" pictures on social networking sites in the last 3 months. (And only 11% of parents concur, even for the last 6 months.)...
...In fact, after surveying 1,277 students, the researchers found exactly one who reported they'd actually met a person from the internet without their parents' permission...
So this is good news why? Because not ALL of the kids saw inappropriate pictures? Because LOTS of kids aren't secretly meeting people they met on the internet? And did anything bad happen to that kid as a result? (the details might cast a whole new light on this story). Hey, I just did a study and found out guns aren't as dangerous as we thought. Very few kids are killed by guns in school, so let's get rid of the metal detectors.
As a parent I was very frustrated about internet access in sch
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That's a great idea. We should be spending that money on education, not treating our students like prisoners. By and large the people who are going to be causing trouble are those who don't want to be there. I don't see any reason to force them. Get rid of the metal detectors, get rid of the trouble makers and schools might actually become places where people go to learn instead of a nightmarish hellhole.
Oh no!!! Schools are approving the Internet ... (Score:5, Interesting)
If we really want young people to become familiar with the Internet, and learn to use it for their benefit, we should take the approach that works: Ban its use by children (where "child" even includes someone 17 years old). Put all sorts of leaky barriers in the way of their access. That way, the kids will be fascinated by it, and will spend lots of time learning how to use it.
Lots of people have observed that the main effect of most schools is to take various topics and make them boring and uninteresting. Consider a topic like history. How could the story of all the people who came before us (and messed up this world so thoroughly
Or consider music. That's a hard-wired human activity, that can be intensely exciting, right? How can we teach kids to not waste their time learning to make music, and make them content to spend the rest of their lives at a desk job? Right: Give them music lessons.
We should totally ban the use of the Internet in schools. They'll just do to it what they've done to so many other exciting human developments; they'll teach the kids that it's boring and uninteresting, and too hard for anyone but a "nerd" to understand.
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It didn't take an hour.
We had the same teacher in chemistry. A few weeks later he started an hour with "Well, today we'll mix up some mustard gas. I'll need a volunteer?" When we stared at him and nobody willingly raised his hand (for the first time in chem, he was known for pretty we
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Social networks in the curriculum?? (Score:2)
Seems to me that cellphones with web access are causing more and more distraction. When was the last time you saw a student not in a classroom setting without a phone stapled to their ear? Actively encouraging use of
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Re:Yeah great (Score:4, Insightful)
elevenelevenonehundredandeleven (Score:2)
Re:Yeah great (Score:5, Informative)
Back in the day, we could have typed stuff out of the encyclopedia. Wikipedia and computers has made cheating a little easier, but hasn't enabled anything new.
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ow about "Does the Star Trek transporter use lossy or lossless compression? Why?"
So *that*'s why the show kept gradually getting shittier over time. ;)
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Finding a real world example of the use of lossy or lossless compression and why someone might use it is a good enough assignment to force kids not to just copy and paste. "Give examples" is the short form of "give examples and an explanation as to why" but people forget that and accept a list of examples. The two are not equivalent, but have become synonymo
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As a European don't you pretty much get that anyway? I know as a general rule Europeans get far more vacation than their counterparts on this side of the Atlantic. I can feel your pain with the 1000 Euro, though, that's a heavy hit in the wallet.
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Good! If you can't pass honestly you shouldn't pass at all. After repeating the same grade 3 or 4 times, maybe they'd wisen up. Or maybe they'd drop out. Either would be preferable to producing unqualified graduates. Ignoring plagiarism just makes you part of the problem.
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Go to hell. You and all your "get off my lawn / kids nowadays" buddies can seriously just go stuff yourselves. With comments like this you devalue everything learned and accomplished by schoolchildren / highschoolers in America. Stop tearing things down just because you don't understand. I have no idea why slashdot moderators allow comments like this. How about you a) do something about the education system since you dislike it so much or b) stop reducing the work of mill
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English, history, science... who needs that to flip burgers?
Re:If i were a network administrator for a school. (Score:2)
...thereby revoking your safe harbor protections under the DMCA and probably most other civil venues: "Your Honor, since the school system took responsibility for filtering, it was clearly their responsibility to protect my client's child from seeing that naked breast!"
Good thing you're not a network administrator for a school.
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Good thing you're not a network administrator for a school
What to filter/what *not* to filter is a big topic of conversation these days among school network administrators
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my bad
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(Full disclosure: I turned 30 today