Linking Libraries and Academic Achievement

Kathy Lehman writes that the Department of Education, Library Services group will be updating the Linking Libraries web pages to include the topic of Internet Safety.  I think it is an excellent project and I know that everyone will be excited to learn what role the library plays in this important topic.

Just to review, the Virginia General Assembly placed into law effective July 1, 2006, a mandate that all schools include a component of Internet Safety into the K-12 curriculum as part of the same legislation that required Acceptable Use Policies and filtering technologies. A complete guide to the legislation is included in the Guidelines for Internet Safety available for download at http://www.doe.virginia.gov/VDOE/Technology/OET/internet-safety-guidelines.shtml  I encourage each of you to read the guidelines and to become familiar with the recomendations.  I would also suggest that you identify who in your division has been charged with creating the Internet Safety program. 

As librarians, we are constantly charged with ensuring that students are informed and ethical users of information.  This legislation provides us with another opportunity to teach both students and faculty how to be safe online.  It is also another opportunity to teach alternate search strategies that do not involve open Internet searches.  The databases provided by the Library of Virginia are an excellent alternative to guide students and staff to for quality information.

But, it is important to remember that while at school, our students are protected from accessing unfiltered information, we also need to teach them what to do when faced with situations such as requests for personal information and cyber bullying.  The educational value of Internet 2.0 and other emerging technologies must not get lost in the fears of what might happen. 

School divisions are facing a giant disconnect in the area of technology.  Students are used to controlling the technology and making it fit their life style and learning demands.  School technology leaders are trying to ensure maximum network efficiency while at the same time working to determine how best to incorporate new technologies into the system.  No easy job for either the technology advernturers in the instructional realm or for the persons charged with maintaining a robust and secure network environment. 

Your thought?

This entry was posted on Thursday, February 8th, 2007 at 5:52 pm Filed under Librarianship, Uncategorized and. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.