First off, I have to publicly thank Jeanette Dow for putting a little book in my hand yesterday and instructing me to read it.  Mrs. Dow is the library aide at Veterans Elementary, so it's no surprise that she put a book in my hand and instructed me to read it - that is what she is supposed to do!

I read the book, Machines are the easy part; people are the hard part: Observations about making technology work in schools - by Doug Johnson, in about an hour.  This has more to do with how short the book was than how quickly I read.  As short as it was, it hit home with me and made me laugh all the way through.  It also reminded me of a number of issues I need to be thinking and writing about in our own school district.

One of the workshops I have planned on conducting this year for teachers and library staff was directly addressed in Doug Johnson's book, and it makes a lot of sense to start the conversation locally right here and right now.

Question #1

Is it wise to put a loaded gun in the hands of a child without properly training them how to use it?

The answer is so obvious - NO.  Some might say they would never put a loaded gun in the hands of a child, period.  I don't personally agree with this statement.  Realistically, I think it is fair to say that there are certain conditions under which I would definitely give a gun to a child. 

Let's say that someone invaded my home, and the only people in the house were me and my children.  I was mortally wounded by the invader, but had one last opportunity to give a gun to my oldest child before I fell unconscious.  I think, yes, I would definitely give the gun to my child with the hope that she could protect herself from certain danger.  I would feel a lot better about giving her the gun if I had previously instructed her in its use, that is for sure, but either way, I would give her the gun.

Question #2

Is it wise to give a child access to the Internet without properly training them how to use it?

• There are plenty of great learning tools that are accessible to kids in the Internet.
• There are plenty of fun games to be found on the Internet.
• There are plenty of excellent information sources on the Internet.

• There are plenty of websites that look reputable, but are actually meant to deceive.
• There are plenty of pedophiles waiting in chat rooms.
• There are plenty of porn websites that come up when an honest Google search is done, let alone when someone is looking for it on purpose.

Teachers, Librarians, and Parents need to prepare kids for what they will encounter on the Internet, because doing without it is not an option for those who are interested in helping their kids be competitive in tomorrow's workforce.

At the Norris School District, we employ an Internet filtering system that helps us make sure that students don't accidentally run across questionable websites, but the reality is that new websites with problematic content are being created all the time, and no Internet filter can fully keep up with their exponential growth.  If a student wants to get to these sites, they can usually find them if they work hard enough.

That is where teachers and parents must work to actively supervise Internet use and model productivity.

If you are a parent and you are interested in learning more about what you can do to help with your kids at home, then maybe the attached file from Focus on the Family will help.  You could also try searching the Internet, but be careful where you go!