Should kids be taught 'Internet safety' in schools?

[Rainsford]

Originally posted by: CADsortaGUY

Originally posted by: jackschmittusa
CADsortaGUY

Teaching about computers in school is is a given, just as they taught us the Dewey Decimal System to better use the library in my day.

Teaching about internet safety seems no different than the shop safety lessons we had before they let us loose in woodshop.

I understand that. I have no problem with them teaching BASIC internet safety in a computer lab/class, what I question is this "need" to try to teach everything to everyone. There is no reason a school should be getting into all these other areas when they are failing at the basics...

There's a very good reason. There are things kids need to know beyond fractions and how to dissect a frog, and since parents are doing a shitty job teaching kids those things, I see no alternative beyond having the school step in. Yes, parents SHOULD be teaching their kids certain things...but since they're NOT, going on about how things should be isn't real helpful. Until we have a way to make people be better parents, schools will have to do.

 

[Sinsear]

Originally posted by: CADsortaGUY

Originally posted by: jackschmittusa
CADsortaGUY

Teaching about computers in school is is a given, just as they taught us the Dewey Decimal System to better use the library in my day.

Teaching about internet safety seems no different than the shop safety lessons we had before they let us loose in woodshop.

I understand that. I have no problem with them teaching BASIC internet safety in a computer lab/class, what I question is this "need" to try to teach everything to everyone. There is no reason a school should be getting into all these other areas when they are failing at the basics...

Precisely; school is not for teaching everything or excusing parental responsibility. However, most students are taking basic computer classes these days, and I see nothing but positive if a small part of the computer lesson plan involved some basic internet safety.

 

[CADsortaGUY]

Originally posted by: Rainsford

Originally posted by: CADsortaGUY

Originally posted by: jackschmittusa
CADsortaGUY

Teaching about computers in school is is a given, just as they taught us the Dewey Decimal System to better use the library in my day.

Teaching about internet safety seems no different than the shop safety lessons we had before they let us loose in woodshop.

I understand that. I have no problem with them teaching BASIC internet safety in a computer lab/class, what I question is this "need" to try to teach everything to everyone. There is no reason a school should be getting into all these other areas when they are failing at the basics...

There's a very good reason. There are things kids need to know beyond fractions and how to dissect a frog, and since parents are doing a shitty job teaching kids those things, I see no alternative beyond having the school step in. Yes, parents SHOULD be teaching their kids certain things...but since they're NOT, going on about how things should be isn't real helpful. Until we have a way to make people be better parents, schools will have to do.

WHOO HOO, one more step in the process of having people look to the gov't as their parent.

It is NOT the job of the gov't to raise a child - regardless of any individual parent's involvement. Why do the rest of us have to deal with the BS just because some deadbeat won't properly raise their child? Why hold the rest down due to the worst? It's bizarre how you socialists think.... "good of the whole....screw those that want to excel".

 

[CADsortaGUY]

Originally posted by: RightIsWrong

Originally posted by: CADsortaGUY

Originally posted by: dmcowen674

Originally posted by: CADsortaGUY

I figure if the parents don't feel responsible to teach their children how to be safe on the Internet, somebody has to do it.

This type of attitude is what has produced our 2nd rate education system we have today. The school is NOT there to teach everything - it's there to teach reading, writing and math. These distractions the schools keep adding into the curriculum has ruined the public school system.

Actually a lot has been taken away from the curriculum with NCLB.

They teach to a test instead of broad knowledge.

NCLB has done more damage to the public school system than anything else in history.

:roll: You people are insane. If a teacher has to teach the test, then they aren't doing their job. If the standardized tests suggest you need to know X by the end of third grade, then don't you think the 3rd grade teacher should be teaching X anyway?

You lack of knowledge on the subject is amazing. Even high ranking schools in the best neighborhoods are being instructed from the school administration to do just this very thing.

NCLB has threatened the very life support of school districts (funding) unless the students are able to pass this thing. The premise is stupid. Instead of teaching the students to be well rounded and teaching them concepts that are beyond the basics, they have to have x% at a certain level of proficiency or lose money. The natural thought process? Beat them over the head with crap that is a grade level behind where they should be instead of trying to teach them stuff that is a grade level ahead of where they should be so that our education system as a whole is better than 18th out of 24 industrialized countries.

Like I said, if the teachers have to teach the test, then they aren't very good teachers. If the standard is to know XYZ by T grade then R-T grade teachers should have a curriculum to teach that knowledge. This whole "teach the test" is nothing but a lame excuse for lazy teachers and/or districts.

 

[seemingly random]

No inet safety instruction. Teach em inet abstinence like the bushies suggest for sex ed.

 

[dmcowen674]

Originally posted by: CADsortaGUY

Like I said, if the teachers have to teach the test, then they aren't very good teachers. If the standard is to know XYZ by T grade then R-T grade teachers should have a curriculum to teach that knowledge. This whole "teach the test" is nothing but a lame excuse for lazy teachers and/or districts.

Unless you are a teacher or close to one you have no business spouting drivel just like Bush had no business pushing NCLB.

 

[ultra laser]

Teaching something practical like internet safety detracts from the time they're able to prepare the students for the all-important testing.

 

[CADsortaGUY]

Originally posted by: dmcowen674

Originally posted by: CADsortaGUY

Like I said, if the teachers have to teach the test, then they aren't very good teachers. If the standard is to know XYZ by T grade then R-T grade teachers should have a curriculum to teach that knowledge. This whole "teach the test" is nothing but a lame excuse for lazy teachers and/or districts.

Unless you are a teacher or close to one you have no business spouting drivel just like Bush had no business pushing NCLB.

Lets see. My mother was/is a teacher and my father in-law was school board president for years. But yeah, I guess I have no basis for what I'm saying as I've never had hours long conversations with them about what they see/saw. But then again, I'm sure nothing I say will satisfy you as you will continue to bleat about things you don't know about...

 

[ZzZGuy]

What about parents that don't understand anything about the internet, the ones that call tech support because they didn't know you had to plug the modem in.

Internet safety is a big deal, I consider it no different then telling your kids not to talk to strangers, it is not like teaching how to cook. The children of these people shouldn't suffer because of their parents ignorance.

There are many bad parents out there, a school system should aim to help kids to break this trend (once done and maintained should result in a better generation of people).

 

[seemingly random]

Originally posted by: ZzZGuy
What about parents that don't understand anything about the internet, the ones that call tech support because they didn't know you had to plug the modem in.

Internet safety is a big deal, I consider it no different then telling your kids not to talk to strangers, it is not like teaching how to cook. The children of these people shouldn't suffer because of their parents ignorance.

There are many bad parents out there, a school system should aim to help kids to break this trend (once done and maintained should result in a better generation of people).

The same argument could be used for parents who don't know algebra. There are a lot who don't. This is why there are public schools - to expose kids to things that they might not otherwise encounter.

I think we ought to tone down the bad parents rhetoric. Certainly there are some bad parents but I believe the amount is overblown by media coverage looking to get more tsk-tsk'ing viewers. As the population grows, there will be more bad parents but percentage wise it may remain the same. To fix many of society's ills, overpopulation is going to have to be dealt with at some point.

 

[ZzZGuy]

-edit- Brain fart, thinking of another post.