http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_15161879
I was surprised that the local school board is contemplating a change in curriculum that will promote global warming as a natural phenomenon ONLY and not a problem that is influenced by humans. While in libraries it is important to have materials representing both sides, a science teacher has to teach SCIENCE, and it is currently accepted by the majority of the scientific community that global warming is impacted by humans. I think it is okay for teachers to mention that there are people that do not believe that and that each student has the right to have their own opinion. The student that had the dilemma during the test was not being questioned about his belief, but rather about what scientists have stated as fact due to evidence that supports their claim. When a student tells me that they don't believe in something that I am teaching, I tell them that is fine, but they still are required to meet the learning objectives of the state curriculum.
In some school districts, it has been proposed that the teaching of Intelligent Design is a “middle of the road” theory that supports both creationism and evolution. Some teachers also push the idea that global warming and evolution are JUST theories. I think both of these approaches will give kids the wrong idea about science. Intelligent Design is just a way to introduce religion into the public classroom, and downplaying the scientific research and evidence that go into developing a theory discredits the scientists and their hard work.
Trying to change the curriculum to follow a specific political agenda is a form of censorship. I worry that Colorado and Texas could be creating huge problems if their students are not taught what other public school children know.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Kids, the Internet, and the End of Privacy: The Greatest Generational Gap Since Rock and Roll (Blog #4)
http://nymag.com/news/features/27341/ (This article is in New York magazine.)
I apologize for its length, but I was struck by the title. After reading "Don't trust anyone over 25", I wondered if there really IS a generational gap. I hate to say it, but I think there just might be. I have always thought that even if I don't like what kids are doing, I am not so old (33) that I don't get why they are doing it. What and how much kids post online is definitely beyond me. I am so concerned about the impact of putting something on the internet (it's on there FOREVER), that I would never intentionally post something that I think would harm my reputation or career later in life. This article examines the strange (I think) phenomenon of kids posting every little tidbit of their lives. The author has come up with three major changes in thinking that kids today have compared to us "old folks".
1. They think they have an audience - Most kids know that there are people (friends or strangers) that will watch their videos, look at their pictures, and read their blogs and postings.
2. They are recording their teenage years - A lot of us want to forget them!
3. They are undaunted by the consequences - They are aware that people may/will judge them, but they don't care as much as we do.
I think these changes are definitely responsible for a generation gap! Most of us just don’t understand this kind of thinking (at least not all of it). While I have created this blog, I tend to forget that others (outside of our class) may be reading it. I don’t think of myself as having an audience because I don’t think that I am SO exciting that everyone wants to know what I have to say. Also, I enjoyed my teenage years, but I am glad that I don’t have every event, argument, and occasion recorded. It is easier to get over past hurts without constant reminders and good experiences seem better when you gloss over the boring/bad/annoying parts. I want the happiest parts of my memories to be vivid, not all of it. And the scariest thing to me is the impact that my internet usage can have on my reputation or career. I am careful not to post anything that I wouldn’t want my grandma to read. Kids today don’t seem to have that worry. They post everything! The article stated that many kids are “doing their own publicity before somebody does it for them”. I think I would rather have NO publicity.
I apologize for its length, but I was struck by the title. After reading "Don't trust anyone over 25", I wondered if there really IS a generational gap. I hate to say it, but I think there just might be. I have always thought that even if I don't like what kids are doing, I am not so old (33) that I don't get why they are doing it. What and how much kids post online is definitely beyond me. I am so concerned about the impact of putting something on the internet (it's on there FOREVER), that I would never intentionally post something that I think would harm my reputation or career later in life. This article examines the strange (I think) phenomenon of kids posting every little tidbit of their lives. The author has come up with three major changes in thinking that kids today have compared to us "old folks".
1. They think they have an audience - Most kids know that there are people (friends or strangers) that will watch their videos, look at their pictures, and read their blogs and postings.
2. They are recording their teenage years - A lot of us want to forget them!
3. They are undaunted by the consequences - They are aware that people may/will judge them, but they don't care as much as we do.
I think these changes are definitely responsible for a generation gap! Most of us just don’t understand this kind of thinking (at least not all of it). While I have created this blog, I tend to forget that others (outside of our class) may be reading it. I don’t think of myself as having an audience because I don’t think that I am SO exciting that everyone wants to know what I have to say. Also, I enjoyed my teenage years, but I am glad that I don’t have every event, argument, and occasion recorded. It is easier to get over past hurts without constant reminders and good experiences seem better when you gloss over the boring/bad/annoying parts. I want the happiest parts of my memories to be vivid, not all of it. And the scariest thing to me is the impact that my internet usage can have on my reputation or career. I am careful not to post anything that I wouldn’t want my grandma to read. Kids today don’t seem to have that worry. They post everything! The article stated that many kids are “doing their own publicity before somebody does it for them”. I think I would rather have NO publicity.
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
When school grounds become free-speech battlegrounds - Blog 3
http://www.americanpressinstitute.org/pages/resources/2005/06/when_school_grounds_become_fre/
This article ties into the last blog that I wrote. It is interesting to see that school newspapers are not the only ‘hot spots’ in schools. I was also shocked to see how many of the high school students surveyed were unaware of free-speech rights.
“…three-fourths of the students think flag-burning is illegal; half believe that the government can censor the Internet; only 51% believe that newspapers should be free to publish without government approval.”
I find these statistics very disturbing. While I understand the need to restrict student expression at times to maintain the school as an environment conducive to learning, I am worried by what these numbers represent. Are the vast majority of our kids going to be ignorant of their rights and so, easily led by whoever happens to be in power? If they feel that the government has the right to censor the Internet and other media, will that make them more apathetic about expressing themselves? Will they want to vote if they feel that they are only being fed what the government wants them to know? Is this why so many of them are so distrustful of authority figures?
I think as librarians, we need to continually show kids that there are people fighting for their rights. Starting with a promotion for banned books week is great, but we also need to make sure we are informing kids of other freedom of expression cases around the country. Maybe keeping a section on the library website or a bulletin board in the library with examples of cases currently being fought by other students would help bring it to their attention.
Now that I have seen this article, I know that increasing awareness of free-speech rights is something that I am going to have to give a lot of thought to when I have my own library.
This article ties into the last blog that I wrote. It is interesting to see that school newspapers are not the only ‘hot spots’ in schools. I was also shocked to see how many of the high school students surveyed were unaware of free-speech rights.
“…three-fourths of the students think flag-burning is illegal; half believe that the government can censor the Internet; only 51% believe that newspapers should be free to publish without government approval.”
I find these statistics very disturbing. While I understand the need to restrict student expression at times to maintain the school as an environment conducive to learning, I am worried by what these numbers represent. Are the vast majority of our kids going to be ignorant of their rights and so, easily led by whoever happens to be in power? If they feel that the government has the right to censor the Internet and other media, will that make them more apathetic about expressing themselves? Will they want to vote if they feel that they are only being fed what the government wants them to know? Is this why so many of them are so distrustful of authority figures?
I think as librarians, we need to continually show kids that there are people fighting for their rights. Starting with a promotion for banned books week is great, but we also need to make sure we are informing kids of other freedom of expression cases around the country. Maybe keeping a section on the library website or a bulletin board in the library with examples of cases currently being fought by other students would help bring it to their attention.
Now that I have seen this article, I know that increasing awareness of free-speech rights is something that I am going to have to give a lot of thought to when I have my own library.
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Puyallup student journalists decry censorship - Blog #2
http://www.thenewstribune.com/2010/05/24/1198394/school-journalists-decry-censorship.html
Student journalists for the school newspaper at one of the high schools in Puyallup, WA are protesting a regulation that requires student work be previewed by a principal before publication. The students have given examples where parts of their stories were altered or deleted. School officials claim that due to a prior incident that created a lawsuit (they won, but must pay legal fees), they must have the final say in the school articles. The district is financially liable for any lawsuits that are incurred from student publications. Because of the new regulations, some of the student journalists are now self-censoring because they are afraid of offending others.
I feel bad for the kids at these newspapers. I understand that they want to be able to do high quality work that impacts their readers. They are trying to do stories on issues that other teens want to read. I think their teachers should be proud of how they are trying to fight for their case. Going to the board meeting, gathering public support (through Facebook), and creating media attention with their merchandise are all tactics that they would have to employ in the "real world". Although I understand the school district's fear of legal fees, I think they are undermining their program and failing their students. We also frequently preach to kids that doing the right thing is so important (even more than money), but we don't always back them up when they do it.
It would be interesting to know the reactions of the school and public librarians in the district and surrounding areas. Hopefully, they are providing public support. I think that we work so hard to defend our patrons' freedom to read, view, and access that sometimes we forget to defend their right of expression.
Student journalists for the school newspaper at one of the high schools in Puyallup, WA are protesting a regulation that requires student work be previewed by a principal before publication. The students have given examples where parts of their stories were altered or deleted. School officials claim that due to a prior incident that created a lawsuit (they won, but must pay legal fees), they must have the final say in the school articles. The district is financially liable for any lawsuits that are incurred from student publications. Because of the new regulations, some of the student journalists are now self-censoring because they are afraid of offending others.
I feel bad for the kids at these newspapers. I understand that they want to be able to do high quality work that impacts their readers. They are trying to do stories on issues that other teens want to read. I think their teachers should be proud of how they are trying to fight for their case. Going to the board meeting, gathering public support (through Facebook), and creating media attention with their merchandise are all tactics that they would have to employ in the "real world". Although I understand the school district's fear of legal fees, I think they are undermining their program and failing their students. We also frequently preach to kids that doing the right thing is so important (even more than money), but we don't always back them up when they do it.
It would be interesting to know the reactions of the school and public librarians in the district and surrounding areas. Hopefully, they are providing public support. I think that we work so hard to defend our patrons' freedom to read, view, and access that sometimes we forget to defend their right of expression.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Free Speech Groups Protest GLBT Book-Banning at NJ School District-Blog #1
http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6728872.html?industryis=47055
This article describes how a New Jersey school district banned a book after complaints from members in the community. The book relates coming out stories and the feelings of gay and lesbian youth on their identities. After reading the article, I am impressed at the way the NCAC and ACLU-NJ are handling the issue. They are trying to discover if the book was banned solely on its theme or if the school's reconsideration policy was followed.
Although school officials may feel a lot of pressure from parents and the rest of the community, it is very important that they remember the books in the library are for the students. While some people may not like the content, it could be very significant for others. Besides, if the school has a librarian on staff and a selection policy in place, then the principal and school board should support the decision of that librarian for choosing to include the book in the collection. I'm sure that on any controversial topic, the decision to include or not include a book is not made lightly. ACLU-NJ Executive Director Deborah Jones stated, "Educators and school librarians are the best qualified to determine what kinds of books and materials schools should keep in their libraries. Neither political groups nor parents have a right to impose their decisions, morals, or values on all students and families." To me, emphasis should be placed on that last sentence. What may be right for one family is not necessarily what is right for another. Removing this book infringes on the rights of others to view it. In addition, if the book contains material of educational value or fills a specific need of the student body, then it should stay in place. I would bet that there are several students that are gay, lesbian, or curious in that school, so the book would fulfill both requirements. There is no reason that I can see as to why it should be removed.
This article describes how a New Jersey school district banned a book after complaints from members in the community. The book relates coming out stories and the feelings of gay and lesbian youth on their identities. After reading the article, I am impressed at the way the NCAC and ACLU-NJ are handling the issue. They are trying to discover if the book was banned solely on its theme or if the school's reconsideration policy was followed.
Although school officials may feel a lot of pressure from parents and the rest of the community, it is very important that they remember the books in the library are for the students. While some people may not like the content, it could be very significant for others. Besides, if the school has a librarian on staff and a selection policy in place, then the principal and school board should support the decision of that librarian for choosing to include the book in the collection. I'm sure that on any controversial topic, the decision to include or not include a book is not made lightly. ACLU-NJ Executive Director Deborah Jones stated, "Educators and school librarians are the best qualified to determine what kinds of books and materials schools should keep in their libraries. Neither political groups nor parents have a right to impose their decisions, morals, or values on all students and families." To me, emphasis should be placed on that last sentence. What may be right for one family is not necessarily what is right for another. Removing this book infringes on the rights of others to view it. In addition, if the book contains material of educational value or fills a specific need of the student body, then it should stay in place. I would bet that there are several students that are gay, lesbian, or curious in that school, so the book would fulfill both requirements. There is no reason that I can see as to why it should be removed.
Friday, May 7, 2010
A Recent Brush with Attempted Censorship
Here are some links to articles about an attempt at censorship in my school district. A school board member complained about a book that AP English students were reading. At first, they pulled the book, but after the reconsideration process started, they returned the books to the students. I have included the original Indianapolis Star story along with the follow-up articles that describe the resolution.
Original article - http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=20104290404
Follow-up - http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2010100430028
Op-Ed - http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=20105010321
Original article - http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=20104290404
Follow-up - http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2010100430028
Op-Ed - http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=20105010321
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
