Don't Debate.  Educate!

As tempting as it is to debate, debate, debate, that won't get the job done nearly as effectively as educate, educate, educate.  If we as educators and librarians focus on debating the issue with politicians, we will constantly be trying to change the minds of those whose minds are set, and whose decisions are often politically motivated.  Our job is to work with the minds that really.   The filter that sits between the ears of every student is the only filter capable of making an intelligent, informed decision, and we are the ones who can most influence the database from which it makes its decisions.

I'm not saying that debate shouldn't take place, but there are those who are already doing that and doing it effectively.  Rather than focusing on the debate and limiting our audience, we should be doing what we do best and broadening our support base, by educating those who are effected most by the filtering and who can change the political landscape and get politicians to listen to them.  I'm speaking of parents and students.

We can't educate our parents and students unless we are also up on the latest developments that impact us.  There are two pieces two similarly named pieces of legislation that you should already be aware of. Though similar in name, they are significantly different in their impact on schools and libraries.  If you aren't up on COPPA and COPA, you should follow this link.

Know the Net Generation

The kind of education necessary is not just about filtering.  In the resources section, I will provide you with links to sites with which you may already be familiar, but here I want to focus on two resources that will help you educate yourself, your teachers, your and your community. It is about understanding the nature of students and the Internet, getting a clear picture of what are, and what they will become in the 21st century. 

Some filtering proponents would have us believe that may students are hormone driven monsters who spend their every waking moment looking for pornography, and those innocent teens who aren't, are in grave danger of being corrupted by the filth that abounds on the Internet.

It's really scary when you think that people actually believe that picture.  You and I know that this is wrong on every count.  Parents need to educated as to the true nature of the Internet and about the role it plays in the lives of the Net Generation.

I'd like to recommend a few resources here to help in the battle to educate, educate, educate.  The first is you may be familiar with.  It is the book  Growing Up Digital by Don Tapscott.  (McGraw-Hill, ISBN 0-07-134798-4) He tells us,

"The kids are all right.  They are learning, developing, and thriving in the digital world.  They need better tools, better access, more resources, more services, and more freedom to explore, not the opposite.  Rather than hostility and mistrust on the part  of adults, we need a change in the thinking and behavior on the part of parents, educators, lawmakers, and business leaders alike."

The book provides 300+ pages of insight into the nature of children and how they relate to the digital world.  The information is comes from three years on research and interaction with students.  Filtering is covered only briefly, but that's all that is necessary.  By providing the information we need to understand the children and the nature on the net, the reader is able to better make up her own mind based on the facts, rather than the rhetoric.

Don't Legislate.  Educate!

The second book is one I'm sure you have not seen.  It is the book The Parent's Guide to Protecting Children in Cyberspace by Parry Aftab, (McGraw-Hill) scheduled for release Jan. 2000.  Parry is a cyber attorney and one of the country's top experts on child online safety and filtering. She serves as the Executive Director of CyberAngels and President of the North American Action Committee for UNESCO's Innocence in Danger Program.  The book provides a comprehensive look at Internet in the home and it the school. It has extensive coverage of filtering, gives legal perspectives, and provides a real picture of the importance of parental involvement in Internet use and education. 

Working on the belief that filtering is a parental issue, not a legislative or community one, Parry provides extensive resources and research concerning the nature of filtering, the features of specific filters, and parental rolls in the use of Internet.  She acknowledges the dangers on Internet, but puts them in perspective by pointing out the real dangers comes from not educating our children about online safety. 

Help Make Internet Safe and Productive

Going along with Don Tapscott's idea of providing resources for students, Parry, as part of the UNESCO project, has started WiredKids.org.  The WiredKids web site is a portal for students along with  a complete set of resources for students, parents, law enforcement, librarians, teachers and administrators.  Parry has asked me to team up with Della Curtis, Directory of Baltimore County Public Schools Libraries, creator of  the Parents Internet Education (P.I.E.), to be responsible for developing some of that content. 

If you would like to be a part of that effort, or would just like to be kept updated on progress please, send an e-mail to awolinsky@adelphia.net

Another Challenge

John Adsit, a regular contributor to the WWWEdu mailing list sent a message about Alan November's address to this year's NSBA Technology and Learning Convention.  November's remarks centered around filtering and the need to teach Information Literacy, rather than filter.  John's summary sparked quite a bit of conversation that is going on even as the Internet Librarian Conference is taking place. 

Aside from the summary and ensuing discussion, in his message, John challenges us to take positive action.  He has give me permission to reprint his message and has offered his support in my extending the challenge to Internet Librarians.  Please take the time to read his summary and challenge, and then take the time to respond.