Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Could riots in London be bad for students in Alabama?

I have been trying to push for the use of student-owned hardware to help improve the overall level of technology integration in K-12 education for a bit. Now, in addition to the anxieties about cheating and sexting, I have to worry about one of the subtler thematic elements playing out now in the press coverage of the London riots, that of the subversive possibilities of organization, be it political or criminal, via mobile devices.

While the Blackberry might be uniquely suited for these purposes (and, meanwhile, I am the only one noticing the predeliction for BBs among teen texters, especially if they have a model with a grandfathered "text-only" plan without data?), I worry that the hysteria will extend to any device which allows students to communicate. Pencil and paper? Slates and chalk?




I guess I have been thinking a lot about organization versus control in school environments. I have been wondering how many policies have been put into place because of the inability of a handful of teachers to manage their students. But, chasing cell phones, I feel a little like these blundering security guards, pulling at some straws related to terror attacks:



Meanwhile, I have resorted to the Torygraph.

1 comment:

  1. Also, see the #riot:self-organized, hyper-networked revolution article in Wired, and read Wired UK's coverage of the riots. Average commute for rioting? 2.2 miles.

    ReplyDelete