Learning & Leading Through Technology

that any exposed flaw in your security will pass semi-secretly around the student body in a display of rebellion.

Instead, what if we offer incentives for students to harness those critical-thinking and creativity skills to find and report flaws that have gone overlooked so they can be remedied before they cause a greater problem in the student body at large? The school district’s devices are kept safer, students are rewarded for their persistence and hard work, and hacking has found its place in an engaging, digital age education.

—Originally from Michigan, Rob Burggraaf lives with his wife and two children in South Carolina.

After seven years teaching fifth grade, he is now an instructional technology coach for Lexington School District Two’s elementary schools.

It’s true that companies, school districts, and individuals must set up secure networks and use strong passwords. But as my student pointed out, it’s not OK for hackers to exploit others’ mistakes or shortcomings.

Let’s talk to our students about the importance of password security so we can all protect ourselves, and let’s talk to them about digital citizenship. There are many more ethical ways to use their computing expertise to help companies and districts secure their networks.

—Kim Garcia is the educational technology coordinator and a former computer science teacher at Georgetown ISD in Georgetown, Texas. She is passionate about technology’s potential for transforming learning and about K– 12 computer science education. Follow her on Twitter @DigitalLearners.

Here’s what other ISTE members had to say about this topic.

It Goes Both Ways

I do not want my kids to receive any school-provided laptop or iPad because spyware is contrary to my personal values. I want them to make good choices when they use computers and not be trained to think of the computer as an ever-watchful big brother. I want my children to be masters of their tools, not mastered by them.

John Fontaine Vice president of Glassware, SocialRadar Washington, D.C.

Mind the Digital Divide

If a school district’s goal is to level the playing field for low-income students, it should reconsider blocking content that encourages media production and social interaction. The digital divide is not simply about access. Children who have time and freedom to explore on their own achieve higher levels of digital literacy than those who only have classroom exposure.

Jenny Fremlin Media psychologist Juneau, Alaska

Nothing to Fear but Fear Itself

It’s not fair to talk about locks and blocks in edu-cation without acknowleding [that] schools oper-ate from a place of fear. We live in fear of com-promising student safety, angry parents, uncon-trollable classrooms, lawsuits, and lost fund-ing. Many controls are put in place to preserve E-Rate funding or simply to relieve an already overburdened teacher from having to provide extra vigilance while devices are in use. Cater-ing to these fears comes at a price, however.

Jacqueline Wilson Director of Information Technology Avon Grove Charter School, Avondale, Pennsylvania

Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?

Three years ago, student after student began to get locked out of their online accounts. Our tech coordinator and teacher could not get ahead of the issue. We found the cause: a bright fifth grade boy.

It taught us to tighten how our sensitive data was stored. We now use the catch phrase: “Could a 10-year-old break through it?”

Phyllis Cavallone Principal, St. Therese Chinese Catholic School Chicago, Illinois

Buck the System

We ultimately want to see our students cultivate competence and confidence. Unfortunately, rigid policies and procedures, conventional and increasingly outdated schooling models, and factory-like approaches to teaching and learning thrive upon large doses of uniformity and control.

Bernard Bull Assistant vice president of academics for continuing/distance education Concordia University, Mequon, Wisconsin

Reward, Don’t Punish

There needs to be a greater incentive for students to responsibly disclose vulnerabilities. Most major tech corporations offer rewards for identifying bugs—just look at Google, which offers up to $20,000 per successful submission ( www.google.com/about/appsecurity/hall-of-fame). Why can’t we reward students for their ingenuity and willingness to cooperate with the IT department?

Michael Benich Physics teacher Brecksville, Ohio

Make Agreements, Not War

Rather than fight technology battles, educators should take a progressive tack and find ways to embrace and encourage. Districts should develop reasonable expectations policies for using technology [that] find ways to encourage creativity and critical thinking rather than stifling it. Reviewing this policy in each class and with parents will set the proper expectations and lessen the monitoring burden. This is one way educators can improve their assembly line and give students the skills their future employers need.

Jeff Hough Director of workforce training, Idaho State University Pocatello, Idaho

May the Force Be with Them

Princess Leia said to Darth Vader, “The more you tighten your grip, the more star systems will fall through your fingers.” And so it is with our students. Students run the risk of going to the “dark side” if we try to control them too much. Empower them with the tools to be good digital citizens, to learn, and to have a level playing field.