Chapters 1 and 2

I have always been frustrated that so many websites are blocked by JCPS. Often I will attempt to pull up a web resource only to see that it is blocked. In chapter 1, page 5, Richardson notes that "By and large, they [students] are "out there" using a wide variety of technologies that they are told they can't use when they come to school. They are building vast social networks with little or no guidance from adults." It really makes me question the implications of not allowing students to use social networks in schools. Are we predispositioning students to be vulnerable to the dangers of the internet?
I also wonder what the implications are of technology access in the home. As an English teacher, I can tell you that students who grew up with a lot of books in the home are going to be better readers and writers. How does this translate to technology? This previous school year, I had a player who had a great deal of trouble accessing a computer. He did not have one at home. After school he stayed with the basketball team for practices and games sometimes getting home as late as 11 or 12 at night. He lived in a dangerous neighborhood and also had babysitting responsibilities so leaving his apartment after dark or during the weekends was out of the question. He has a considerable lack of computer fluency that shows any time he tries to type a piece of writing on his computer.
I think weblogs can be a great resource for a teacher. Working at the school I work at, I see everything through the lens of a teacher working low a high population of low SES students. One of the biggest problems I see in my school is wasted time. The amount of class time that could be saved using a weblogs to post assignments, class rules, rubrics, handouts, and presentations is going to be pivotal. I plan to begin working on a Weblog for my class this summer.