A sixteen-year-old girl recently contacted me concerning an online relationship with a man in New Jersey.  She chatted with him for two years on IRC only to discover he was not in fact 20 years old, but 47. Initially she was flattered by his attentions and only started to question his motives when she discovered that the pictures she sent him were added to a collection of questionable photos he had placed online of other young girls. What can we, as teachers, do to help students avoid these kinds of situations in the future?

Every week, at least one student, if not more, asks me if they can borrow school software to install on their home computers. They look perplexed when I tell them this is illegal and that they must purchase copies for home use. Sometimes they argue the point, other times they try to cajole me with promises of keeping a secret. Mostly they are amazed at my non-compliance. Students also regularly offer to install ‘cracked’ versions of software on school computers. One student in particular recently proclaimed to an entire class that he has over $30,000 worth of WAREZ software that he is willing to share for a $20 fee.

Many students will accept information on the Internet without questioning its merit.  A class was asked to locate a picture of the cloned sheep “Dolly” and many returned this photo:

[http://nw3.nai.net/~tdiann/d_sheep.htm]

Does this look like a legitimate picture of ‘Dolly’? Would you question its authenticity? My suspicions were confirmed after visiting the website supposedly written by Dolly herself. Most students did not question this photo and it was this instance, in particular, that drew my attention to the topic of Internet Literacy.

These are only a few examples that indicate students more than ever need instruction in how to deal with the Internet. I believe our best method of doing so lies not in the use of filtering software or in the strict enforcement of acceptable use policies. Rather we must teach our students critical literacy skills to empower them as they go online.

At Prince of Wales Collegiate in St. John’s, NF, a 2001 survey showed that 76% of students have a computer at home connected to the Internet. Students use the Internet for a variety of reasons; for entertainment, to meet friends, to play games. As well students access the Internet for educational purposes in researching information, preparing papers, compiling presentations and doing homework. Some even submit work and communicate with their teachers using email, etc. There is no doubt about the potential of the Internet as an educational tool, but there are many issues surrounding Internet usage that are having a direct impact on students. These issues can be roughly grouped into five categories which are outlined below.

One of the main concerns of legitimate Internet use revolves around the ability to distinguish fact from fiction. How do we determine authority and relevancy on the Internet? One way to equip students with this necessary skill is to teach them website evaluation and teach them the cues to look for to help them determine if the site is from an authoritative source. A second issue deals with online marketing to which a large amount is aimed directly at children. We can teach students skills to help them recognize online marketing techniques and talk about the need to keep personal information private.

Invariably when dealing with the Internet, the issue of inappropriate and illegal content arises. How should students deal with Internet content deemed inappropriate or even dangerous? Another issue that students talk about is obsessive/compulsive behavior that is becoming more and more common on the Internet. Most students can name several people they know who spend ‘all their time online’. And finally, especially for teachers and students, there is the issue of intellectual property. From downloading mp3 files to visiting the evilhouseofcheat.com in ‘ripping off’ a term paper this issue proves to be complex.

Thus far, students have had neither the need nor the opportunity to develop critical literacy in the class. The authoritative nature of the didactic approach, combined with the use of textbooks as the primary delivery mechanism for information favors the largely uncritical acceptance of information. Somebody has already decided for the student if the material is relevant, worthwhile, and appropriate. For these reasons students have had little access to raw, unfiltered, even contradictory information with which to challenge their critical literacy. Requiring students to learn facts in traditional classrooms is not longer appropriate. Many courses are still working from this framework and are continuing to take a didactic approach to teaching. We, as teachers, need to equip students with a new set of skills, which will enable them to locate, analyze, evaluate, and synthesize the vast amounts of information available. Students must become information managers; they must become critically literate.

Bridget A. Ricketts is a technology teacher at Prince of Wales Collegiate. She chairs an action research committee investigating this issue. Preliminary work has already been completed and several resources and tools are available online to help teach critical Internet literacy skills (http://www.pwc.k12.nf.ca/internetliteracy)

Last updated on
October 22, 2001
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