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What happened when a student in your class defaced a book belonging to the school? Sometimes they had to buy a replacement copy. Sometimes re-covering it with brown paper was sufficient. Sometimes a bottle of Tippex and some of their lunchtime was what was required. The sanction was restorative and involved a discussion about responsible treatment of school property.
What happened when a student in your class defaced a book belonging to them? If it was derogatory or defamatory, vulgar or inappropriate then, in my experience, the sanction was also restorative. If they were making notes or highlighting passages I was over the moon! However, either way, there was discussion about using their book for effective learning.
In either case, before books were bought or borrowed, clear but simple expectations were put in place as to their use.
In a crude analogy, the Internet is the biggest book a student in your class has access to. And the best bit is that they can insert their own pages, pin multimedia elements, remix content and crowdsource opinion. Using the Internet appropriately for learning and communication is a challenge that can only be overcome through practice, failure and feedback from a supportive guide… but should these guides be teachers?
Should the guides be students instead?
How far should guidelines for responsible use go?
When is it “safe” for students to fail on the Internet?
Are your students defacing the Internet?
I’d love to hear your thoughts on this.
