Internet – tool or way of life based on fear?

As a result of reading an article which purported to be Good Teaching Practice in the on-line magazine of ICTOPUS I have become very concerned with the creation of clubs that provide a 'safe environment' as though as these are desirable. Furthermore I believe they have provide children with a very second rate learning environment. My worry is compounded by the discovery that many reputable people and organisations are supporting this approach. Even the Governments of Canada and Australia are apparently supporting this approach. Here is the text of my posting on the ICTOPUS blog

You can read Robert Hart's article, SGP 15,by registering with ICTOPUS - a new organisation that supports and is run for the benefit of Primary School Teachers in the UK

I was deeply disturbed by Robert Hart’s article, the attitude of the ICTOPUS team to it and to the readership of Sharing Good Practice for not raising questions . There that puts everyone in there place!

Bob’s approach is one I would strongly recommend to every teacher to shun. In fact this article has encouraged me to take up an offer I have to talk regularly on Radio Cumbria in a two minute slot at the unearthly hour of seven thirty a.m. If Government and prominent people are backing this approach there is something drastically wrong with society and it needs to be countered from outside of education. My first piece will be to dissuade listeners and schools in my area from getting involved with the activities of Intuitive Media.

Why the ICTOPUS team : for their lack of judgement in allowing this article to run as though it is “Good Practice” – one of two things should have been done either the word ADVERTISEMENT should have been pasted prominently at the top of the page or Bob should have been asked to remove all the deceptive spin that he has used in presenting his information.

As for you, dear reader, how come you too weren’t disturbed by the message being transmitted? Has Bob managed to brainwash everyone with his skillful publicity?

As I wrote on this blog within 30 minutes of reading the article the opening phrase put me on high alert.:

“The human species is evolving rapidly”

We have become highly tuned to spot a sales pitch and here was one coming up. People who make exaggerated statements have usually got something to sell. This was true. Heather failed to reassure me that this was just “a metaphorical stylistic device”.

On reading on, the word “Research” is used frequently. We normally associate this with an independent person who is reporting on something they have investigated – good research always provides the data upon which statements are made so that graduates, as most of us are, trained to analyse information, can check the reliability of the information given. No original data is provided.

Far from being objective, the article turns out to be written by the person who is promoting the product. We can therefore expect it to be biased.

I asked a colleague of mine, Christine Atkinson, experienced teacher and the author of several Maths text books, to look at the article. She found the presentation confusing I did and is writing to ICTOPUS separately.

We have spin by the bucketful – We have a photo of a happy carefree confident yound girl depicted but this is not Emily or the person whose activities are being described. She may in fact be a very depressed, worried, withdrawn young woman who rarely goes out of her house except to school. Why the use of a surname 'Sanderson' if Emily is just made up. I get the feeling that every trick in the book is being used by this highly successful team of people behind Intuitive Media to convince us that what they are doing is desirable. The clubs described are ‘protected environments’ from ‘predators’. Where are the parents? - the children’s natural guardians. Are the children really being encouraged to grow up by their parents and teachers? To be able to deal with strange situations, to be able to discern potentially dangerous of misleading statements. This surely is how teachers and parents can help children.

The POS syndrome mentioned in the Panorama by Jeremy Vine is specially worrying. Children writing in their chat rooms that they have a Parent looking Over their Shoulder indicates a lack of trust between parent and child and this is the issue that needs tackling. Why aren’t the parents having fun, working alongside their children dealling with any ‘predator’. I can imagine my child calling out to me “Dad, I’ve hooked a Perv. Come and join me as we string him along and find out who he/she is.” “Then we can get the police on their trail.” Word in the chat rooms would soon get around for ‘Mister Nasty Predator’ to be on the look out, as there were ‘Equally Devious Protectors’ who were out to ensnare them, posing as children and with Blue Uniforms round the corner.

I feel that I've written enough for now - I have a lot more to cover but will do this another time. This surely will give Bob something to reply to!

I decry the puerile concept that children can teach themselves. Do we put our toddlers together and leave them to it to learn a language? Children and young people need as much contact as possible with adults that will inspire them and then help them to attain their dreams. This is in my view the prime purpose of being a teacher - to be so enthusiastic about what we have found out for ourselves that students want to strive in their turn for their own goals. For me Bob Hart's clubs are a very poor second best.

Learning is not gained casually. Emotions are very powerful. They are contageous - hence the Lynch Mob and the powerful Orator.

Hilary Clinton almost sheds a tear and a whole state swings behind her. Wow. We can all benefit from others who stimulate us emotionally and go on to support and encourage us as we pursue our goals. This high level of stimulation will not, I believe, come about from shutting up our children with a few 'mediators' who are there to help us interact socially and a few experts who aren't their to help us on a regular basis in the way a parent, neighbour, retired craftsman/hobbuist, or even teacher can. Long live the 'real world' where you get scratched by brambles and the sun shines as you take the dog for a walk or smell and enjoy the texture of vegetables as you cook your hard working parents their dinner (as I did). What I would love to encourage is, far from putting the kids in touch with each other, is for the parents to get together with teachers in and out of the classroom and provide stimulation and leadership for their kids. Children at present have got far too much power. Feels like 'Lord of the Flies' to me.

So how did you fare with this load of emotion from me - with some reason thrown in for added flavour. Have I provoked you into action? Look forward to hearing from you.
Doc Geoff

THIS'ARTICLE' RESULTED IN THE FOLLOWING COMMENTS FROM THOSE THAT RECEIVED IT