TQ #9

Laws are fundamental in governing our daily lives. Since the moment we are born we have learned to abide by the rules of our parents. As we grow, we begin to gain more personal control of our own destiny. However, it is essential that men and women maintain respect for the rights of others. Superior entities have been instituted to advocate and expand the notions of moral, ethics, rights and obligations of people that are part of a globalized world. Schools, therefore, in direct relation to the goodwill teachings received from home, are the first institutions that carry the responsibility to educate in the understanding of fundamental laws that govern what is and what is not permitted.

Restraint has been experienced by all since we were infants. Our parents always told us what we could and could not do, being this our first contact with a code of conduct. When we were disobedient we were punished, because we broke a rule. This punishment was used as a deterrent for possible misconducts. I have a three year old daughter and find myself in a position in which, if I don't set rules at home now, she will acquire habits that go against my own code of conduct.

I have started with these personal statements, since I truly believe that school-aged children ought to be raised under an institutional code on conduct. The world has always had to live with perverts, thiefs, and wrongdoers in general. However, with the development of information technology, people are now able to get whatever they desire at the tip of their fingers. So, it is easy to view pornographic images, get names and addresses through public information systems, and even fake to have a different identity.Consequently, how do we stop all these things from happening in schools? We need regulations.

Unquestionably, with the use of technology in particular, there are questions that challenge current laws in school settings and libraries. We all want to be feel free to research, investigate and even learn from our own mistakes. Many times the principle of least restraint comes into action. Subsequently, in favor of sustaining the enforcement of government laws and policies, schools adhere to imposed policies such as CIPA that are tied to accessibility to grant benefits. Nevertheless, these laws and policies have the intent of protecting children. I see no wrong in CIPA. Now, others can question the effectiveness of Internet filtering and may even argument that it prevents people from thinking freely. In spite of the latter, I firmly believe that educators must set boundaries to the access of information that may lead to distraction from the main learning stream. Under the consent of teachers, students are free to access any site that will contribute to the topic under discussion in the class. In this particular case, the interpretation of least restraint is basically left in the hands of the adult resposible for the group. However, teachers must stick to the rules of the institution if issues arise from improper use of educational resources.
In addition, the other policy known as COPPA is a protection measure for the collection of information of children under age 13, by commercial web sites. It is essential to find mechanisms of control for businesses in the management of sensitive information. Many times, businesses misuse this information to gain access to potential customers and use the Internet as a means to broaden the market. Without a doubt, children and teenagers are vulnerable to believing anything that they are told that makes them feel special. I support the law in its requirement of consent from an adult for the unveiling of personal information. It is essential that schools follow this law as it is a primary source of children information. Indeed, parents are concerned about cotidian reports on kidnappings, murders and disappearances of minors in the hands of people who have gained information of the victims through electronic form.

Some people think that the best education is self-education. They state that minors in school should be given the chance to gaining free access to the Internet. I don't agree with this point of view. I would definitely challenge these people to think back to the times in which they raised their own children. Humans need laws in order to regulate the sound relationships between people. We can't expect to leave it all in the hands of young and inexperienced teenagers who have little control of their impetus. In favor of creating positive environments of work, schools should look for ways to balance the levels of restraint through granting permission to use free Internet access under supervision of an adult. This supervisor will ensure that the computers are used for educational purposes and do not hurt the feelings of others or even jeopardizes the wellbeing of the minor. Such free access could be granted in certain areas of the school or also between times of the day as requested by an instructor.

In brief, I am in favor of control and monitoring, as long as it enables students, teachers and parents the chances of pursuing educational satisfaction through the use of the technological resources provided by the school. At the end, parents will be the ultimate guides of their children and hopefully, these school rules are also enforced at home.