Doug Johnson

Scenario 12 (Appropriate use)
The computers in the library always seem to be busy. Otis tells the librarian he is working on a research project, but actually uses the computer to access the latest soccer scores posted on the Internet.

Questions:

• What is the inappropriate action?
• Who committed it?
• What danger or discomfort might the unethical action cause?
• Is there a parallel in the physical world to this scenario?
• Who should be setting the library and technology policies in your school?
• Can you think of other incidents that would fall into this category?

Comments:
One of the debates in schools today is whether students should be allowed to use the Internet for personal or recreational purposes. Most of us would agree that priority needs to be given to school work when technological resources are scarce, but computer terminals should never sit empty. And there are some good reasons to allow students personal use of the Internet, especially in the school library:

• It gives kids a chance to practice skills. After all that’s why we have “recreational” reading materials in our libraries. Do we really subscribe to Hot Rod or Seventeen because they’re used for research? If we want kids who can do an effective Internet search, read fluently, and love to learn, does it make much difference if they are learning by finding and reading webpages on the Civil War or Civil War games?
• It gives weight to the penalty of having Internet access taken away. The penalty for misuse of the Internet is often a suspension of Internet use privileges. As a student, if I were restricted to only school work uses of the Internet and had my Internet rights revoked, I’d pretty much say, “So what?” and wonder what I had to do to get my textbooks taken away as well. But if I am accustomed to using the Internet each morning before school to check on how my favorite sports team was faring, the loss of Internet access as a consequence of misbehavior would be far more serious.
• It makes the library media center a place kids want to be. Many of our students love the library for the simple reason that it is often the only place that allows them to read books of personal interest, work on projects that are meaningful, and explore interests that fall outside the curriculum in an atmosphere of relative freedom. Kids need a place like that and we should provide it – even at the Internet terminals.