Internet Literacy Curriculum for Yeshivish HS (long)

spring13

Fri, Jun 01 2012, 1:40 pm

amother wrote:

spring13 wrote:

amother wrote:

Tova wrote:

Wow, OP, you put a lot of thought into this. It looks great.
I am curious if the schools you are targeting would be on board to you teaching the curriculum, though. Please keep us posted!

Probably not Sad

I spoke to a computer teacher I know, and she said she would be scared of risking her job by going to the principal to suggest such a thing.

I think it's doing a tremendous disservice. We hear abt how the Internet is like a car and you need seatbelts and kids don't drive etc. but we also don't just tell our kids - "You turned 18, here are the keys!" We teach them first!

Don't let that stop you from trying. Do you have any rebbeim you can go to who might look it over and give a stamp of approval? Even if high schools don't take it on, maybe seminaries and post-high school programs would be interested - and I bet there are SOME high schools who'd try it. If it can get beta tested in a couple of places with positive results, it'll be much easier to get the attention of a wider group of schools. Parents might consider using it at home as well.

You're doing a huge service to the frum community, if you can find a way to make this work. Please let us help you!

Well, I have to actually do something about it first. As well as a million other things.
But I can't exactly see R' Mattisyahu endorsing it, and as she pointed out, even if he would, there's likely to be a backlash from parents. Would have to find a slightly more open-minded niche I suppose. Anyone here w/ contacts who would be interested?

*shrug* I don't have enough personal contact with that segment of society to know how they would or wouldn't take it, but there's got to be a way to package and advertise something like this that would help people comprehend that it's about using a tool properly, not exposing your child to [filth] or whatever it is people think the interwebz will do. If the asifa was actually about using technology in a kosher way and not about banning the internet entirely (which is subject to debate, but...) then something like this, with some rabbinic support/approval could actually work. The main thing is to make it very clear to parents and educators what this curriculum is meant to accomplish (ie: teach young adults to use the internet safely and professionally for school and work purposes). You have to be transparent about what is being covered and why.

You can't send it straight to R' Mattisyahu and expect a haskamah. But with some grassroots support and some positive results, it can get a start and spread from there.