Rights and Responsibility in a Digital World

Students should be allowed to express themselves appropriately and have access to the digital world to learn and prepare themselves for the future.  However, this comes with great responsibility.  Filters in schools can not block out everything.  Sometimes youtube can be a valuable source of information, but students must stay focused on the topic they are given and not stray to other areas of the internet.  If they find themselves in something they shouldn't be, they should immediately get out and tell the teacher.  They need to be in open places where the teacher can see what they are doing.  If they are caught abusing these privileges they can lose access at home and school.  Unfortunately, this affects the student's learning.  Assignments involving technology will still be given but they won't be able to participate.  They challenge then becomes, what to do with a student that can't understand how to properly use the internet.  Teaching about rights and responsibilities will hopefully curb this problem.