Schools Move To Ban Wikipedia As Unverified Reference
by
on November 28, 2007,
If you?ve been following developments inside the Pennsylvania state legislature in the past, say, 5 years or so, you?ll know that quite a few lawmakers tend to go against the grain of conventional wisdom.
If you recall the absurdity that resulted in the Intelligent Design debacle, in which some in the state seriously contemplated a shift in elementary school curriculum to allow for some measure of non-scientific ?study? in science classes, you?ll know that at least a few higher-ups in the Quaker State?s governmental structure are guaranteed to exercise illogical jurisprudence. In other words, they?re off their rockers.
Well, add another oddity to Pennsylvania?s list of the bizarre. According to a story by Ars Technica?s Nate Anderson published late yesterday evening (or early this morning, depending on your place of residence), some in the state?s educational hierarchy have taken it upon themselves to ban Wikipedia, labeling it an invalid source of information not to be allowed as reference by students for schoolwork.
Mind you, anti-Wikipedia sentiment doesn?t brew only among the topmost echelons of the town, county, or state boards. The regional Express-Times newspaper found that a librarian at the Great Meadows Middle School (which, strangely enough, is located in the state of New Jersey) took it upon herself to post signs labeled ?Just Say No To Wikipedia? in the school?s computer lab.
But, as is sadly to be expected, whole systems of modern society can err the wrong way, too. The Warren Hills Regional School District is an example in the open-source respect. It proceeded to block Wikipedia access from all school computers.
Their reasoning is that ?Wikipedia?s unverified accuracy and easy of use are making it too tempting for students to use as a primary source. So, naturally, (warning: sarcasm ahead) shunning the open source reference entirely is indeed a necessary course of action. Can?t trust democratic inventions too much now, can we? Of course not. How silly it would be to think otherwise.
Surely we all know what?s to come of this development: an influx in the use of Wikipedia. If students are told not to do something they, as intelligent beings, know to be acceptable, they will most likely do it with deliberately increased fervency.
What do you make of this news? Confounded? Mystified? Perhaps you fall in line with cautioning against use of Wikipedia in schools? Post your opinions in the comments below.
