[elearning] Sponsorship of school websites

[Roland Gesthuizen]

Interesting development. A group is buying space on state school websites ..
actually it goes beyond this. They are taking over the entire school
website, offering free online hosting and tools to facilitate the publishing
of online content, in exchange for advertising space and a cut in the online
profits.
    http://www.sponsor-ed.com.au/

There are several primary schools on this program listed here and I notice
Kew High School. Our school administration was approached to be a secondary
partner. Faced with a glossy brochure, I was approached to take our current
school website down in exchange for this service. You can view the full list
here http://tinyurl.com/c3zad2 (google maps)

School sponsorship was raised over a decade ago by an ABC story back in 2000
with concerns raised by the different groups.
     http://www.abc.net.au/worldtoday/stories/s136808.htm

I have some further reservations whilst looking over this MCEETYA code of
practice for school sponsorship
     http://www.mceetya.edu.au/mceetya/national_code_sponsorship,12054.html

>From what I can spot, there are a couple of concerns

   - Schools used as a captive market for commercial sponsors
   - Vendor lockin for internet hosting (considering the investment of time
   to build a site or later migrate content with cut / paste)
   - Tacit endorsement of a product by association with the Department of
   Education

Sponsor-Ed probably has the best wishes at heart, providing schools with a
precious revenue stream but I that alone does not make this a good thing.
Whilst there is no such thing as a free lunch, off the top of my head,
groups such as Google, WikiSpaces and Edublogs will remove commercial
advertising for their 'free' services when they are used by students.

Whilst they indicate that the sponsorship will be ethical but how will these
guidelines be managed? If the local mayor advertises, will political parties
be next? If we accept the red cross, how about green-peace or local church
groups? Do we next permit hospitals to promote themselves online with
ethical drug-company advertising? Will teachers next raise a few dollars
with an advertising banner bundled to their departmental e-mail messages?

Whist I am excited by new Web2.0 based techologies and free online hosting
of school websites, is this something that we really wish schools to engage
with?

What are your thoughts?

Regards Roland

-- 
Roland Gesthuizen - ICT Coordinator - Westall Secondary College
http://www.westallsc.vic.edu.au

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change
the world; indeed it is the only thing that ever has." --Margaret Mead
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