The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 4th ed., 2000 defines pioneer.

1. One who ventures into unknown or unclaimed territory to settle.
2. One who opens up new areas of thought, research, or development.

Wikipedia (http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/pioneer Retrieved January 12, 2007) defines pioneer.
1. One who goes before, as into the wilderness, preparing the way for others to follow
2. (obsolete, military): A soldier detailed or employed to form roads, dig trenches, and make bridges, as an army advances. pioneers of civilization; pioneers of reform

Who are the pioneers in discipline for today's electronic learning environments?

Chapter 4 describes how approaches to discipline prior to 1950 were authoritative, often harsh and punitive. The pioneers discussed in the chapter brought new ideas for fostering self-discipline, including group dynamics, behavior modification, lesson management, congruent communication, assertive discipline, and democratic teaching. Chapter 5 examines three approaches to discipline that provide bridges to the 21st century. Later chapters will expand on these and other ideas that can be effective in today's classrooms. Before you proceed to these chapters, work with a small group face-to-face or in an online chat room and imagine that you are an educational pioneer seeking new approaches to classroom discipline for today's learners who are impacted by electronic technology. In many ways, technology rich learning environments are "unknown wildernesses" of education today. You will develop a system of discipline that attempts to address prevention of online misbehavior, dealing with it when it happens, and educating students about responsible electronic network behavior. You are now the pioneers who will open up new ideas of thought!

Imagine that you have an ideal physical classroom that is technologically rich (wireless laptops, MP3 players, PDAs, graphic calculators, cell phones, etc.) and 20 diverse students who have a wide range of technology experiences. Choose a learning level (PrekK-Grade 3, middle school grades 4-8, high school grades 9-12, or undergraduate college). Draft a philosophy, theoretical base, and practices for your pioneering technology rich classroom discipline system. Begin by investigating resources for responding to a few essential questions.

Essential Questions to Investigate:
1. How do experiences with electronic technology change the learning styles and behavior of students in positive and negative ways?
2. What is appropriate behavior and misbehavior in a technology rich learning environment?
3. What are the talents, needs, and interests of the students? How can technology and traditional learning tools support these talents, needs, and interests?
4. How does the technology rich physical environment affect behavior?
5. Develop an essential question important to your setting and pioneer group.

Do Google searches to find information to investigate the topics. Experiment with key terms to enter in the Google searches, such as "cyber behavior search engines." Evaluate the Web sites for relevancy, accuracy, and scholarship. A few sample Web sites may get you started.

http://www.cybersmartcurriculum.org/lesson_plans/ - Cyber Smart Lesson Designs

http://www.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/pub7101o.pdf - Educating the Net Generation, Diana Oblinger and James Oblinger, Editors, 2005.

http://www.strugglingteens.com/archives/2003/4/cyber-ethics.html - Talking to teens about cyber ethics, Bob Krueger (Business Software Alliance).

Answer the essential questions and draft the system. Be sure to cite the references. This task is a browsing activity that results in a "draft," not a full blown Personal System of Discipline.

Post your draft System of Technology Rich Classroom Discipline on a course management tool (e.g. WebCT), Web site, wiki, or blog for further discussion. (Google Docs & Spreadsheets http://www.google.com/google-d-s/a2.html is a good place to start.) Invite interested "outside" educators to review the system and comment. Discuss online what you learned and what makes the system pioneering. How does feedback you receive from others enhance the System?