Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Teacher's Virtual Lives
I think it is extremely important for teachers to set good examples for their students. Having inappropriate pictures on websites such as myspace that is easily accessible to students is not a very professional thing to do. Now I do understand that people want to have lives maybe use these types of sites to meet people and keep in touch with friends but there are precautions you can take to make sure that your pictures and comments are not seen by students. You could make your account private so that it is only seen by people who you know and you can also screen who asks to see your profile and also your comments. Teachers need to be responsible for their actions and know that what they are doing can have a major affect on their students. You do not want a child looking up to someone who is getting drunk with a pirate hat on!
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4 comments:
You claimed, "Teachers need to be responsible for their actions and know that what they are doing can have a major affect on their students."
Very true. Teaching does not end at the end of the day.
Thanks for your input!
Amanda,
This is a great editorial. Like law enforcement, we are teachers 24 hours a day year-round. We spoke about this topic in depth in School Law with Prof. Gentile (a strong recommendation).
With students, perception can be reality. An innocent picture posted publicly online or having a student spot you out in public can be major issues by the student's interpretation.
This is an excellent call-to-arms for all teacher. Thanks!
-Dan
That type of mindset should definitley be passed on to new teachers entering the educational system. This is my 5th year in my district but only my 1st year in the high school. I was a little surprised how much the high school students want to know about you. Word travels fast, especially in a high school, so you definitley have an obligation to do the right thing no just while your there.
Talk to you later.
Tommy McCloskey
I may be playing devil's advocate in this one, but I think it shouldn't matter what pictures you put up on your own web site. Outside of lewd or violent pictures, freedom of speech should prevail in our society.
I'm sorry, if a female teacher wants to put pictures from a beach with a Corona in her hand while wearing a bathing suit, she should not be worried about being fired. Maybe it's just me, but with all the new technology, George Orwell's novel is teetering on the brink of reality.
While you do have a commitment to better your students' lives, you also have the right to have a life of your own. As long as you are going above and beyond what you can do, you shouldn't be penalized for pictures on MySpace and Facebook. Obviously, in today's society, those types of things are beginning to weigh more and more heavily, so I do agree with putting up safeguard like restrictions to who is able to access your page, but other than that, this madness has to stop.
If this continues, people are going to be living with a very paranoid attitude in everything they do.
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