tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22522102.post2472748566727756512..comments2023-10-31T07:56:50.659-04:00Comments on Ridiculology: Teachers are people tooEricahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15858848198641688772noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22522102.post-73756601663993346022007-11-16T16:42:00.000-05:002007-11-16T16:42:00.000-05:00I pretty much agree with what you all are saying, ...I pretty much agree with what you all are saying, and really it's basic common sense. My roommate is a teacher, and guess what: her Myspace is private, not because her employer told her to make it private but because she damn sure doesn't want her students all up in her business and looking at pictures she's posted of...whatever squeaky clean things she does on the weekends. Heh.Chaserhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00331588626569281762noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22522102.post-53186770546219614112007-11-16T15:30:00.000-05:002007-11-16T15:30:00.000-05:00Jenny -Thanks so much for responding! (And yes, I ...Jenny -<BR/><BR/>Thanks so much for responding! (And yes, I know who you are... but only from pictures and your comments on Erica and Ryan's blogs, haha.) It's good to hear perspective from someone who's actually in the profession. It sucks that the actions of a few stupid people ruin the fun for those who are responsible online - because if you're a pervert that wants to have a relationship with one of your students, you're going to do that whether or not you have a profile online.<BR/><BR/>I guess I just get really fired up about these issues because so many people think that sites like MySpace and Facebook are evil or bad, and a bunch of schools and libraries are blocking these sites so kids can't use them. I also don't like the idea of your employer being able to dictate what you do in your personal life. That being said, I totally agree that if you are in the teaching profession, you have to be really careful what you put out there. A friend of mine who is a teacher in Cincinnati was even told by her school when she got the job to try and live outside of the community to avoid running into her students outside of school.<BR/><BR/>I'm glad that you have classes where online communication with parents is being encouraged - and I also love that your said "internetty." Haha.<BR/><BR/>I have a feeling that if we ever meet up in real life, we'll have a lot to talk about. :)Ericahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15858848198641688772noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22522102.post-55341241758213420832007-11-16T13:10:00.000-05:002007-11-16T13:10:00.000-05:00Ooh-- also, our educational technology class here ...Ooh-- also, our educational technology class here taught us how to create a website and talked about using websites, blogs, and Internetty things to communicate with parents. For many parents, online communication with teachers is preferred for convenience. I'm not saying you should do this through Myspace, but still.luckeyfroghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09338266098096236978noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22522102.post-65255827528949212342007-11-16T13:07:00.000-05:002007-11-16T13:07:00.000-05:00It's not a terribly unexpected stance, in my mind,...It's not a terribly unexpected stance, in my mind, especially after cases like this: http://www.networkworld.com/community/?q=node/14584<BR/><BR/>In my teaching classes, we've heard time and time again that you'd better keep your Facebook profile and Myspace page and anything similar from being accessible to everyone, or that it'd better be squeaky clean. The ability of students, parents, colleagues, and principals to access whatever you put online is somewhat dangerous in a profession that is thought to require moral superiority.<BR/><BR/>That said, people are stupid. I can't tell you how many of my fellow education students frequently post pictures of themselves absolutely wasted (often before they turn 21) or doing other things you probably wouldn't want your future employer to see. I think a couple of them also assume that <I>elementary</I> students aren't going to be on Facebook or Myspace, but one of the fifth graders I work with claims 'playing on Myspace' as one of his favorite out-of-school activities.<BR/><BR/>Still, I agree with you that teachers shouldn't be encouraged not to use these sites. As long as they're smart about it, there's no reason that they shouldn't use them. Facebook's a valuable communication tool-- I keep in much closer contact with many high school friends because of it. And I agree that sometimes, knowing the new Internet things can help make your teaching relevant or interesting to the kids. Some classes now use blogs or wikis as learning tools, and I think it's great. Teachers <I>have</I> to stay up-to-date in order to keep their <I>teaching</I> up to date.<BR/><BR/>Anyway, this was long. And I'm not even sure you have any clue who I am (Jenny, Ryan Garwood's girlfriend... he pointed me in the direction of this post). But basically, I agree with you 100%. :)luckeyfroghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09338266098096236978noreply@blogger.com