1. I was happy to find that I didn’t come up on Facebook or Myspace when I googled myself. I found myself on the school’s website that I used to work for, a study abroad program that I went to, a grant I got at the school, a couple of websites that I registered on and sports stats for boxing and running. Pipl had the same results but had my addresses.
www.jym.wayne.edu/studyabroad_germany_fulbright_fellows.html
www.millerfound.org/teaching-awards/2009-awardees/
www.lephigh.org/LEPfaculty.html
http://www.mylife.com/c-2589024316
http://www.linkedin.com/pub/laura-valent/15/530/a38
www.riverwestcurrents.org/2003/July/000759.html
blog.oregonlive.com/runoregon/.../cinco_de_mayo_race_report.html
www.racecenter.com/results/2010/res_ft10.htm
http://www.beavertonvalleytimes.com/sports/story_2nd.php?story_id=117095375762810400
2. I am fine with those results coming up except the addresses.
3. I think that teachers should be held to standards that promote best practices and the current research on teaching for students who come from diverse backgrounds. I think it is good to be open but teachers have to also have good boundaries and those boundaries are often hard to determine. I think that in some cases, teacher’s language can and should be used against them. I in no way think that we should revert to the standards that were written in 1905 which also show extreme gender discrimination especially since teachers at that time were women. I think teachers should be held to a high standard of moral behavior and I believe the same about politicians, sports figures, Hollywood stars and most jobs. It is hard to convince young people of the value of being an honest, committed, legitimate person when the people in power can drink and drive, cheat, lie and steal and get away with it. Just because teachers work directly with kids they shouldn’t have to live by an extra high standard.
4. I mostly thought that the free speech clause was interesting in the article. It is interesting that free speech can be protected, “in regard to issues of public importance.” I agree that it is tricky to be able to designate a proper discipline for a teacher who speaks off duty about issues that are not of public concern and …whose business it is what a person does outside of work? I think it is a good suggestion to help teachers define the line within schools based on the school’s policies and personal choices when well informed of risks and benefits.
5. I am not going to accept students as friends on Facebook. I am happy to see that I am well hidden from searches and I will continue to do what I can to keep it that way. I am not afraid of what people will find out but I am concerned about my personal information being public. How do I get my address off of there?
It's great that your search did not come up with anything controversial or anything that has the potential to damage your repuation. But even if it had, there seems to be a moral obligation that surrounds these discoveries.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you Laura about being able to establish appropriate boundaries with students, which may mean that a teacher never shares their facebook or myspace profile with a student. However, i also feel that making these profiles private, truly takes the weight off of teachers to be concerned with every photo they upload, every blog they post, and every word they write.
It is tricky to be that role model to students when other role models are allowed that strange privilege of drinking, partying, cheating, and lying. Nonetheless, i also agree that teachers should be held to a standard, whether that's as high as sports athletes and celebrities is a whole other issue that this society is too afraid to examine!
-- Thunderheart!!