CFF Communities

This article from NSBA is very informative (albeit a little long) and has an interesting section on considerations for blogging teachers. It would be helpful if you reviewed this articlle and relate it to your experiences with your blogs.

http://www.nsba.org/SecondaryMenu/TLN/TLNMembersArea/TechnologyrelatedarticlesfromSchoolBoardNews/SocialNetworkSitesIA08.aspx

Bruce

I was unable to access the article- However, and I am not discounting regulations, blogs can be a powerful way to enhance teaching and learning and also professional development- Joel's comment on the ED CODE was well done, but as we consider educational uses for technology, folks will hear of these things ( ED CODE and regs) and won't even want to try  either  device ( iPods, blogs) and thus delete any potential-- I have several FREE podcasts in my classroom that I incorporate into our science and histroy lessons- MIT ( One of the few colleges I do not have to spell check!) offers coursework- Many of my colleagues use their iPods for reading and classwork - And, like that cup fof coffee on the teacher's desk, the kids are going to ask " Why can't I?"

I feel very fortunate to have seen the development of ed tech in my career. I have had all sorts of computers in various classes and have seen them do amazing things -- and also routine things. A point from this might be that teachers will have to, as Angela's article mentions " self-regulate" -- And as Mr Twain is credited with stating " Common sense is not always common practice" there will be problems- One of the ways this reality can be addressed is by not " knee- jerking" when someone has a blog that might be deemed  inappropriate- What I have seen over the past 30 years is when a teacher has a "______" fill in the blank yourselves-- but for here BLOG that goes against the norm of society, rather than setting up an ED CODE regulation, talk to said teacher about what he/she is hoping to achieve with this device- If it has merit- go for it--We are so afraid of not being PC ( And I have used PC's my friends!!!) that innovation can be left be the wayside

Realizing this is ex post facto, I will try to access the article or get a direct copy from you

Peace

Bill 

Broken link in Bruce's message now fixed. 

Thanks Rick 

What an interesting piece- and again thanks Rick for fixing the link

The Title: EMPLOYEE MISUSE AND ABUSE of SOCIAL NETWORK SITES more or less sets the theme of the piece- The citiing of the Bush ( Middle School Teacher in Flodia) in the opening paragraph is one that I have discussed with several friends-- Personal info-- I am in a different locale then most - I DO NOT WANT MY COURT SCHOOL STUDENTS TO KNOW WHERE I LIVE! so I am biased-- additionally I am the father of five (5) children-- one graduted from college -- one in college, two in high school and our son is in 4th grade-- NOW YOU KNOW MORE THAN MY STUDENTS-- If you want to blackmail me with this info, I would only remind you that my economics are dictated by the previously alluded to children! BUT - They have come home over the past years and always told my wife and I stories about their teachers relaying, IMHO, VERY PERSONAL INFO-- "Went to a wedding and got drunk" -- got a divorce-- having surgery-- hmm- Now I realize in a class of 30 that may minimize the  who gets to hear about  Teacher R's divorce, surgery or alcoholic disposition and the essence of this piece is that by posting these things, and other personal info, you are opening your life to the world-- And in my reading, I believe very strongly that once a bell has been rung.....you cannot "unring it"  A question arises as to when do  you STOP being a teacher (5pm?) and what regulations are guiding your so called private life- And how much " independence?"  do you have  if you decide to "social network?" These are not ez arenas and as witnessed in the footnotes the number of cases, both resolved and I am sure pending has made this a very hot topic

I mentioned in a previous posting that Twain's comment on Common Sense, and it seems to have has lost its way in today's reality--One of my children was telling me about a tv show where the "contestant's" tell about their live's to a national TV audience as they are fastened to a lie detector to win $$$$$$= Some of the questions are , for lack of a better term , nuts-- "To wit; DO YOU CHEAT ON YOUR HUSBAND?-- who by the way is in the audience and is also a sheriff, so he can carry a firearm legally- hmm-- and of course she says "YES" because she could win 50 thousand $'s-- My point for this is we are not what we think we are are- morally -- I am not here to preach but the fact that we have teachers posting their pornagraphy and that schools have to insure that their TU's and AUP's list this as no-no is also....nuts

Tenure rears its head in the piece as well and that brings in another litigious element- The section on page 4 of the article talks of limitiations on discipline- privacy, Unions, and Whistleblowers should also be aligned with what is fair, right and aware that our position as a teacher may be ..... compromised if we decide to  engage oursleves in public forums

I like the list they have for blogging considerations( teachers) -- and specifically the line .." the truth is ALWAYS ( MY EMPHASIS) better that the opposite, so THINK before you blog

In closing they also mention responsibility- I like Steven Covey's comment on that word: RESPONSIBILITY; the ability to choose a response

Choose wisely- keep in mind where you work and who you work with- If you know full well it not adversely impact your class, school, students, etc-- go for it-