Comments on: Blog Monitoring by Schools? http://fplwow.wordpress.com/2008/02/26/blog-monitoring-by-schools/ Just another WordPress.com weblog Sun, 15 Jun 2008 17:02:33 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: Alyson http://fplwow.wordpress.com/2008/02/26/blog-monitoring-by-schools/#comment-52 Alyson Fri, 29 Feb 2008 16:22:17 +0000 http://fplwow.wordpress.com/?p=28#comment-52 Well, let me backtrack just a bit... I wasn't suggesting that teachers have overstepped their boundaries as stewards of children. It's that they've been FORCED to take on an unreasonable range of responsibilities that really belong to parents because some moms and dads simply won't step up to the plate as they should. (Richard Peck recently referenced this in a powerful opinion piece, noting that there was a time when parents were afraid to get calls from schools, but now, it's the schools who fear calls from parents.) When a threatening comment is made by a student on his/her blog that directly references the school setting, then yes, teachers and administrators have the right to get involved. But if the comments are otherwise framed, then the parent MUST be the primary agent in addressing the situation. Well, let me backtrack just a bit… I wasn’t suggesting that teachers have overstepped their boundaries as stewards of children. It’s that they’ve been FORCED to take on an unreasonable range of responsibilities that really belong to parents because some moms and dads simply won’t step up to the plate as they should. (Richard Peck recently referenced this in a powerful opinion piece, noting that there was a time when parents were afraid to get calls from schools, but now, it’s the schools who fear calls from parents.) When a threatening comment is made by a student on his/her blog that directly references the school setting, then yes, teachers and administrators have the right to get involved. But if the comments are otherwise framed, then the parent MUST be the primary agent in addressing the situation.

]]> By: Justin http://fplwow.wordpress.com/2008/02/26/blog-monitoring-by-schools/#comment-51 Justin Thu, 28 Feb 2008 18:01:31 +0000 http://fplwow.wordpress.com/?p=28#comment-51 "The 'in loco parentis' function of educators has been sorely abused, but they’ll have to be the first to say enough." Great point. It does seem to be well overstepping their traditional mandate. Educators aren't private detectives. Their interests in the behavior of their students should be largely confined to their own jurisdiction: the schools. Totally agree that this is outside their role. “The ‘in loco parentis’ function of educators has been sorely abused, but they’ll have to be the first to say enough.”

Great point. It does seem to be well overstepping their traditional mandate. Educators aren’t private detectives. Their interests in the behavior of their students should be largely confined to their own jurisdiction: the schools. Totally agree that this is outside their role.

]]> By: Alyson http://fplwow.wordpress.com/2008/02/26/blog-monitoring-by-schools/#comment-47 Alyson Wed, 27 Feb 2008 23:33:39 +0000 http://fplwow.wordpress.com/?p=28#comment-47 While I don't think it's feasible to devote the kind of manpower it would take to monitor students' websites on a frequent, consistent basis (the money can be better spent - I had to use textbooks in my classroom that were more than a decade old, for example), I do think students should be prepared to face the consequences if administrators and the police deem posts that include references to behavior/events - in the school setting, that is - a substantial threat. If the references are to illegal or inappropriate behavior entirely unrelated to school, it must be the jurisdiction of the parents. The "in loco parentis" function of educators has been sorely abused, but they'll have to be the first to say enough. While I don’t think it’s feasible to devote the kind of manpower it would take to monitor students’ websites on a frequent, consistent basis (the money can be better spent – I had to use textbooks in my classroom that were more than a decade old, for example), I do think students should be prepared to face the consequences if administrators and the police deem posts that include references to behavior/events – in the school setting, that is – a substantial threat. If the references are to illegal or inappropriate behavior entirely unrelated to school, it must be the jurisdiction of the parents. The “in loco parentis” function of educators has been sorely abused, but they’ll have to be the first to say enough.

]]> By: Flannery Quinn http://fplwow.wordpress.com/2008/02/26/blog-monitoring-by-schools/#comment-43 Flannery Quinn Wed, 27 Feb 2008 00:51:43 +0000 http://fplwow.wordpress.com/?p=28#comment-43 To what degree of illegal action are we talkiing about? If a teen is threating to harm or even kill other students, then I think that the school should step in. If a teen has porn on his or her website, that is not the school's problem. Its the parents' problem. To what degree of illegal action are we talkiing about? If a teen is threating to harm or even kill other students, then I think that the school should step in. If a teen has porn on his or her website, that is not the school’s problem. Its the parents’ problem.

]]> By: Justin http://fplwow.wordpress.com/2008/02/26/blog-monitoring-by-schools/#comment-42 Justin Tue, 26 Feb 2008 23:17:01 +0000 http://fplwow.wordpress.com/?p=28#comment-42 If it's online, it's fair game. It's an excessive step on the part of the school district, but if they want to waste their time, more power to them. This is one of these things that gets everybody worked up, but then once the district realizes how many human hours they'd need to actually devote to reading blogs and MySpace profiles and how utterly useless the fruits of their labor will be, they will probably come around to agreeing with everybody else: it simply isn't worth it. For me, this isn't an ethical issue so much as a political one. As a tax payer, my money is going to somebody to sit around and read MySpace? Uh, no--I'm sorry. Next time school board elections come around, those fools are out on their butts. If it’s online, it’s fair game. It’s an excessive step on the part of the school district, but if they want to waste their time, more power to them.

This is one of these things that gets everybody worked up, but then once the district realizes how many human hours they’d need to actually devote to reading blogs and MySpace profiles and how utterly useless the fruits of their labor will be, they will probably come around to agreeing with everybody else: it simply isn’t worth it. For me, this isn’t an ethical issue so much as a political one. As a tax payer, my money is going to somebody to sit around and read MySpace? Uh, no–I’m sorry. Next time school board elections come around, those fools are out on their butts.

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