For the most part, I would like schools to focus more on what students do at school (get to class on time, act appropriately) than what they do outside of school (online activities, partying). If our schools spent more time on the 3 R's and less time on self-esteem, on wallowing in family issues, and on helping kids hide abortions from their parents, one would think that a lot more academic education would take place.
What kids put on their Myspace accounts is not the school's business--unless the students make it the school's business by threatening school personnel, by bragging about school vandalism, etc. This topic has been addressed on other edublogs and the opinion seems to be prevalent that schools should butt out. Want to put pictures of your underage drinking on your site? Why should school officials care? Want to put sexually suggestive pics of yourself online for the whole world to see? Just don't be looking at them on school computers and there shouldn't be an issue. Some said that schools should just print out the pictures and give them to the parents, to which I reply, why? Do you call the parents when you see the just-licensed-sophomore screech the tires out on the street after leaving school? Do you call the parents of every kid you know or suspect smokes pot? There's something about this I just don't like.
Apparently, some schools don't agree. But the Instapundit and I do agree.
i have to agree, and disagree.
ReplyDeleteagree because ya, its not the schools job to alert parents or punish students...
disagree, because i think it SHOULD BE. when school faculty knows about a student breaking the law, and dont report it, that just makes it easier for students to get away with the rules they are breaking. if theres a picture of a student smokin pot on myspace, and school sees it, they shouldnt do anything? no, they should alert the police, because the student is BREAKING A LAW by SMOKING POT.
when a student knows the school wont punish them in any way, then what is to help stop the student from doing something stupid? when schools alert parents, it makes it THAT much harder for students to do something stupid.
o...btw....i found a link u might be interested in. take a look.
http://www.break.com/index/airforce1.html
Scott, while I certainly understand your viewpoint, I'm not convinced yet that it's a view I can hold. I don't feel compelled to break out a cell phone and call the CHP every time someone speeds down the freeway, and neither do I feel the need to supervise you when you're away from campus.
ReplyDeleteYou're correct that students *should* do the right thing or, at the very least, shouldn't advertise their lawbreaking with pictures on the internet, but I'd rather have you police your friends than expect me to do it.
But then I think--if my kid's teacher knew my kid was smoking pot (or something like that) and didn't tell me, I'd be more than angry. And therein lies the rub. You can't know what parents expect. One response is, "Thank you for telling me--it's great knowing that I have plenty of eyes helping to watch over my kid", while another response that's just as possible is "Why are you looking up my kid's website? That has nothing to do with school! Are you stalking my kid? Are you a pervert or something?"
I hope you can now see something you might not have considered. Does that change your view at all? Why or why not? Please double space your answer; this essay will be worth 50 points.
=)
And that link you sent--wow! Hard to believe that anyone could get that close to AF1, when you learn about everything that goes on with that aircraft.
ReplyDeleteare you serious about the points? il do it. i wont tell you the answer yet, but il type an essay for it. want it MLA? how long? whens it due? il hella do it!
ReplyDeleteo..and about the link...it makes me question the security of our military? what if that was a terrorist instead of kids, with a bomb instead of a spray can? and another question, if kids can get past hard military, then no wonder illegals can get through national guard.
I have to question if that video was real or not. My first thought when I saw it, though--that wasn't in the United States. I wonder when/where it was, though.
ReplyDeleteAnd no, I wasn't serious about the essay!
I definitely feel what you're saying, and agree with you that if they make it the school's problem, then the school should jump in.
ReplyDeleteToo often, people, including news outlets, are blaming MySpace for crimes and things related to them, but it really comes down to the basics that have been catching criminals for years. If they're dumb enough to do something and get caught, then so be it.
I have a whole post on people doing stupid things on MySpace over at my blog (schuylerhall.blogspot.com) that you might want to check out. Keep up the great work!