Hey class, I know this is a little late, hopefully someone will comment on it or I get partial credit or something. Its been a little hard for me to get to my homework before the weekend starts. Anyway, the question is: Is blogging worth the risk? My answer is: Yes, definitely.
I think the question is actually pretty dishonest, because "worth the risk" implies that there actually is a risk factor inherent in the process itself, when in fact any risk in this proposition involves irresponsible teachers. And irresponsible teachers are definitely not worth the risk to keep around. As an analogy, blogging is no more dangerous than driving a car, as long as you know the rules of the road... but if you don't you are asking for a horrible accident.
It's 2012 and no matter how computer-illiterate you are, everyone should know by now what the internet is and how it functions. It's a device that allows anyone to communicate with anyone else, with little restriction on privacy. Any rational teacher should understand automatically, just from this description, that putting any sort of information on the internet that you want to keep private is an irresponsible action.
So if its really this simple, why is there such a debate? If a teacher is going to maintain a professional blog, he needs to understand these simple truths. I don't think we need any sort of teacher education program to get across this very basic fact. If a teacher is going to break his professional demeanor and communicate irresponsibly about his job in any way - not just online - then he has no business teaching in the first place.
I think the question is actually pretty dishonest, because "worth the risk" implies that there actually is a risk factor inherent in the process itself, when in fact any risk in this proposition involves irresponsible teachers. And irresponsible teachers are definitely not worth the risk to keep around. As an analogy, blogging is no more dangerous than driving a car, as long as you know the rules of the road... but if you don't you are asking for a horrible accident.It's 2012 and no matter how computer-illiterate you are, everyone should know by now what the internet is and how it functions. It's a device that allows anyone to communicate with anyone else, with little restriction on privacy. Any rational teacher should understand automatically, just from this description, that putting any sort of information on the internet that you want to keep private is an irresponsible action.
So if its really this simple, why is there such a debate? If a teacher is going to maintain a professional blog, he needs to understand these simple truths. I don't think we need any sort of teacher education program to get across this very basic fact. If a teacher is going to break his professional demeanor and communicate irresponsibly about his job in any way - not just online - then he has no business teaching in the first place.
Hi Seth,
ReplyDeleteI agree that the risk is the person behind the blog. I like your analogy of "blogging is no more dangerous than driving a car, as long as you know the rules of the road." We have to assume that anything we've written will show up in cyberspace. Yes, blogs are about as far from private as black is from white.
Hey Seth,
ReplyDeleteI love your analogy with blogging and driving a car! That is a perfect description and would be a great way to describe it to our students when discussing internet safety. I also agree that when blogging professionally or using it in a classroom, rules and guidelines are very important. We have to think how what we post will affect how the people around us feel about us as professionals. Its just as important to not alienate colleagues as it is to ensure parents or students do not find you irresponsible.
-Kyleigh
Hi Seth,
ReplyDeleteI really like your analogy as well! I really like that you call out the teachers/writers for not acting responsibly. The internet is far from private, and everyone should know that by now. Thanks for the insightful post. Also, you definitely didn't post this late :)
-Lily
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ReplyDeleteHi Seth!
ReplyDeleteI agree that when utilizing the internet on any realm, one must be responsible and accountable-especially an educator! I also agree that any educator that does not understand this should not be in their position. Your analogy is good and I like the way you started off your perspective questioning the question, "Is it worth the risk." Thanks for the interesting=g read.
Leigh